It’s a family affair

Imagine you are reclining in a handmade copper bath, in a genuine African safari tent, with uninterrupted views across a beautiful, rural valley. You also have a glass of award-winning wine in your hand that was produced on this very property. How far from home here in the Hunter do you think you would have to travel to experience this sort of luxury? Would you believe all this is just an hour from Newcastle? Yes, you can soak that in – and soak in it at local family owned vineyard Boydells 1826, at East Gresford. The family who brought a safari tent from the savannas of Africa to an Australian vineyard is Daniel and Jane Maroulis, and their four beautiful daughters Winnie, Maggie, Nina and Josie. They moved to the Gresford district just three years ago, from Narromine, but have already breathed plenty of life into this heritage-laden property and the local community. The property’s history harks back to the Hunter Valley’s early foray into wine grape growing when Charles Boydell first planted vines on the sloping banks above the pristine Allyn River in 1826. The vineyard is recognised as among the first established in New South Wales, with Dr Henry Lindeman also planting in the same district during this period.