Hunter Valley stars recognised

Back in the 1980s - long before I started writing about wine - we regularly made the trip from Sydney to the Hunter Valley to fill our boot with wines to last us through the next few months. 

Among our destinations were Terrace Vale, where Alain le Prince crafted wines with French style, and Wyndham Estate, home of master marketer Brian McGuigan. 

At this week's 2022 Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards l was honoured to not only share a table with le Prince and McGuigan, bothy Hunter Legends, but also with one of this year's winners: Neil McGuigan.

The Hunter always knows how to put on a show and the event at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort saw a record number of Hunter Valley wine and tourism businesses recognised for excellence, commitment and quality.

After close to 50 years of active service to the industry, Brian McGuigan AM was announced as Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association Honorary Patron.

And his younger brother Neil was named Hunter Valley Wine Legend for 2022: With Brian's wife Faye McGuigan also a Hunter Legend, the family's decades of service to the wine industry have been deservedly recognised.

The event also saw a poignant tribute from Phil Ryan to recently departed veteran Hunter winemaker Karl Stockhausen.

The winners of the 2022 Legends and Wine Industry Awards are:

Riedel Young Achiever of the Year: Alex Beckett (Briar Ridge Vineyard)
HVWTA Tourism Operator of the Year: Beyond Ballooning
HVWTA Accommodation Operator of the Year: Spicers Guesthouse
Jurds Viticulturist of the Year: Jerome Scarborough (Scarborough Wine Co.)
Wine Selectors Cellar Door of the Year: De Iuliis Wines
First Creek Winemaking Services Winemaker of the Year: Liz Silkman (First Creek Wines & Silkman Wines)
HVWTA Outstanding Contribution of an Individual: Christina Tulloch (Tulloch Wines)
HVWTA Patron: Brian McGuigan AM
Hunter Valley Tourism Legend: Philip Hele OAM (Hunter Valley Resort & The Farm Hunter Valley)
Hunter Valley Wine Legend: Neil McGuigan

Image: from top from left to right, top: Alex Beckett, Philip Hele, Neil McGuigan, Jerome Scarborough, Mike De Iuliis. Bottom: Brian McGuigan AM, Julia Allen (owner of Beyond Ballooning), Liz Silkman, Christina Tulloch and Mark Whitnell (Spicers Group). Picture: Elfes Images.