HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS
Don McWilliam commenced employment with McWilliam’s Wines in 1951 and completed his first vintage at Mount Pleasant with the legendary Maurice O’Shea in 1954. In 1957, Don was appointed Director of the company and, over the next five decades, played a significant role in the development of both the Hunter Valley and Australian Wine Industries.
He became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 in recognition of more than 50 years of service to the Australian Wine Industry. During his career, he was active on the boards of The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, The Australian Wine Board, The Australian Wine Research Institute and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia.
In 1990, Don introduced the prestigious Maurice O’Shea Award and was later recognised himself when he became a patron of the wine industry in 1994 and received the Graham Gregory Award in 1995. Don was a pioneer in the development and expansion of the Hunter Valley and his name is synonymous with the legendary wine styles and brands such as Mount Pleasant Elizabeth, Philip, Old Paddock and Old Hill, Lovedale and Rosehill.
Don McWilliam was inducted as a Legend in 2011.
HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS
Christopher Barnes AM has worked in the Hunter Valley Wine Industry for 45 years. He began as Manager of Saxonvale Wines which planted 260 hectares of vineyard and built a 2000 tonne winery in the early 1970s, and in 1972 purchased Drayton’s Happy Valley cellar door sales. He later planted his own vineyards in Pokolbin, and established Blaxlands Restaurant and wine sales.
Christopher was elected to the Hunter Valley Vineyard Association for 32 years and held the position of President for eight years. He was President of the NSW Wine Industry Association for nine years, and represented NSW on the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia Executive.
He was also a founding member of the Hunter Tourism Organisation, Chairman of the NSW Licensing Committee for ten years, and a Director of the Hunter Economic Development Corporation.
He was awarded the Order of Australia AM in 2003, made the Hunter Living Legend in 2010, and awarded the NSW Government Graham Gregory Wine Award for 2014.
Christopher Barnes was inducted as a Legend in 2010.
HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS
Ian Tinkler - After graduating with a Diploma of Applied Science (Agriculture) from Hawkesbury Agriculture College in 1974, Ian was employed by the NSW Department of Agriculture as a Horticulturalist Advisor at various locations. He also completed a degree in Applied Science (Wine Science) from Charles Stuart University by distance this time.
Ian returned to the family farm in 1982 and expanded the vineyard from 15 ha to 40 ha and developed a successful vineyard contract business. He formed the Pokolbin Rural Landholders Group to protect agriculture in the rapidly commercialising vineyard area in 1982 in 1984 he was elected to the Board of the Hunter Valley Vineyard Association (now Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association) where he served for 17 years as the Chairman of the Viticulture Sub-Committee.
In 1996 he created the new Tinkler Family wine label and opened the new cellar door.
Ian’s knowledge to the Hunter Valley and NSW wine industries is invaluable. He was instrumental in initiating research and development projects, and facilitating a number of research projects for the betterment of the Hunter Valley and NSW wine industries. Ian also conducted extensive research on the Fig Longicorn beetle, as well as botrytis management and control.
Ian received the 1999 NSW Department of Agriculture – Viticulturist of the Year, as well as the 2009 Hunter Valley Vineyard Association – Viticulturist of the Year.
Ian Tinkler was inducted as a Legend in 2017.
HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS
Bruce Tyrrell AM – The Tyrrell family have been producing wine in the Hunter Valley since 1858. It is one of the oldest family wine companies in Australia, and Bruce represents the fourth generation of Tyrrell’s controlling the company.
Under Bruce’s control, Tyrrell’s has grown from a small to medium-sized wine company, with its operations firmly based in the Hunter Valley.
Outside of the company, Bruce devotes his energy to the Hunter Valley Wine Industry as a whole. He has served in the Australian Wine Tourism Alliance as Chairman, as Director of the Hunter Valley Research Centre, has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal, and has served on the Hunter Valley Vineyard Association for many years in roles including President and Treasurer.
Bruce has championed the growth of Semillon through classic site selection, and has worked to change the Hunter Valley Wine Show to a proper regional show.
Bruce Tyrrell was inducted as a Legend in 2009.
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.
Connect
@huntervalley @huntervalley.wine
#huntervalley #huntervalleywine #herestothegoodlife