{"id":451,"date":"2015-05-15T04:06:26","date_gmt":"2015-05-15T04:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/gourmet-hunter-valley-pumpkin-and-shiraz\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:20:37","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:20:37","slug":"hunter-valley-pumpkin-and-shiraz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/hunter-valley-pumpkin-and-shiraz\/","title":{"rendered":"Gourmet Hunter Valley: Pumpkin and Shiraz"},"content":{"rendered":"

What better way to learn about wine than actually blending your own? That\u2019s why I am heading to Bimbadgen first thing in the morning to learn all about wine making with winemaker Rauri Donkin. Located high on the hill in the heart of Hunter Valley<\/a> wine country, Bimbadgen Estate has been producing fine wines for over 40 years. They are renowned for their classic bottle-aged Semillon and full-bodied intense Shiraz, two hero wines of the Hunter Valley region. Rauri\u2019s job is to choose only the finest parcels of fruit identified within select Hunter Valley vineyards to craft a premium wine of regional style and intensity of flavour.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve learned from Rauri, there\u2019s no right or wrong when it comes to wine, it\u2019s all down to personal taste and preference. I get to taste five of their single vineyard Shiraz and am absolutely amazed by how different they all are in terms of flavour, acidity and texture. We concoct two Shiraz blends that are totally different from each other \u2013 one is a pleasant fruity blend while the other is a full bodied classic Shiraz. It\u2019s hard to choose a favourite as I\u2019ll be happy to drink both of them. I take a bottle of Bimbadgen Signature 2013 Hunter Valley Shiraz with me as it will be the wine to match with the dish I have to cook this evening in my latest #GourmetHunter challenge.<\/p>\n

Next stop, Tinklers to grab some fresh produce. Tinklers is a family owned and operated vineyard, winery and farm gate. The Tinklers family have been in the Hunter Valley for more than 100 years. They produce premium wines and fresh produce using farming knowledge and skills passed down through the generations. Owner, winemaker and self-claimed \u201cfrustrated\u201d farmer, Usher Tinkler is happy to show me around his vineyard and the orchard, where hopefully I’ll get to pick a few pieces of fresh produce to cook with.<\/p>\n

The Tinklers grow an abundance of seasonal produce including table grapes, peaches, nectarines, avocados, pumpkins, figs and mixed citrus. Usher tells me 50% of their visitors are here to pick up seasonal produce, even waiting outside the property early in the morning before the gate is open! I have my fresh pumpkin and my wine, so it\u2019s time to be on my way to the next stop where I\u2019ll be cooking up a storm.
\n
\nDo you know the Hunter Valley is the oldest wine region in Australia? The Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard was first planted in 1866, making it the oldest vineyard site in Pokolbin. If you\u2019re looking for a vineyard with the most spectacular view, then this is it. Perched atop a foothill of the Brokenback Mountain Ranges, it is a true must visit in the Hunter Valley. After wine tasting at the cellar door, visitors are welcomed to relax on the lawns, enjoying the serenity while tucking into a picnic lunch. There\u2019s also a winemaking museum, housed in the original winery. It showcases the Wilkinson Family history and their heritage awarded original open cement vats, all free of charge.<\/p>\n

I simply can\u2019t come here without having a swirl and sip of their award wining 2011 Winemakers Selection Semillon. And the delicious 2013 Winemakers Selection Shiraz. But when I explain to winemaker Jeff Byrne that I\u2019m going to cook a pork dish, he immediately has a specific wine in mind. The 2014 Winemakers Selection Malbec is not a common variety here in the Hunter Valley. In fact, Audrey Wilkinson is the only vineyard that produces this fruity wine, which has an intense long flavour and textured palate. It\u2019s definitely worth a try. Now I have two beautiful wines to match with the dish I\u2019m going to cook. It\u2019s going to be a tough decision.
\n
\nFor the dish, I want to keep it simple and let the produce and wines speak for themselves. I will be using pork chop, quickly fried up on the grill pan then served with a refreshing salad of pumpkin, fennel and cherry tomatoes from Tinklers. To tell you the truth, both wines do pair with the dish rather nicely, but of course the Shiraz is what Hunter Valley is famous for.<\/p>\n

Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site, such compensation may include travel and other costs<\/i>.\u00a0Billy was the guest of Destination NSW.<\/i>
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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