The Real Review has named Hunter Valley winemaker Aaron Mercer of Mercer Wines ‘Rising Star of the Year’ in the 2026 Top Wineries of Australia rankings. The Rising Star of the Year award recognises an outstanding emerging wine professional yet to receive wide recognition for their winemaking success.
The 2026 Hunter Valley Vintage opened at Mount Pleasant, where 80 local wine industry members joined Wonnarua Elder, Warren Taggart for a Smoking Ceremony - deeply rooted in 60,000 years of indigenous culture. As the first wine region in Australia to adopt the practice, sacred ancient symbols were used to bless the vintage with smouldering eucalyptus leaves for spiritual cleansing, energy and prosperity.
This blog was created in collaboration with Take Me Home Posters, a proud Hunter Valley business and supporter of the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association. Take Me Home Travel Posters supported the association by providing two artworks for the 2025/2026 Guide covers.
Fire up the Autumn and Winter season with a range of great events in the Hunter Valley. From big weekends out to more intimate experiences, there’s something happening almost every week in the Hunter Valley. Here's what coming up in the Hunter Valley.
