HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS 

 

Greg Walls has been involved in the Hunter Wine business for nearly 40 years and proudly declares "Wine is in my blood!" tracing his family history in wine back some 408 years - that's right the year 1610 in Burgundy and from where else but that a little known region Vosne Romanee. In vinus terms, you could not ask for a better heritage and inheritance.

For the last 38 years, Greg has made it his business taking wine from the Hunter Valley to every region of Australia. 

He did this through his establishment of the Hunter Valley Wine Society in 1975, later evolving the business to Wine Selectors, which now delivers Hunter wines to a nationwide membership of more than 200,000.

His business, Wine Selectors has grown in stature, providing quality and consistency, service and commitment to our collective brand ‘Wine Hunter’. A measure of commitment to Wine Australia and Wine Hunter was underlined some years ago when we drowned in New Zealand Savvy but this business refused to toe the collective retail line and in fact refused to sell or stock a single bottle of this Kiwi invader. They bravely continued to promote existing Australian Dry White championed by of course, Hunter Semillon, Chardonnay and Verdelho.

Greg Walls was inducted as a Hunter Valley Living Legend in 2018.  

HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS

Greg Silkman started working in his families hotel business after studying science at Newcastle University.

His love of Hunter Wines grew from drinking Semillon and Shiraz and particularly the wines made at Ben Pan by Karl Stockhausen.

He moved to the Hunter Valley in 1985 when he purchased Tamburlaine Wines with Mark Davidson and a group of friends. During that time they grew production from 30t to over 500t.

In 1996 Greg sold his shared in Tamburlaine Wines and purchased Allanmare with 3 other winemakers.

Over the next 2 years he saw a need for a more focused contract winemaking facility in the Hunter Valley.

People were buying vineyards and moving to the Hunter Valley with no understanding of how to produce wine let alone premium wine that was sound. A number of wineries were making wine for the growers but it was not their main focus. 

In October 1998 he leased the old Hungerford Hill winery from McGuigan Wines and started First Creek Winemaking Services. Their first vintage was over 1800t and their first customer was Two Rivers.

Greg purchased First Creek Winemaking Services current site from Rothbury Wines in 1999 and completed the first shed and bottling line in 2000.

The winery was built for the 2001 Vintage. 2005 saw the installation of their 2nd bottling line. In 2017 they built their latest bottling line which represents the latest in bottling technology.

First Creek Winemaking Services now employs over 70 people and provides a winemaking and bottling service to premium wine products in the Hunter Valley, Orange, Mudgee and Hilltop regions.

Greg Silkman was inducted a Legend in 2019. 

HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS

Robert & Sally Molines - Robert comes from the South of France on the French Riviera, a village called Beausoleil (meaning ‘beautiful sun’), adjacent to Monaco, Monte Carlo.

Robert was educated at The Catering Institute of Nice and Menton. His stepfather of Italian origin, was chef for The Palace of Monaco.

His mother was appointed at The French Consulate in Melbourne, and the family came to Australia in 1968. After her term expired, the family decided to remain and live in Australia.

Robert worked in Melbourne, then in Newcastle in 1969, for the opening of Capanna Restaurant in Hamilton. He then left for Adelaide and worked at Decca’s Place in North Adelaide, before moving to Sydney to join his family.

He opened the very popular Eliza’s in Double Bay, then worked at both La Rive Gauche and Beppi’s. The family had quite a few restaurants in the Sydney area.

Robert opened his first restaurant in 1972 in Potts Point called Le Sagittaire which is where he met Sally who he later married.

Robert and Sally moved to The Hunter Valley in late 1973, after selling the restaurant in Potts Point to take up management of The Happy Valley Restaurant on Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin (part of then Saxonvale Wines).

They married in May 1975 and made a home at Apple Porch in Broke.

In 1978 they opened The Pokolbin Cellar Restaurant (part of then Hungerford Hill Wine Village), and while operating the restaurant they took control of all catering at The Rothbury Estate for Mr Len Evans OBE OA, and also opened The Verandah Restaurant at Calais Estate. The Hunter Valley offered Robert and Sally a challenge to establish dining in a country destination close to the vineyards and create a marriage of food and wine.

In 1979 Robert and Sally’s first son Louis was born, followed by a second son Joseph in 1984, making them a complete family.

In 1989 Robert and Sally became involved in The Pepper Tree Project with Mike and Suzie O’Connor (Peppers Hotel Group) and Murray and Linley Robson (Robson Wine Group). The three couples and partners established the unique destination of Pepper Tree with The Convent, Pepper Tree Wines and Robert’s Restaurant which opened officially in October 1991.

Robert and Sally then sold all their other enterprises to concentrate on Robert’s Restaurant, which soon became a success within itself. In 1998 they joined The Tower Estate Group with Mr Len Evans as Chairman, as the restaurant went from strength to strength.

With the passing of Mr Evans, Robert and Sally made an offer to repurchase Robert’s which was ultimately refused, and Robert and Sally decided it was time to undertake new endeavours in the growing area of the Hunter.

Currently they are operating a traditional French Bistro (Bistro Molines) at Margan Cellar Door on Hermitage Road which allows Robert to be taken back to his roots as chef and produce outstanding French cuisine.

In October, 2008 Bistro Molines moved to a beautiful destination at Mount View on top of the hill at Tallavera Grove. Between the spectacular aspect similar of French Provincial country it offers a serene and amazing unspoilt part of the Hunter Valley; Bistro Molines, with Roberta and Sally at the helm is possibly the best discovery to experience.

 

Robert and Sally Molines were inducted as Hunter Valley Living Legends in 2018. 

HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS

Imelda Roche with her late husband Bill established Nutrimetics in Australia in 1968, quickly expanded the company into Asia Pacific, Europe and Mexico, setting up corporate offices in 16 countries. After acquiring the ownership of the worldwide interests of Nutrimetics, which included the United States and Canada, they moved the international headquarters from California to Sydney. An Australian first. The Group was subsequently sold in 1997 to the Sara Lee Corporation. 

Upon retiring, Bill Roche decided the time was right to honour a long-held ambition and build a garden that would be enjoyed by generations to come. The construction of Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin began in 1999, on what was originally horse paddocks and vineyards. Over a period of five years, under the direct personal management and guidance of Bill and a team of up to 50 landscape gardeners, architects and engineers, the Gardens came to life. 

Hunter Valley Gardens now includes 25 hectares of multi award-winning international gardens, with eight kilometres of walking paths winding through gardens consisting of over 6000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and over 1 million ground cover plants - plus waterfalls, statues, murals and much more. The ten individually themed gardens created by Bill and his team showcase the artistry of gardens around the world. 

‘A love of gardens enhances lives and brings with it an appreciation of nature’s beauty. Gardens also provide a counter to the many pressures of day to day living. The spiritual experience of getting back to nature and into gardens is very rewarding.’ Bill Roche 

Hunter Valley Gardens opened in October 2003 and to date has welcomed 4 million guests! Over the years, the Gardens has continued to be enhanced, and to this day a team of 27 horticultural staff work to make sure the displays are beautiful. The introduction of family orientated events such as Christmas Lights Spectacular and Snow Time, plus new attractions including a giant Ferris Wheel, has ensured that the Gardens continues to be enjoyed by multi-generations of visitors, from the very young to the young at heart. 

‘Hunter Valley Gardens aims to provide visitors with a magical experience – a combination of the sounds of water and birds, together with a multitude of fragrances and colours. For many, an exciting and enriching experience, for others one of calm and comfort. I trust we have provided something for everyone.’ Bill Roche. 

Roche Group Pty Ltd, today owns Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin, Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens, Harrigan’s Irish Pub, Hunter Valley Gardens Village and Roche Estate.

Bill & Imelda Roche were inducted as Legends in 2019.