Hunter Valley Seasons

“A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread–and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness–
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”

– Omar Khayyam

The changing colours of vine leaves. The eternal circle of birth, ripening, harvesting, rest. Oh Hunter Valley, how you inspire me – your landscape, your country roads, your cellar doors, your warmth, and lovely picnic spots. And your wine of course.

These pictures are spanning six years, three different camera models and I don’t know how many bottles of Shiraz. We have been to the Hunter so many times I have lost count – just the two of us, and with our friends and family and  overseas visitors, and again just the two of us. Our faces are recognized in a couple of wineries which always makes us come back there again and again, to talk about difference in vintages, undiscovered beauty of Hunter Pinot, and cellar door manager’s relatives in New Zealand. We have seen every season in full force – new tiny bright-green grapes in spring; heavy, full of life and promise summer fruit; red flame of autumn leaves; naked and frozen vines in winter.  We celebrated our anniversaries and birthdays, shot weddings, watched our favourite artists perform among the grapes, or just went up there on a Sunday because we felt like it. We watched the orange summer sun rising above the vineyards, promising the 45-degree heat in February, and worn our warmest down jackets while witnessing a frosty winter sunrise in July.

And I always had my camera with me.

If you are ever there, stop by these lovely places:

Draytons

First Creek

Krinklewood

Shakey Tables Restaurant  (their food is a work of art!)

Happy Friday! Hope you have the cosiest weekend.