Winery of the Year’s secret to world-class Hunter Valley wine | Stuart Hordern of Brokenwood

<p>What makes a truly iconic Australian wine?</p> <p>In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Brokenwood Chief Winemaker Stuart Hordern to explore the history, philosophy and future of one of Australia&rsquo;s most celebrated wineries.</p> <p>From growing up on a small Hunter Valley vineyard to becoming only the second chief winemaker in Brokenwood&rsquo;s history, Stuart shares the lessons learned from legends like Iain Riggs and PJ Charteris, the pressure and privilege of making the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, and why Hunter Valley semillon remains one of Australia&rsquo;s greatest gifts to the wine world.</p> <p>The conversation dives deep into vineyard expression, wine evolution, vintage variation, cellar ageing, the realities of modern winemaking, and why Brokenwood sources fruit from some of Australia&rsquo;s best wine regions including Beechworth, McLaren Vale and Orange.</p> <p>You&rsquo;ll also hear the remarkable story behind Brokenwood&rsquo;s Halliday Winery of the Year win, the evolution of the Oakey Creek vineyard, and why some of Australia&rsquo;s greatest wines are defined not by power, but by finesse.</p> <p>Whether you're a wine lover, collector, sommelier or simply curious about how great Australian wine is made, this is a fascinating deep dive into one of the country&rsquo;s benchmark producers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.brokenwood.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3GyflmZziG5dK09dr-h9WxjV1DZ8qJn3XZFfcc5CKXnmWDGam">Brokenwood Wines</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brokenwoodwines">Brokenwood on Instagram</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stuarthordern">Stuart Hordern on Instagram</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://winecompanion.com.au/">Halliday Wine Companion</a></strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/winecompanion/"><strong>Halliday&nbsp;Wine Companion on Instagram</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/annawebster_"><strong>Anna Webster on Instagram</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://shop.winecompanion.com.au/products/2026-halliday-wine-companion"><strong>Buy the </strong><strong><em>2026 Halliday Wine Companion</em></strong></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>What to expect:</p> <ul> <li aria-level="1">Stuart Hordern&rsquo;s journey from family vineyard to Brokenwood Chief Winemaker</li> <li aria-level="1">Growing up in the Hunter Valley wine region</li> <li aria-level="1">Working harvests i