Wine news
2024 PKF Hunter Valley Wine Show Results
The 2024 PKF Hunter Valley Wine Show attracted 600 entries with a total of 381 medals awarded, including 56 Gold. Chaired by Sam Connew of Stargazer Wines, this year’s show included expert judges from across Australia, plus International Judge, Mark Pygott, Master of Wine, from the United Kingdom.
Mark commented, “the quality of the wines and the professionalism of the show was a privilege to be a part of. I expected to find pristine, pure and delicious Semillon in the 2024 class and wasn’t disappointed. Many of the wines in this class will develop into wines of rare beauty and will continue the legacy of this unique style of Semillon, only found in the Hunter Valley”.
Reflecting on the red wines on show, Sam remarked, “it was a delight to see the strength of the much-anticipated 2023 red wines. It was a very high standard class”.
After being awarded 2025 Halliday Winemaker of the Year, Liz Silkman, of First Creek Wines and Silkman Wines, added to her success taking out an incredible 7 trophies at the show.
The Kaloudah Trophy for Best Table Wine from a Small Producer was awarded to Keith Tulloch Wine for their 2023 Celest Chardonnay.
The Best Museum White Wine was won by Tyrrell’s for their highly acclaimed 2013 Belford Semillon. Reflecting on this class, Mark noted, “it featured many wines of profound intensity, coupled with an elegance that is arguably unmatched by any other wine style globally”.
Brokenwood Wines took the Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance Trophy for their 2024, 2017 and 2014 flagship ILR Semillon. “The wines of provenance, celebrates excellence and consistency across a minimum spread of 10 years and these wines continue to set a benchmark for this award Australia wide”, remarked Sam.
The De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz was awarded Best Shiraz and Best Red Wine whilst the De Iuliis Wines 2014 Talga Road Shiraz received the John Lewis Trophy for Best Museum Red.
Congratulations to all the major trophy winners; Silkman Wines, Brokenwood Wines, Tinklers Wines, First Creek Wines, Pepper Tree Wines, John Wallace Wines, Margan Wines, De Iuliis Wines, Hungerford Hill, Thomas Wines, Mercer Wines, Tyrrell’s Wines and Keith Tulloch Wines.
2024 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show Winners Announced
In its 34th year, the 2024 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show has highlighted the exceptional talents of our region’s boutique winemakers. Judged by a prestigious panel and led by renown winemaker, Neil McGuigan, the show brought together the best wines in the valley, crafted by small producers.
After 2 rigorous days of judging, there was cause for celebration for the team at Thomas Wines who took home a remarkable 8 trophies. This included the prestigious Ray Healey Trophy for Best Red Wine with their Thomas Wines 2018 Kiss Shiraz. Also, the Most Successful Boutique Exhibitor, recognising their consistent excellence across a variety of categories in this year’s competition.
According to Andrew Thomas, “we are absolutely humbled and delighted with our results from the 2024 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show. An unprecedented 8 trophies and 9 gold medals certainly underpins our ongoing commitment to winemaking excellence across the Hunter’s two signature varieties, Semillon and Shiraz.”
In other major awards, The Karl Stockhausen Commemorative Trophy for Best White Wine of the Show was awarded to Colvin Wines for their exceptional 2009 De Beyers Vineyard Semillon. Show Chair Neil McGuigan said, “this wine stood out for its elegance and precise expression of the Hunter Valley’s renowned semillon varietal”.
Semsational!
The team at Tyrrell’s are celebrating their fantastic results from the 2024 Royal Adelaide Wine Show which saw their semillons dominate the most prestigious awards. With entries from wine regions across Australia, the 2017 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon was awarded Best Semillon in Show and Most Outstanding White Wine in Show, trumping all other white wine varieties.
As one of Australia’s most celebrated white wines, Greg Follett, Chair of the Royal Adelaide Wine Committee commented, “Tyrrell’s Wines’ Vat 1 Semillon is truly outstanding, consistently winning awards year after year for good reason”.
Tyrrell’s Stevens Semillon was also honoured with Wine of Provenance with 2023, 2018 and 2011 vintages. This coveted award highlights consistency quality and age ability of vintages over a 10-year period. Additionally, Tyrrell’s head winemaker Andrew Spinaze was recognised as Winemaker of the National Wine of Provenance.
Scarborough’s New Canned wine is Changing the Game.
Scarborough Wine Co. is a renown and much-loved Hunter Valley family winery. Just in time for Summer, they have launched their first wine in a can range, perfect for fun in the sun, picnics, BBQs and backyard parties.
Winemaker Jermone Scarborough commented, “innovation and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do and there are so many benefits to cans. They chill faster than bottles, are easy to grab and go, lightweight, recyclable and with a smaller carbon footprint than glass bottles. Plus, there’s no risk of breakage.”
Made from the same quality wines in the existing Scarborough Offshoot range, the new cans include a White Spritz Vermentino, Rosé Spritz Pinot Noir, Light White Chardonnay and Light Red Tempranillo Joven.
Jerome enthused, “with exciting new varieties and styles, our cans deliver the same high-quality wine you expect, but with added convenience. We’ve selected lighter, more aromatic varieties and I can’t wait to see people drinking these wines over Summer.”
The White Spritz Vermentino has quince, guava, apple and pear with enticing zesty bubbles. It’s delicious and a clear winner. The Light White Chardonnay is bursting with stone fruits, citrus and a smidge of vanilla, whilst the pinot-based Rose Spritz exudes summer strawberries, watermelon and musk stick flavours.
Finally, the Light Red Tempranillo Joven is a fun easy-drinking red wine with cherry, raspberry, boysenberry and spice. Serve it slightly chilled.
These wines can also be used to mix up a spritz or a cocktail and if you’re looking for mindful drinking options, a can at 250ml is 1/3 of a bottle.
New Wine Range and Curated Dining Menu
Launching their new cellar door and restaurant in a historic slab-hut in the picturesque town of Morpeth in 2020 was challenging timing for Boydells. However, owners Jane and Daniel Maroulis have continued to innovate and evolve their offering, creating a must-visit destination just 40 minutes from Newcastle.
The couple have just released the Barrington Wine Range, named after the unique location of their vineyards at the foot of the Barrington Tops. Focused on alternate varieties and made by local award-winning winemaker, Liz Silkman, the trio of wines are bursting with summer freshness.
Sourced from the cool climate Hilltops region, the 2024 Barrington Fiano is a gorgeous wine showing hints of jasmine, nashi pear, citrus and a fresh finish with plenty of flavour and texture.
With the grape variety originating from Austria, the Barrington Gruner Veltliner (or Gruner for short) is from the Tumbarumba region near Canberra. This wine is aromatic with green apple, pea tendrils, citrus and a light zesty palate.
The Field blend is an exotic mix of Verdelho, Fiano, Chardonnay and Gruner, creating a lovely floral aromatic wine. Just-ripe stone fruits, pear with a savouriness on the palate, this wine is a delightful drop. The Boydells Barrington Range are beautifully made and available exclusively from their Cellar Door and online.
Boydells have also launched a new all-day seasonal menu with a diverse range of snacks, small share plates, and larger dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients. Owner Daniel Maroulis said, “the new expanded menu embraces a more relaxed and approachable dining experience that perfectly complements our wines”.
Why not take the road less travelled and visit Boydells.
Elbourne Wines’ Family Friendly Tastings
It doesn’t get much more personal than hosting wine tastings at your family home and Elbourne Wines offer the ultimate family friendly tastings.
Owners Adam and Alexy Elbourne are the couple behind the boutique brand along with their 2 young children, 3 dogs and a host of other farm animals. With 8 acres of Chardonnay and Shiraz vines on their property, they produce around 200 cases of their flagship wines. According to Adam, “at 35 years old, our vineyards are fully mature and producing high-quality fruit. We’ve also expanded our range with varieties we don’t grow from local friends vines.”
The Elbournes walk the talk on sustainability. Using holistic farming, their chickens, ducks and geese enrich the soil and act as pest control so they can avoid spraying. They have planted thousands of native plants to restore habitats and reintroduced biodiversity and beneficial insects on their farm.
Sitting on the verandah with stunning panoramic vistas and a large playground for the kids, the Elbournes offer a comprehensive range of well-made and reasonably priced wines. Starting with the Pink Pegasus Sparkling Rose, these crowd-pleasing bubbles are perfect for lazy days with friends. A verdelho, semillon, vermentino and rose are on offer as well as Alexy’s favourite, the Grace Chardonnay named after their daughter. In the reds there is shiraz (including a sparkling shiraz), tempranillo and sagrantino, plus a sweet and fortified verdelho to finish.
The kids also get involved by selling farm fresh eggs and produce from the farm. So, if you’re looking for a unique wine tasting away from the hustle and bustle, take a trip to Elbourne Wines in Pokolbin.
Open Friday and Saturday with bookings recommended.
First Creek’s New Premium Tasting Experiences
As one of the most awarded wineries in the Hunter Valley, family owned First Creek is also one of it’s best kept secrets. First Creek’s Chief Winemaker, Liz Silkman was also recently awarded 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year.
Tastefully decorated with a homely feel, the cellar door has plenty of comfy indoor seating as well as outdoor space to enjoy sunny days. According to Cellar Door Manager Rhys Harford, “we want it to feel like walking into a friend’s lounge room; sophisticated, yet casual and friendly”.
There are now 5 different wine experiences to choose from, with two new specially curated tastings.
First Creek achieved a total of 12 wines rated 95 points or more, which is considered “outstanding” to “exceptional” in the current edition of Australia’s “wine bible”, the Halliday Wine Companion. Halliday’s Top Picks Wine and Cheese Experience is a curated wine tasting, served with a locally sourced cheese and salumi platter. At $45pp allow 60-90 minutes to relish these stunning award-winning wines.
First Creek won the coveted 2023 Hunter Valley Wine Show, Wines of Provenance trophy – meaning the highest calibre of wines over 3 vintages. The Wines of Provenance Flight is a rare opportunity to taste First Creek’s most awarded aged and current vintage semillons. At $50pp, three 100ml pours of each wine is carefully matched with a local cheese for you to enjoy at your leisure.
Also available is Member for a Day which allows you to taste across Classic, Limited Releases, Single Vineyard and Winemakers Reserve wines. And, with 2 other tasting experiences on offer, you have plenty of options to choose from.
Whilst specialty tastings are best booked in advance, the friendly staff also welcome walk-ins.
Discover more in the Summer Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.
Story by Cathy Gadd
