WINE Magazine 2022 Viticulturist of the Year
Originally published by Wine Titles Medias': Daily Wine News.
The Hunter Valley’s Liz Riley has been awarded 2022 Viticulturist of the Year!
Fellow Hunter Valley producer, Scarborough Wine Co.'s viticulturist and family member Liz Riley, has been named as the Wine Magazine’s Viticulturist of the Year.
A trailblazer in her field, Riley is a renowned viticulturist with over 30 years in the industry. As well as her long-term commitment to Scarborough Wine Co., she also consults for multiple wineries (including Briar Ridge Vineyard) across the Hunter Valley and New South Wales regions via her business Vitibit.
Riley has been recognised several times for her expertise and pioneering innovation in the vineyard, including the mainstream use of sunscreen application on vines to preserve fruit quality in drought and heatwaves. Her dedication to finding solutions, often under difficult circumstances, is unwavering and has led to her being relied upon across Australia to guide and advise on viticultural best practices.
“Liz Riley’s most important work has been done close to her home with Jerome Scarborough in the Hunter Valley. Her areas of influence, however, have spread to other NSW regions, the Granite Belt and Tasmania as well as through her role as a director of the AWRI for more than ten years,” Forrestal said.
“Her hands-on work as a consultant, focusing on sustainable viticulture, has been widely influential and has resulted in Liz becoming our tenth Viticulturist of the Year.”
Riley said that she was delighted with her award.
“The wine industry is so collegial and it’s a proud moment to be recognised for the role I play in it. For me, it’s about being nimble and open to trying new things, while respecting the land that is under my stewardship. I am all for evolving viticulture practices in the vineyard when needed, and more than ever I’m looking to innovation and sustainability to build the resilience we need in the vineyard, to help us survive and thrive in unpredictable climates.”
In 2021, Riley was awarded the prestigious 2020 Graham Gregory Award, recognising her contribution to the NSW wine industry. She is the first woman to win the award.
Riley was also acknowledged by Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism with the Award for Excellence following her response to the bushfire challenges of 2020.
In 2017, Riley was named Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) Viticulturist of the Year.
This year, Riley, her husband Jerome Scarborough and sister in-law Sally Scarborough collaborated on a special new range of Scarborough wine, Keepers of the Flame. Produced from small parcels of fruit from their Hunter Valley vineyards, this is a premium wine release launching with three vintages of Chardonnay, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Riley studied viticulture at Roseworthy Agricultural College where she met husband and winemaker, Jerome. They have two children, Callum and Hannah.
16/12/2050 at 6:00 PM
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Estancia: The perfect pairing to our Cellar Door.
Briar Ridge Vineyard is excited to announce Estancia Osteria, the new restaurant offering located at Briar Ridge Cellar Door launching in April 2024. Inspired by the rustic charm and elegance of estancias in the south of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, Estancia Osteria will offer diners a culinary voyage through the heart of Italy, the Mediterranean Sea and South America.
Executive chefs Gabriel Rodrigues and James Orlowski will present ‘Fire to Table’- an unforgettable dining experience using fresh and seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers and offering a diverse array of dishes, from the most succulent cuts of meat cooked to perfection over embers to smoked seafood, grilled vegetables, and intense creamy cheeses. Each dish has a unique twist and perfectly complements the Briar Ridge Vineyard wines.
Estancia Launch Event
To celebrate us joining hand with James and Gabriel here in Mount View, join us for a spectacular evening of culinary delights and exquisite wines on our Cellar Door verandah this March 16th. We are thrilled to collaborate with Estancia who have crafted a menu that perfectly complements our award-winning wines. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to indulge your senses and celebrate with us.
Tickets are $130 per person and include:
- A glass of sparkling wine upon arrival.
- 3-course ‘Fire to table’ experience presented by Estancia.
- 3 glasses of wine to savour from Briar Ridge Vineyard.
- Live music by local musician Mark Henderson
*Please note, due to this event being large for our venue, smaller parties will be combined onto shared tables. We hope this will make this event fun, social and memorable.
Fire to Table
To Share
- Smoked Dawsons oyster, fermented lemon and chilli.
- Sausage tasting board, house B.B.Q sauce
- Charred tomatoes, fresh lemon ricotta, quince, basil
- Estancia pickles & Wood-fire bread, smoked butter
Main Event Over Fire
- 8hs Smoked lamb shoulder, port wine
- Whole Picanha (rump), burnt salsa
- Spiced Cauliflower, tarragon bechamel, black pepper
- Dark beer glazed beef short ribs, Japanese pumpkin, chimichurri
Dessert
- Charred stone fruits, merengue, forest berries sauce, vanilla & lemon mascarpone
- Burnt banana, dulce de leche, passion fruit ice cream
Estancia Tasting Experience
Can't make it to the dinner? Join us on our Cellar Door 'Wine Deck' this Easter where we will be showcasing our wines alongside a tasting menu presented by the team behind our upcoming restaurant, Estancia.
Sparkling wine
~ paired with warm breads, smoked butter & Cantabrian anchovy
A selection of white wines
~ paired with
woodfired brie, Briar Ridge honey and walnut
smoked salmon rillette, Avruga caviar, ricotta, dill and capers
A selection of red wines
~ paired with
house made chorizo, made with traditional Argentinian spices, smoked mustard
french Roquefort cheese
A selection of fortified wines
~ paired with brownie, chocolate cremeux, raspberry glazed with pomegranate kombucha
We cannot wait to see what amazing food and wine experiences we can create with the team behind Estancia in 2024 and we hope you'll be there to experience it with us.
Keep up to date on social media | @estancia.huntervalley | @briarridgevineyard
Be the first to comment on this postA fresh face for our most popular wines.
Despite our affection for the illustrative labels of our Varietal range wines, we believed they subtly understated the true quality of these serious wines.
Therefore, in 2023 we began working on a design for these wines that would reflect their classic yet contempory style whilst still paying homage to our home in Mount View. After some consideration, we came to the conclusion that iteration, not revolution was key.
To champion this new look, we have also released the brand new 2022 ‘Terra Rossa’ Malbec. A wine sourced from the family vineyard in Wrattonbully that our customers have been yearning for; deep in colour, intense yet accessible.
15/02/2024 at 8:18 AM
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Our Dairy Hill Semillon is one of the Top 100 Wines in Australia!
#1 Australian Wine of the Year - the Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale Ovitelli 2021.
At its most rudimentary level, wine sustains us. At the Top 100 level, however, excellence is determined by those wines that announce themselves with a thunderclap of amazement before a lightning strike of such beauty that it is almost ineffable. In essence, these are wines that wow us because they ask us how a seemingly simple sum of place, grape and craft can render such profundity.
Assembling the Top 100 wines is a forensic process. It requires debate, provocation, arguments and fisticuffs, largely with oneself! As much as looking at scores across the last year of tasting – which serve more as a guideline than last word – along with retasting and reshuffling, the process is one of ascertaining which wines are stamped resolutely with that inimitable zip code, or sense of place, that is so crucial when sorting the wheat from the chaff.
No wine culture is more protean than Australia. It is a vast landmass of spellbinding diversity – climatic and geological. Yet it has a relatively small population and has been traditionally reliant on exports as a result. Australia’s isolation also breeds fearless creativity. Certain styles shift in syncopation with international trends, while others stride out fearlessly on their own. The tensile guise of contemporary Australian chardonnay is an example. 15 years ago, too many wines were picked early on acidity and held on lees for too long. They were excessively reductive and anorexic of feel. Today, the envelope has been pulled back to promote restraint, tension, flavor and fealty to place, rather than its obfuscation by excessive meddling.
The list is not intended to be tendentious, but a reflection of the Aussie zeitgeist. Perfect scores are not my thing, but hopefully you read the reviews and get a sense of just why these wines proved so thrilling.
- Ned Goodwin MW, Senior Editor - James Suckling
Briar Ridge Vineyard
2023 Single Vineyard 'Dairy Hill' Hunter Valley Semillon
Handpicked from dry grown vines. Foot-stomped, with a brief period on skins before an ambient fermentation in a meld of tank and larger format neutral wood. A different handle to the regional standard. Dry grown. Lemon drop and picked Indian lime, with pithy hints of stone fruit, drifting well away from the tighter citric norm. For the better. A broader texture, loaning itself to approachability without any forfeit of intensity. Nicely chewy, too. This is a delicious mid-weighted semillon, setting the regional bar high by virtue of its stridency across the palate and attractive variances. Drink or hold but best in eight years. Screw cap.
96 points - Ned Goodwin MW
Read more about this year's Top 100 Wines of Australia and the rest of the world at www.jamessuckling.com
08/12/2023 at 11:58 AM
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2023 White Wine Release
Staying true to our 'classically radical' approach to winemaking – fusing old traditions with new techniques, we are proud to be releasing a stellar lineup of white wines, including the beloved 2022 Single Vineyard 'Briar Hill' Chardonnay and 2023 Single Vineyard 'Dairy Hill' Semillon, first of its kind 2023 Single Vineyard 'Black Cluster' Semillon, ultra-premium 2022 Ampelus Chardonnay as well as extremely limited quantities of 2023 Limited Release Fiano and 2023 Limited Release Albariño.
2023 Single Vineyard
Dairy Hill Semillon
Mount View, Hunter Valley
With fruit from the oldest block of Semillon on the property on a southeast-facing hillside slope at 170m above sea level, this is the Hunter Valley’s highest altitude Semillon vineyard and is planted on rich Terra Rossa clay soil over limestone. Hand-picked, gently crushed and allowed to soak for four hours prior to pressing, the wine is complex and rich with ripe orchard pears and yellow citrus notes surrounded by mineral cap-gun and slate aromatics. The palate is layered and concentrated with earthy minerals framing ripe citrus fruits and tense acidity. This wine is delicate yet concentrated, displaying both light phenolic spice and pristine acid which will allow for the wine to develop positively over the next eight to twelve years.
Read more about Dairy Hill | Buy now
2023 Single Vineyard
Black Cluster Semillon
Pokolbin, Hunter Valley
Highly complex aromatics of lime juice, slate and aspirin. The palate displays the classic acid line and length that are hallmarks of Hunter Valley Semillon providing a clear direction and framing the ripe citrus, apple and mineral smokey notes. This wine is the epitome of classic Hunter Valley Semillon suited for long-term cellaring. Featherweight with fresh citrus and complex slate, alongside light gentle phenolics and crisp taut acidity. This wine will develop gracefully over the next 10+ years developing richness, lanolin, toast and creaminess.
2022 Single Vineyard
Briar Hill Chardonnay
Mount View, Hunter Valley
From the vineyard’s best block of Chardonnay, south facing and planted on a 450-million-year-old marine fossil ridge, matured for 15 months with 100% new French oak fermentation, the result is a powerful, decadent yet restrained Hunter Valley Chardonnay filled with complex aromatic profile of struck match, hazelnut, nougat and lime custard. On the palate, the wine displays generous regional fruit of ripe orchard pears and white peach surrounded by citrus oils and spice. This wine is concentrated and rich with fresh acidity and light phenolic spice providing all the components to enable medium to long-term cellaring.
2022 Ampelus
Single Barrel Chardonnay
Mount View, Hunter Valley
Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed followed by sequential fill to a single French second-fill oak cask for 18 months. Left unsulphured until bottling. Bottled without finings or filtration. Complex aromatic profile of cap gun, hazelnut, nougat and lime custard. On the palate, the wine displays generous regional fruit of ripe orchard pears and white peach surrounded by creme brulee, baking spice and savoury smoke. This wine is concentrated and rich with fresh acidity and light phenolic spice providing all the components to enable medium to long-term cellaring.
Only 100 bottles available.
2023 Limited Release Albariño
Mount View, Hunter Valley
Hand-picked fruit was foot stomped and allowed to soak on skins for four hours prior to gently pressing to a stainless-steel tank. Cold Settled for eight hours before racking tacking semi-cloudy juice. Fermented with ambient yeasts at 18-20 degrees Celsius for 11 days before transferring to a combination of stainless steel and an old French oak barrique for four months maturation. This wine was blended and lightly filtered. Fresh floral aromatics of orange blossom, and honeysuckle. The palate is weighty and generous with rich stone fruit flavours and subtle pithy lemon skin character. A light saline edge is driven by taut crisp acidity. Best consumed in youth but will evolve gracefully for two to four years.
Will be available after our Sydney launch event on October 12th, 2023.
2023 Limited Release Fiano
Mount View, Hunter Valley
Hand-picked fruit crushed and allowed to soak on skins for four hours before gently pressing directly to seasoned French oak puncheons. Ambient yeast fermentation at 22-24 degrees Celsius for eight days. Left on yeast lees without sulphur for four months. Blended, light filtered and a small sulphur addition was made prior to bottling. Made in the traditional style of the variety it displays aromatic notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom. The intensely flavoured palate shows ginger spice, nashi pear and subtle nutty characters combined with a rich and textured mid palate. In traditional style, the acid line provides length and a crisp persistent finish. Best consumed in youth but will evolve gracefully becoming richer and more savoury over the next five years.
Will be available after our Sydney launch event on October 12th, 2023.
2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards | We are shortlisted!
The highly anticipated Halliday Wine Companion Awards for 2024 have unveiled the shortlisted wineries, winemakers, and viticulturists, representing the pinnacle of Australian winemaking. The prestigious awards, known for their recognition of excellence in the industry, celebrate the passion, dedication, and expertise that shape the country’s winemaking landscape.
This year, the Halliday Tasting Team, featuring nine panelists including new chief editor Campbell Mattinson, embarked on a year-round process of blind tastings, examinations, and round-table discussions to determine the winners. Each panelist focused on specific regions, ensuring continuity, connection, and specialist expertise. With over 8,500 wines tasted and more than 50 new wineries discovered, the team carefully selected the top-rated Australian wines, winemakers, wineries, and viticulturists.
The Shortlist showcases the diversity and high standards of the Australian wine market, featuring outstanding wineries from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales. It highlights the country’s best offerings and serves as a testament to the craftsmanship and innovation within the industry.
In addition to the shortlist announcement, the People’s Choice Award returns for its third year, allowing wine enthusiasts to have their say and recognize Australia’s best winery experience. Public voting is now open giving participants the opportunity to celebrate exceptional cellar doors, remarkable restaurants, friendly staff, picturesque views, and outstanding wines. Voters also have a chance to win a prize pack valued at over $1,400, featuring exceptional wines and wine accessories. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be unveiled on July 29, 2023.
Vote for us!
Mark your calendars for the prestigious Halliday Wine Companion Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on August 2nd at the renowned Stokehouse in St Kilda. This esteemed event will showcase the major awards, including Wine of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Winery of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year, Best Value Winery, Best New Winery, and Dark Horse Winery. Additionally, the top varietal winners will be announced across seventeen categories, such as Red Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Sparkling of the Year, Shiraz of the Year, and Riesling of the Year.
The Halliday Wine Companion Awards serve as a tribute to the remarkable resilience and dedication of the Australian wine industry. They stand as a testament to the passion and expertise that continue to shape the nation’s winemaking landscape. Stay tuned for the release of the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion on August 3rd and raise a glass to the outstanding achievements of the industry’s finest.
Congratulations to our Hunter Valley colleagues who have been shortlisted:
- Winmark Wines for Best New Winery
- Carillion Wines for Best Value Winery
- Mount Eyre Vineyards for Dark Horse Winery
- Liz Riley for Viticulturist of the Year
- First Creek Wines, Leogate Estate and Pepper Tree Wines for Winery of the Year
- Jim Chatto, Pepper Tree Wines for Winemaker of the Year
14/06/2023 at 5:30 PM
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Project Saignée
An exciting new project is happening right here in our Cellar Door!
I am enjoying exploring purity of fruit & texture development with our brand new wine globes. The globes are made from borosilicate glass - strong, pure and resistant. This makes these vats neutral and unalterable over time, meaning there is no release of elements into the wine.
There is also the obvious benefit of being able to see the wine, which is usually hidden by oak or steel when using other vessels to ferment or age. To make wine, why use a material different from the one we choose for cellaring it & drinking it?
We have blended whole bunch Hunter Valley Shiraz and whole bunch Orange Pinot Noir saignée parcels to make a wine which displays the peppery spice and gamey notes of the Hunter, with the sweet strawberry fruits and ripe glossy tannin of Pinot Noir. This will age on lees in the wine globes until early Spring, when it will be hand bottled by the team.
The globes have been sourced from a French producer and we're only one of handful of producers currently using these in Australia. Discover more about these from the producer below.
Read more.
New Release! 2021 Single Vineyard 'Big Bully' Cabernet Sauvignon
It's back and better than ever.
Our sales team will be getting with our over the course of May on (02) 4036 3576 to help you secure this iconic red and we want to make sure you recognise the number and don't miss out on our introductory offer.
The 2021 Big Bully is the debut Single Vineyard wine from our Stonefields vineyard in Wrattonbully, SA. This wine has only continued to rise in quality in recent years and we want to ensure that this is a first-class contender in the world of Cabernet into the future.
We will also have some other wines on offer when we call you just in case you need to top up!
Simply let our team know what you might be after and we will look after you.
03/05/2023 at 5:41 PM
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The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2023
The Real Review has long been a trusted source for wine enthusiasts in Australia, providing expert reviews and ratings to help consumers make informed decisions about their wine choices. Recently, they announced their Top Wineries of Australia 2023 list, and Briar Ridge Vineyard was included among the prestigious group.
Briar Ridge Vineyard, located in the idyllic Mount View region of Hunter Valley, is known for a classically radical approach to winemaking. Led by award-winning winemaker Alex Beckett, we prioritize tradition while experimenting with alternative varieties and modern technologies to produce exceptional wines.
Several of Briar Ridge's wines were highlighted in reviews by The Real Review, showcasing the breadth and depth of their offerings. The 2022 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Semillon was described as having "floral and herbal aromas, a trace of lemony confectionery," with a "palate [that] is intense and dry, rich and more generous than some of its fellow young semillons." Meanwhile, the 2022 Limited Release Albariño was praised for its "fresh pear and tropical flower aromas, clean and bright and fragrant" qualities, as well as its "crisp and lively, tense and fresh and dry" finish.
The 2021 Limited Release BDX, an unusual blend, was also lauded for its potential, with reviewers noting its "lavishly fruited, full-bodied" profile and "fine and papery" tannins. And finally, the 2017 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Shiraz was described as having "finesse, easy flow, and good length of flavour, while soft tannins and fresh acidity frame it all very nicely."
These reviews, along with many others, helped Briar Ridge Vineyard earn a spot on The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2023 list. The algorithm used to determine the rankings takes into account both the ratings and recency of reviews, making it a comprehensive and accurate representation of the country's top wineries.
For Briar Ridge Vineyard, this recognition is a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation in winemaking. We are proud to be included among such a prestigious group and look forward to continuing to produce outstanding wines for our loyal customers and new fans alike.
14/04/2023 at 12:40 PM
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Join us for Easter, the Hunter Valley way, at Briar Ridge Vineyard
We have put together a long-weekend that you won't want to miss out on whether you are a Briar Ridge regular, out for a family holiday, or simply in need of a day trip to make the most of your long weekend.
Cellar Door.
The foundations of our winemaking are firmly embedded in tradition and history. However we combine the classics with truly radical innovative winemaking to deliver an experience like no other in the valley. Join us on the wine deck this Easter where we will have our recently released Single Vineyard wines available to try.
Prefer something on the sweeter side?
We have collaborated with the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company to infuse our wines in their irresistible chocolates. Taste these alongside matching wines in our Easter Sweets Tasting available over Easter Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
Book Now.
Osteria.
Gather around for a simple yet delightful Easter feast in our osteria this long weekend. The latest addition to our wonderful Mount View estate will make for an excellent lunch venue. Book an 'Italian Set Menu' to experience the best of what we offer in our osteria.
We have also filled out our local musican roster. Check out who will be playing 12:00 - 3:30 on both Saturday & Sunday of the long weekend in our calendar.
Book Now.
The Garden.
Our beautiful garden adjacent to cellar door is the perfect place to enjoy the Hunter at your own pace. Book yourself a 'Picnic Package' where you can indulge in a selection of our fantastic cheese & charcuterie; add on some italian-style pizzas for the whole family or group. The kids can then play in the garden with our garden games that will be available all weekend.
An Easter egg hunt will also be happening on Easter Saturday for the children whilst a magnum hunt, where we will be hiding a 1.5L bottle of wine on our estate, will be sure to keep the big kids entertained. Finders, keepers!
A Warehouse Sale!
Hunt for a rare bargain at Briar Ridge. Join us as we throw open the warehouse doors for a behind the scenes sale where you will find an assortment of latest stock, museum and runout wines. Pack deals start from $40 and are available only until sold out.
While you’re busy hunting for your favourite tipple, the whole family can enjoy a classic, easy lunch favourite: a sausage sizzle; that is if you can resist our Osteria of course.
14/03/2023 at 3:16 PM
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