Hunter Valley winemaker Andrew Duff’s travel tips
Winemaker Andrew Duff is back on home soil in the Hunter Valley but is partial to tipples – and the occasional spider – from further afield.
As the new winemaker at Hunter Valley’s Briar Ridge Vineyard, born-and-bred local Andrew Duff brings an innovative spirit to the Mount View terroir, an idyllic enclave of rolling hills crisscrossed with vines and wild roses. The district, southwest of Cessnock, has a microclimate that cloisters grapes from temperature extremes.
Panoramic views and a destination cellar door lure travellers to Briar Ridge, where Duff is helping to create experiences that pair gastronomy with appreciation for the estate’s natural beauty. A new “mystery tour” takes guests to a surprise locale among the gum-lined, 50-year-old vines and ridges filled with marine fossils, to drink in district views, stories and wine matched with local charcuterie and cheeses.
Duff takes a minimal-intervention approach to Hunter Valley classics and small-batch modern-style wines. Briar Ridge favourites such as citrusy fume sauvignon blanc semillon, the more tropical Dam verdelho, and an intensely perfumed Old Vines shiraz, have a cult following, but Duff encourages epicureans to also try Mediterranean grape varietals such as a fiano or a stone fruit-heavy albarino.
My upbringing in the Hunter Valley
As a Hunter Valley kid I grew up having two or three fingers of Hunter shiraz in an old Vegemite glass with meals. We drove around Mount View, the valley within the valley, in Dad’s old orange Datsun 180B, and had family barbecues in front of Tyrrell’s iconic winery in Pokolbin. I got the industry bug early. I even brewed beer as a school boarder. I studied wine science in New Zealand, and often returned to the Land of the Long White Cloud as an industry gypsy. I followed the ripening vines each year to harvest, working in the Hunter, the Barossa and Clare valleys in South Australia, and back to Hawkes Bay in NZ. Joining Briar Ridge is a true homecoming.
Why I love Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities. My Kiwi wife Jade and I love walking everywhere. We ate our way around the city, hooked on Dutch pancakes from De Carrousel and “special frites”: hot chips with curry sauce, melted cheese and fresh onions in a cone. The Heineken Experience is an interesting insight into brewing for beer-lovers. I am a big fan of the artist Banksy and the Moco Museum has a huge collection. We booked three months early to see Anne Frank’s house, which was an unforgettable experience. The eeriness and sorrow are unmistakeable, and bring the city’s dark World War II history back. It was a real privilege.
How I travel
I pack compression socks to boost circulation when seated for hours at a time on long flights. I take an embarrassingly big suitcase when travelling, with extra room to bring back wine from my travels. I’m all about stopping en route to break up long-haul travel, that’s why watching Anthony Bourdain’s series The Layover is so inspiring. It dives into all kinds of less predictable cities, such as Atlanta, New Orleans and Toronto.
Where to stay in the Hunter Valley
Mount View is a hidden, sleepy little oasis. Hunter Valley visitors can base themselves at Cedars Mount View, an incredible retreat just 15 minutes’ drive from Briar Ridge Vineyard. As a 13-year-old I would sleep over on that land, as I knew the family who lived there. The magic of birdsong and pristine nature is hypnotic. Today, the property has evolved into a romantic, adults-only retreat owned by a French couple, Gilbert Ponlot and Christelle Chardin. They have done a spectacular job; the villas are stunning.
The weirdest thing I’ve eaten
The craziest dish I have tried has got to be fried tarantulas when I took my then 13-year-old son, Xavier, to Cambodia. The crispiness of the legs had a pretzel-like texture; the body was like tofu and more of a struggle. You try these things to impress your sons, but I don’t know if you can ever be a cool dad.
The perfect Tassie weekend away
Tasmania is a fantastic weekend away. You can fly into Hobart and see the mind-blowing architecture and cutting-edge artwork of the Mona museum, then head to the sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place and dine on freshly cooked fish and chips at the moored harbourfront barges. I like to rug up and take a road trip north through the Coal River Valley, tasting superb Tassie pinots while weaving up to Launceston, which is a beautiful river city to walk around. Carnivores will love the succulent, free-range Tasmanian beef at Black Cow Bistro.
Why South Australia is tops
I love visiting mates in the South Australian wine industry, talking over a fantastic grenache from McLaren Vale’s Vanguardist Wines. Tanunda in the Barossa Valley is a magical village with a heritage streetscape; exploring the surrounding countryside is like stepping into a Hans Heysen painting. I love touring the Clare Valley. My favourite restaurant in Adelaide right now is Africola, which serves local SA wines with sensational South African barbecue.
New dining at Briar Ridge
Our new Briar Ridge restaurant partner is Estancia Osteria. It’s rural al fresco dining over red wine and warming, flavoursome food by an open fire in the South American ranch tradition. Two exciting chefs, Gabriel Rodrigues and James Orlowski, have joined forces to create something unique and homey with fire-to-table cuisine: picanha steaks sizzling on a parrilla grill; whole lambs; great vegetarian options. It’s quirky. Gabriel makes gnocchi from ricotta rather than potato, then James will add a Japanese influence with mushroom kombu kelp and white miso butter. Snapper ceviche is marinated in slightly spicy tiger’s milk (a citrus marinade). They’re doing Smoky Sundays and a Thursday pasta night.