A View to the
FUTURE in Sweetwater Ridge WORDS Michelle Meehan
When it comes to turning a dream into reality, Darren and Tracey Scott know it takes more than just planning and persistence to succeed – it also takes passion. It’s little wonder then that almost 20 years after they decided to pour their passion into a picturesque block of land on the northern edge of Pokolbin, their treechange move to the Hunter Valley can still be summed up by their tag line “Our Passion, Your Reward”. It was during their first trip to the Hunter Valley in the early 1990's that Darren, a Sydney-based dentist, and his wife Tracey fell in love with the natural beauty of the region and decided this was where they wanted to put down new roots. In the year 2000, that idea took a figurative and literal step forward when they purchased a picturesque 40-acre property in Pokolbin known as “Ironbark Estate”. After renaming it RidgeView due to the fact it was located on one of the highest points in Sweetwater Ridge Estate and came with such magnificent views, the couple, their four children (then aged between 5 and 11 years old), and a group of close friends set about the daunting task of transforming the 40-hectare timber property into a vineyard with 22 acres of selected vines, four self-contained cottages as well as a cellar door and restaurant. The process of preparing the soil, planting, training and pruning vines brought home the reality that this dream was going to take a
great deal of hard work. Nevertheless, in 2001 RidgeView Cottages were built and the 22-acre (nine hectare) vineyard was established. In 2004, the first Shiraz and Chambourcin grapes were harvested from the vines, with the wet vintage challenging those involved to hand-pick and transport all the fruit from the vineyard as it was too wet to use tractors. With just Darren making up the winemaking team at the time, their first vintage wines were later bottled and labelled, a milestone moment that could not have occurred without the passion of all those involved. When harvest rolled around in 2005 following a hot, dry summer that ripened the fruit to perfection, RidgeView’s vineyard was nearly at full production, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, Verdelho and Chardonnay joining their original Shiraz and Chambourcin grapes. New varieties continued to be added to the mix in the following years with the aim of producing premium, 100 per cent Hunter Valley wines that are approachable whilst young, yet develop character with careful cellaring. That aim was soon earning RidgeView plenty of positive feedback on the wine show circuit, with their 2006 “Generations” Reserve Shiraz being awarded Best Young Shiraz at the 2009 NSW Wine Awards. RidgeView’s wines have continued to earn industry distinction over the years, with their most recent success seeing them take home the trophy for the Best Sweet White Wine at the 2018 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show with their 2006 “Tipple’s Gold” Botrytis Semillon. Their honours at the show continued with three gold, five silver and five bronze medals for a range of wines including their 2009 Generations Reserve Semillon and 2017 Generations Reserve Semillon. Last year’s accolades also included picking up multiple medals at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, as well as a bronze medal for their 2017 “Impressions” Chardonnay at the 2018 NSW Wine Awards. (Continued next page) ►
21 | MARCH 2019 yhv
