About
Welcome to Briar Ridge
A UNIQUE VIEW OF THE HUNTER
Briar Ridge Vineyard is located in Mount View, a little slice of winemaking paradise reminiscent of the wine growing regions of France. The terroir, the microclimate and the views are unique to the rest of the Hunter and make visiting here something unique and special.
Briar Ridge is the largest holder of family-owned vineyards in the Mount View region, and is a Halliday Red Star Winery, a coveted rating that is awarded to outstanding wineries regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.
The history of the winery began in 1972 when Murray Robson planted the first vines.
Our attitude to growing and making wine is classically radical and driven by our Winemaker, Andrew Duff. The innovation comes through experimentation with alternative varieties and a hybrid of modern technologies, historical references, and minimal intervention. Andrew has two decades of experience in wine making working in New Zealand and Australia.
Today, Briar Ridge is owned by Jaclyn Davis who divides her time between her legal career and juggling that with her commitments to running the winery. Her vision for the vineyard is to redefine the Hunter Valley wine experience by establishing Briar Ridge as a destination cellar door, a place that is welcoming without being pretentious or stuffy.
She shares the philosophy of the original owner Murray Robson of making wine being a “romantic, impractical dream,” but would have it no other way.
Our team
The team at Briar Ridge all share a common dream as well as our love of wine. The dream is to produce the best wines possible, wines that are truly reflective of their unique terroir and to create an outstanding cellar door experience that is beloved by all who visit.
We want the wines we produce to be savoured by as many people as possible, without pretentiousness – just simple enjoyment, fun, love and laughter.
Our vineyards
LOW YIELD, HIGH QUALITY, ESTATE GROWN.
Briar Ridge is the largest holder of vineyards in the Mount View region.
Many of our vines have been growing for 45 years, providing us with fruit of outstanding quality and unique character thanks to Mount View’s location in an unmatched part of the Hunter Valley.
The combination of soil, aspect and the microclimate are what make the difference – giving our wines delicious flavours and characters unlike any other.
Single Vineyards
The moderate to steep undulating slopes surrounding the cellar door and winery are home to our prized single vineyards, Dairy Hill, Briar Hill and Red Hill.
Select parcels of Semillon, Shiraz and Chardonnay grown on these hillside blocks are the secret to creating our Single Vineyard and Stockhausen range of premium wines.
Soil
The rich, red, limestone-based soils underlying our vineyards at Mount View are what makes our corner of the Hunter so special.
The soils found here are perfectly matched to grape growing, giving our fruit an individual character that is distinctly Mount View and our wines their unique and delicious flavours.
Yield
To ensure fruit intensity and retention of the unique character and flavour of our wines. we keep our vineyard yields low, between 1 and 2.5 tonnes per acre. This allows our winemaking team to selectively harvest small parcels of high-quality fruit.
Elevation
Lying at an altitude of 130 – 180 meters, our Mount View vineyards benefit from slightly cooler temperatures than other areas of the Hunter Valley. Combine this with our microclimate and vineyard practices, and we’re given the perfect environment to craft wines known for their elegance and unique flavour.
Climate
We operate under a fairly warm climate which is moderated by coastal breezes and cloud cover in the summer months. The shadow of the Mount View Ranges provides cooling breezes over our vineyards, and means varieties can be preferentially planted according to desired sunlight and heat levels.
Diversity
In addition to our Mount View vineyards, we have roots in other distinctive Australian wine growing regions – Orange and the Hilltops in New South Wales and Wrattonbully in South Australia. The beauty of this is that we’re able to be flexible – creating a diverse range of regional wine styles for our loyal members and friends – and their palates. Go forth and find your new favourite wine.