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

Winery of the Year’s secret to world-class Hunter Valley wine | Stuart Hordern of Brokenwood2 jun51 min

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What makes a truly iconic Australian wine? 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’s most celebrated wineries. From growing up on a small Hunter Valley vineyard to becoming only the second chief winemaker in Brokenwood’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’s greatest gifts to the wine world. 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’s best wine regions including Beechworth, McLaren Vale and Orange. You’ll also hear the remarkable story behind Brokenwood’s Halliday Winery of the Year win, the evolution of the Oakey Creek vineyard, and why some of Australia’s greatest wines are defined not by power, but by finesse. 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’s benchmark producers.   <a href="https://www.brokenwood.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3GyflmZziG5dK09dr-h9WxjV1DZ8qJn3XZFfcc5CKXnmWDGam">Brokenwood Wines</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brokenwoodwines">Brokenwood on Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stuarthordern">Stuart Hordern on Instagram</a> <a href="https://winecompanion.com.au/">Halliday Wine Companion</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/winecompanion/">Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annawebster_">Anna Webster on Instagram</a> <a href="https://shop.winecompanion.com.au/products/2026-halliday-wine-companion">Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion</a>   What to expect: <ul> <li aria-level="1">Stuart Hordern’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 in France and California</li> <li aria-level="1">The influence of Iain Riggs, PJ Charteris and Simon Steele</li> <li aria-level="1">Why Brokenwood sources fruit from multiple wine regions</li> <li aria-level="1">The story behind Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz</li> <li aria-level="1">Why Hunter Valley semillon ages so uniquely</li> <li aria-level="1">The philosophy behind ILR Reserve Semillon</li> <li aria-level="1">The impact of the 2020 bushfires on Australian wine</li> <li aria-level="1">How Brokenwood became Halliday Winery of the Year</li> <li aria-level="1">The future of Oakey Creek Vineyard and Hunter Valley Chardonnay</li> </ul> Chapters 00:00 Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country 00:25 Meet Stuart Hordern from Brokenwood 01:20 Growing up in the Hunter Valley 03:06 First vintages & cellar work 05:31 Studying winemaking in Adelaide 07:48 Returning to the Hunter Valley 09:23 What makes Hunter Valley wine unique 10:34 Joining Brokenwood 12:16 Learning from Iain Riggs & PJ Charteris 17:26 The evolution of Brokenwood 20:07 Why Brokenwood sources fruit outside the Hunter 24:01 The challenge of Australian vintages 28:36 The story of Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz 37:06 Brokenwood’s winemaking philosophy 38:56 The ILR Reserve Semillon story 43:59 Why some vintages are never released 45:10 Winning Halliday Winery of the Year 50:15 What’s next for Brokenwood Brokenwood Wines, Stuart H