With the Queen’s Birthday long weekend traditionally marking the opening of the NSW ski season, this past weekend saw little snow and green ski fields. With disappointing conditions and despite the millions invested in snow making, even Thredbo abandoned its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday due to the poor conditions.
Search for Hunter Valley Accommodation
There was a thin layer of snow at Thredbo’s Friday Flat beginner section but locals are hopeful a cold front will help the Snowy Mountains live up to its name.
So enjoying the unseasonable, magnificent conditions of our own Hunter Valley on the second weekend in June, we decided to have a dalliance with the Snowy Mountains ourselves, but this time in the glass. Yet, I must say, describing the encounter as brief or casual was not indicative of what was in the glass or of the moment shared over that glass of bubbles as a prelude to lunch at Muse Kitchen at Keith Tulloch Wines on the Sunday.
The dalliance? Hungerford Hill Dalliance Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay, part of their Regional Series, crafted to represent the unique terroir of New South Wales and in the case of their bubbles, it is the Tumbarumba region in the Snowy Mountains, a part of the Australian Alps which feature Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko.
Vineyards are found at altitudes ranging from 300 to 800 metres (984 to 2624 feet) and vines have been grown in Tumbarumba since 1982. There are more than 25 vineyards in the region. Due to the region’s colder climate, the majority of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are used for sparkling wine.
Tumbarumba is a charming town offering an unspoilt experience for visitors. The dramatic peaks of the Snowy Mountains to the east, the bubbling streams and green fields offer a peaceful, gentle ambiance. The cool climate wines on offer are something to savour, especially when matched with regional food.
Hungerford Hill Dalliance 2008 is mid straw in colour with green hues with a fine persistent beading in the glass. A highly aromatic fresh bouquet that is vibrant and shows hints of sweet buttery brioche. This wine is bottle fermented in the traditional Methode Champenoise and displays a complex and lively palate possessing a rich entry with honeydew melon flavours followed by rapier like acidity that cleanses the palate.
Hungerford Hill Wines
Address 2450 Broke Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
Telephone 02 4998 7666
Open Daily 10am to 5pm
The Vintry
The Vintry is a stunning architecturally designed Country House, luxuriously appointed with the highest quality furnishings and fittings but with the feel of a traditional bush retreat. A contemporary property with 4 spacious bedrooms includes 1 king size bedroom with hydrotherapy spa bath and 3 queen size bedrooms each with its own ensuite bathroom and private deck for those times when you would like some personal time to relax.
Best Deluxe Accommodation
Hunter & Central Coast Tourism Awards Gold 2009, 2010. Silver 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012.
NSW Tourism Awards Gold 2009. Silver 2012. Finalist 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013.
Qantas Australian Tourism Awards Finalist Best Deluxe Accommodation 2009.
