THE GRAPEVINE BLOG

This time of year the Hunter Valley is buzzing with action as harvest and vintage take place across our vineyards and wineries. If you’re visiting the region over the next few weeks you may come across large groups of pickers out at dawn until dusk harvesting this year’s crops, or tractors on the roads transporting tonnes of fruit from the vineyard to be crushed in the winery. Whatever the activity - it usually means vintage and with it, a crop of new whites and reds to enjoy. There is no better time to partake in a behind the scenes winery tour whilst the wineries are in full swing with their work.

The Hunter Valley has made its mark on the nation's live music map having hosted some of the biggest names in the world including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John. If you’re in the mood for some live music during your stay, you don’t always need to plan and source a ticket to one of these headline shows. Here are some of the top places to kick-back to live music each weekend in the region. Whether you’re after sunshine, vine side acoustic blues in the afternoon or a sun-drenched beer garden with a band covering all the classics, there is no better way to celebrate the end of the week than with some great vino and vibes.

The Hunter Valley is a region that has built its reputation around relatively traditional winemaking, signature varieties, family values and in general, doing what’s been perceived as “what the Hunter does best” for over a century. Fast forward to the 2020’s, some 150 years after the region’s inception, there are some exciting developments, some new entrants to the market, some traditionalists challenging the norm, and some young blood bringing more responsible farming and winemaking practices into their businesses and worldly experiences into practice back in their valley.

Winemaking is a craft often passed on from generation to generation all around the world, and even in Australia where the art of winemaking is relatively young in comparison, there’s history in the making and common business values at play.

2022 CCL Hunter Valley Wine Show Trophy Winners Announced

Commemorating its 50th milestone, the CCL Hunter Valley Wine Show’s week of celebrations kicked off on Monday 15th August with wine show judging at Singleton Lone Pine Barracks and concluded with an industry celebration at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley on Friday 19th August. The luncheon was attended by over 350 industry professionals to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the Hunter Valley wine industry.

For many pet owners, the hardest part about travelling is leaving our four-legged companions behind. Luckily for us, most venues in the Hunter Valley are in the same boat – pooches are part of the family and in many cases, staff rosters as well. You’ll find that many wineries and even restaurants will have a resident fury friend on-site, in charge of the hellos and goodbyes.

The Hunter Valley is renowned for producing world class Shiraz and stylistically it’s in a world of its own. The region’s signature red variety generates a great deal of intrigue, consistently tops wine columns and shapes out wine shows and guides and has firmly secured the Hunter Valley’s position as one of the great Shiraz producing regions of the world.

It could be that the critters and molluscs that littered the ancient sea floor more than 250 million years ago can be credited for some of the spectacular soils which now adorn the golden circle of Semillon producing vineyards, arguably the best sites in the world.

Next time you visit Hunter Valley Wine Country, save some space in your itinerary to venture a little further and explore the northern part of the region. Known for open, green grasslands, stunning national parks, fine wining and dining and plenty of history, the Upper Hunter offers a memorable trip with plenty on offer to experience.

"What is a degustation?" one may ask themselves when deciphering the fancy word on a dining menu. ‘Degustation’ is a French word for ‘tasting’. So, it’s literally a menu that offers you a series of different dishes to sample and try.