The Hunter Valley CONTINUES THEIR WINNING STREAK
Eleven Hunter Valley tourism operators have been acknowledged for their contribution to NSW Tourism by being named finalists and shortlisted for national recognition when the winners are announced at the NSW Tourism Awards being held in Sydney this Thursday night, 27 November.
The Hunter Valley’s finalists are:- (in alphabetical order)
Bimbadgen
Chateau Elan at The Vintage Hunter Valley
Esca Bimbadgen
Golden Door Health Retreat & Spa Elysia
Hermitage Lodge
Hollydene Estate Cellar Door & Restaurant
'It's ON! In Newcastle and The Hunter!'
Margan Restaurant & Winery
Margan Wines
Singleton Visitor Information and Enterprise Centre
Snow Time in the Garden
Now in their 25th year, the Awards celebrate and acknowledge tourism businesses that have demonstrated outstanding achievement and success throughout the year. The Awards are a submission and inspection-based program and provide the opportunity to publicly recognise and showcase the State’s finest tourism operators. The Awards have 31 categories across the industry spectrum – attractions, festivals and events, ecotourism, tour and transport operators, marketing and accommodation and outstanding contribution from individuals. Entry to the 2014 NSW Tourism Awards is open to all New South Wales tourism operators.
In other news, prolific wine writer James Halliday has announced his Top 100 Wines for 2014. Published in The Australian on Saturday 22 November, Halliday remarked that of the 12 wines from New South Wales in his Top 100, 10 of the wines were from the Hunter Valley.
Those wines are:-
Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 (97 points) $46
Thomas Braemore Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 (97 points) $30
Pepper Tree Single Vineyard Reserve Alluvius Hunter Valley Semillon (96 points) $35
McLeish Estate Hunter Valley Semillon 2008 (96 points) $30
McLeish Estate Hunter Valley Semillon 2013 (96 points) $20
De Iuliis Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 (95 points) $18
Tyrrell’s Brookdale Hunter Valley Semillon 2013 (94 points) $19
Margan Family Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 (93 points) $15
Margan Family Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2014 (92 points) $15
This follows on from the Hunter Valley’s recent trophy haul at the New South Wales Wine Awards late last month where trophies for the Best Young Semillon (Silkman Wines 2014 Semillon), Best Young White (Other Varieties) (Bimbadgen Estate 2014 Vermentino) and Best Mature Dry White (McGuigan Wines Vineyard Select 2005 Semillon) all now call the Hunter Valley home. 17 Hunter Valley Wines were also awarded Gold Medals in what was formerly known as the NSW Top 40.
The latest results from Tourism NSW, the NSW Wine Awards, and James Halliday’s Top 100 are proof that the Hunter Valley continues to offer some of the best food wine and tourism experiences in NSW, if not the country.
The 17 Hunter Valley Gold Medal winning #topwines (formerly NSW Top 40) for 2014 are:
Audrey Wilkinson Winemakers Shiraz 2013
Bimbadgen Estate Signature Semillon 2013
Bimbadgen Estate Vermentino 2014
Brokenwood Latara Vineyard Semillon 2009
De Iuliis Shiraz 2013
McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2014
McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2013
McGuigan Personal Reserve Hunter Ridge Chardonnay 2013
McGuigan Vineyard Select Semillon 2005
McLeish Estate Chardonnay 2013
McWilliam's Wines Appellation Shiraz 2013
Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon 2005
Silkman Wines Semillon 2014
Silkman Wines Semillon 2013
Thomas Wines The OC Semillon 2014
Tinklers School Block Semillon 2013
Tyrrell's HVD Semillon 2014