Tim's Ravings

So, there I was sitting in a private room at a fancy Canberra restaurant in 1993 with Len Evans and Brian Croser, among other famous wine industry dignitaries, having a merry time drinking their wines, most of which were 20 to 30 years old and today would be worth thousands. 

What could be better than doing this for a living, I thought to myself. I was a journalist at the time, at the top of my profession, but nursing a secret – I was completely over writing for a living. Let’s drink for a living instead, I thought.

“You should do it,” Croser said. Two years later, when I had settled on Mudgee as my destination, Croser told me again “You should do it”. 

“It’s next door to Huntington Estate”, I told him. 

“Wow – can I buy the grapes?” was his response. 

A few years after moving to Mudgee I bought Huntington itself, realising a dream. 

Now in my third decade of grape vintages, I have been reflecting not only on my own journey, but also that of the great industry I switched to. 

Each of the vintages has been totally different to the other. All have been exciting, exhausting and fulfilling, with the only exception being 2020 which was lost entirely to smoke taint. I’ve grown and learnt from every one. 

2020 was the peak of a nine year run of excruciating bone-dry and oven-hot seasons. It reminded me of a 1995 lecture I got while studying winegrowing at Charles Sturt University. The clarity of the lecturer’s words still lingers; “If your generation don’t fix this you better get used to droughts and flooding rains coz there won’t be anything in between – it’s gonna get bloody hot, bloody dry and bloody wet.” 

Like most people in that lecture hall, we didn’t fully believe him. And our generation didn’t fix it. 

The 1990’s were the start of boom times for the industry, and the beginning of a new era for wine in Australia. Croser and Evans were seeding a philosophy that winemaking could skyrocket in Australia – all it needed was a greater focus on corporatising wine production and allowing bean counters to lead us to untouched export markets. It worked; it was one thing we did fix. The industry has grown from niche to one of the largest farm industries today. 

Other changes over these 25 vintages include the long overdue shift to screwcaps and the introduction of new technology like crossflow filtration (I would marry my modern filter if I wasn’t already wed) which has led the charge in eliminating microbial spoilages. I also love my new shoe-box sized testing machine that has replaced an entire laboratory and saved us weeks of time. 

The wines we are making now fit our “Old World” style more than ever. Lashings of oak (I’ll never change), we still take our time, and we still love our big gutsy reds. But they are fresher and more cellar-able. At Huntington Estate we are more sustainable in every way and have dramatically reduced our toxic footprint. It’s not enough, but we’ve given it a go. 

The growth and changes in the industry are dwarfed by the challenges of Climate Change, and my pride and joy in the growth of my family to include two young boys. To Freddy and Charlie I say, “Sorry. It's bloody hot, bloody dry and bloody wet. We didn’t fix it, though we have done some good things, and will strive to do more. I hope you and your classmates can do better.” 

So, here’s to whatever the next 25 years will bring – to overcoming challenges with innovation and sustainable practices, to seeing the boys grow into men, and to shepherding Huntington towards its centenary. 

Cheers, 

Tim Stevens