Hunter Valley Wineries

If you want more from your experience to the Hunter Valley than to visit the big commercial names that pack the shelves of the Liquorlands and Dan Murphy's of the world, the Hunter Valley offers some hidden rubies and diamonds upon its undulating hills, and among the gum trees and vines, that could possibly go unnoticed to the unfamiliar eye.

One fresh winter's day with the sun spraying and the grass gleaming, my wine partner and I visit four of the lesser-known cellar doors.

Moorebank Private Vineyard Estate

Moorebank Private Vineyard Estate greets you in full wine-style with two large ceramic bottle sculptures at the gate. Amid a beautiful garden and a water feature or two, nestles the cool Moorebank cellar door with its inside studded with vintage wines and grape produce.

Moorebank has gained a certain appeal in the Hunter region for its sustainable viticultural and agricultural practices, using less sulphur and other additives that lead to headaches and histamine problems.

The friendly, well-spoken daughter of Moorebank's owners welcomes us while attending six or so other happy drinkers.

The only staff behind the bar, she gives us Moorebank's wine list and asks us what we would like to try.

From their white wine selection: 'Summar' Semillon, 'Charlton Boston' Chardonnay, Chardonnay Verdelho, 'Press Room' White S.C.G, 'Trueman' Traminer, to their reds: Merlot, Merlot-Shiraz, 'The Son's' Sparkling Merlot and the Muscat, there were a few wines audibly saying 'drink me'.

If you're in the best Semillon-producing region in Australia, it seems a bit silly to leave without trying it. Moorebank's Semillon lived up to the Hunter Valley reputation, holding distinct lemon and lime flavours with a refreshing finish.

On to the rich plum-coloured Merlot, this wine was reminiscent of berries combined with slight acidity but the Merlot-Shiraz was the winner here with its cherry and cinnamon characteristics accompanied by a film of pepper with bight, finishing dry in your mouth.

Moorebank's Muscat also works a treat - both at room temperature and chilled. This sweet and tangy dessert wine is quite the indulgence, with the colder version producing more sweet on your palate.

Don't leave without trying some of their famous grape sauce - the perfect accompaniment for a cracker and a wedge of sharp cheese. Their home-made lemonade is another treat with zing.

Windsor's Edge

Windsor's Edge, right in the heart of Hunter Valley's vineyard-dense area of Pokolbin is a small wind up a driveway where two grinning King Charles Spaniels await you. It was hard to decipher if we were at a cellar door or if we'd just arrived at long-time friends for lunch.

Inside the brick and wooden cellar door, owner Alison asks what we'd like to try. We mention Semillon and Shiraz but by the end we realised she'd managed to pour us close to the entire Windsor's Edge vintage.

Starting with the Semillon this short-term cellaring wine is a collection of citrus and finishes crisp on your palate. The 2005 Chardonnay is barrel fermented and matured for around 12 months in French and American oak. The Chardonnay combines pear and custard apple tones with oak and is balanced with acidity. This white wine finishes dry.

The Windsor's Edge Verdelho is a fruity affair holding a key flavour of passionfruit. Perhaps on the too-sweet side it might be better balanced out accompanied by salty, spicy Asian cuisine. If you're a fan of sweeter wines then its 2009 Ros might appeal. Made from Shiraz, this wine is best served chilled and again goes well with spicier cuisine to balance its sweet accents.

Windsor's standout is possibly its 2002 Shiraz. A drought year for the Hunter Valley, this Shiraz promises a delicious essence of plump berries-of-the-forest. A medium to full-bodied Shiraz, it has a clean flavour and finish. What better way to spend an evening than to pair it with prime beef cuts or a cheese plate.

Made in Windsor's Edge's winery, its 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is composed from 100 per cent Coonawarra fruit - which takes away some of its appeal, not being a local wine. Pressed in their 100-year-old basket press, undergoing malo-lactic fermentation and aging in a mix of new and old French oak hogsheads, it's a tasty drop of red and can be drunk with or without food. It could benefit from a few more years of cellaring.

Audrey Wilkinson

One of the Hunter Valley's oldest vineyards, Audrey Wilkinson's was established in 1866. Audrey Wilkinson's white wines are fresh and zingy. Starting with the 2008 Semillon, tastebuds began popping when the tang of lemons and limes hit our mouths. Designed to be enjoyed now, it's the perfect wine for the springtime.

The Audrey Wilkinson standout would have to be the Pioneer Series Verdelho 2008, which picked up the Silver Medal at the Hunter Valley Wine Show in 2008. The pale yellow coloured white wine has potent tropical fruit stresses and is brought into balance with crisp acid notes.

Audrey Wilkinson's Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2007 is a stronger wine and lingers after your last gulp. Blackcurrant and sweet spices (think clove and cinnamon) characterise this bottle and match hearty beef or indulgent creamy, roasted chicken feasts.

Tamburlaine

One of only a handful of Australian Certified Organic wineries, Tamburlaine has 137 hectares of vineyards on three sites - in the Hunter Valley and Orange Region - and refrain from using chemicals on their fruit or surrounding areas.

A pretty garden takes you up to the steps of the Hunter Valley Tamburlaine's cellar door. Inside tapenade, honey, olives, chutney, jams and lemon butters cluster upon a long table. On the opposite side of the dimmed cellar sits Tamburlaine's bar. But that's as far as the scrumptious experience could go.

The wait-staff seemed too busy to attend two wine-tasters, however a reluctant blonde-headed staff member finally approached us, hurriedly asking what we'd like to try.

We try a 2007 Semillon, Verdelho and Chardonnay - all with a dry finish. The Semillon was most delicious, tasting of apples and lemons, ending with a long finish.

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc had a clean, pale colour to it and was distinctly herbaceous on the palate. It ended with a sweep of freshness and was the standout of Tamburlaine's whites.

Whether it was the sour demeanour of our hostess that tainted our perception, but Tamburlaine's red wines were nothing to write home about.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chambourcin were pleasant and could be imagined best accompanied with Osso Bucco or Boef Bourguignon. The deep-red Chambourcin - a French Hybrid red wine grape variety that grows best in Australia in the Hunter Valley - was full-bodied with much depth, and nicely balanced with the essence of summer fruit-bowls and acidity.

One last peep at the jars of olive oils and dukka and it was time to head home, glowing and content in anticipation of an evening by the wood fire with sour dough, pasta and a cracked-open bottle of Hunter Valley's vintage.