The “grandfather” of Hunter Valley vineyards roared back into life on Sunday, with the launch of the revamped Dalwood Estate at Branxton.
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After laying dormant since 2014, the site was snapped up by Iris Capital 13 months ago, with the hospitality industry player undertaking an extensive overhaul of the historic winery.
Property owner, Iris Capital CEO Sam Arnaout, was full of praise for the rebirthed site.
“It’s the grandfather of all the vineyards in the Hunter,” he said of the 190-year-old winery.
“The entire property is steeped in history. For us, it was about bringing it back to life.”
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Mr Arnaout said Dalwood’s status as one of the oldest vineyards in the country meant it held a special significance in the hearts of Hunter residents.
“Not only is it a stunning piece of land, we want the community to be able to enjoy the historical aspects of it as well,” he said.
“It’d be selfish to lock the gate and not let the public in again.”
Formerly known as Wyndham Estate, the property had largely been neglected since 2014, when previous owner Pernod Ricard underwent a business restructure.
Iris Capital general manager Craig Hibbard said the extensive work over the last 13 months pointed towards a bright future for the estate.
“We want to bring it entirely back to life,” he said.
Mr Hibbard said there was a vision to “really open it up” with plans for a cellar door, weddings and business functions, walking history tours and even sporting and musical events.
Sitting on 250 hectares off the Hunter Expressway at Branxton, the vineyard’s primary grape variety is chardonnay, followed by semillon and shiraz.
The first harvest in 2017 is due to be bottled this year, with Mr Arnaout confident it would provide another milestone moment for the blossoming estate.
“It’s going to be a cracker,” he said.
His views were echoed by Dalwood general manager and senior winemaker Bryan Currie, who said a hot and dry season, combined with sandy, riverside soils signaled a classic drop.
“2017 will be a great variety, ’18 will be good as well,” Mr Currie said.
Dalwood is the third Hunter winery project for Iris Capital, whose extensive property portfolio includes fellow Hunter sites Hungerford Hill and Sweetwater Wines.
