20 Years at Two Rivers

Steve Kendall, Linda & Brett Keeping celebrating 20 years at Two Rivers

Welcome to the Spring 2008 edition of "Off the Vine' which marks our 20th anniversary here at Two Rivers.

On July 20th this year Brett, Steve and I shared a quiet moment (and several glasses of Reserve Chardonnay) reflecting on the 20 years that we have spent turning this wonderful property into the vineyard that our families live on today.

The transformation from dairy farm to First class vineyard has been quite a journey for us.

4 ½ stars from James Halliday

It certainly was thrilling news for all the team when respected international wine judge and author James Halliday awarded Two Rivers a 4 ½ star rating in his 2009 Australian Wine Companion.

This rating puts us in the "Outstanding Winery" category which is described as "Excellent winery able to produce wines of high to very high quality, knocking on the door of a 5 star rating". Endorsements like this make all the hard work worthwhile.

Two Rivers on Tour

David, Clive and Brian in Amsterdam

.We are very fortunate to have Club members like this wonderful trio. In May Clive & Caroline Cooper, David & Cecily Kinder and Brian & Margaret Hunter spent a leisurely week here in our Guest cottage soaking up the tranquil atmosphere and planning their overseas trip.

At the top of their packing list were their Two Rivers caps and here we can see them being proudly worn while the group were enjoying their visit to Amsterdam

Thanks guys for being such loyal Two Rivers supporters and for flying our flag around the world! We look forward to seeing which country our caps pop up in next.

New Releases

New Releases

In the last few months we have released two new wines in the Cellar Door Range. 2008 The Corner Block Viognier

We planted this variety a couple of years ago in the south east corner block of the property and are thrilled with this first release. This wine displays a lovely floral perfume aroma of apricot and tropical fruits. The subtle use of oak in this wine gives it lovely depth . The palate is medium-bodied with ripe fruit flavours and has a delightful lively acid finish.

2007 The Confluence Cabernet Merlot

It's good to see the return of the blend of these two great varieties and this new Cabernet Merlot has been very well received in the Cellar Door. This wine has a lovely ruby red colour and the aroma is ripe cassis and blackcurrant combining well with the minty Merlot characters. Subtle oak balances the wine and the soft tannins make this wine very easy drinking.

Spring Growth

Every spring we are constantly amazed how quickly the new shoots grow on the vines.

Series of vine growth 2008

This spring I decided to photo document this growth over several weeks and I am sure you will agree it is quite outstanding!

Sydney Good Food and Wine Show

In June this year we took Two Rivers to Sydney for the Good Food and Wine Show which was held in the Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbor.

Gordon Ramsay

The show is a massive event with four halls of the exhibition centre filled to capacity with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing gourmet food, boutique beers and of course great wines.

The draw card this year was internationally famous (or sometimes infamous!) chef Gordon Ramsay who pulled in record crowds with a staggering 51,105 people attending the show over three days. Although we managed to see Gordon at one of his cooking shows (which Brett even attended!),

Unfortunately we didn't manage to lure him to the Two Rivers stand for a drink. If we had I'm sure he would have said that our wines were %*@?&^# brilliant!!

Recovery at the Rivers

With such a captive audience in town for the Wine & Food Affair we thought the weekend would not be complete without an official recovery, so this year we held the inaugural "Recovery at the Rivers" at the Two Rivers Cellar Door.

The concept of the day was to create a totally relaxed atmosphere where people could wind down from the previous day with easy listening music and great food in a care free, laid back setting.

We were blessed with a perfect day and to top it off we pulled in the services of one of Australia's most renowned Bush Poet's, Murray Hartin. Muz and Brett have been mates since their school days so he is no stranger to Two Rivers and he certainly didn't disappoint the audience on the day.

With the success of the day this year, 'Recovery at the Rivers' is also set to become an annual event so we would love to see you here!

Dates for next year's events are:

Upper Hunter Wine & Food Affair Saturday 2nd May 2009 and

Recovery at the Rivers Sunday 3rd May 2009. Please ring us for details.

Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair

Last May Denman held the 5th annual Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair.

What started five years ago with a few dedicated wineries and foodies gathering in the main street to show their wares, has turned into one of the "must do" events of the Hunter Valley calendar.

The main street of Denman, Ogilvie St, was transformed for the day with over 22 stalls featuring gourmet food from some of the top restaurants in the Hunter, delicious local cheese and olives, and of course award winning wines from all the wineries of the Upper Hunter.

Denman's unique village setting creates the ideal carnival atmosphere, with jazz bands, street performers and loads of kid's entertainment making it a great day out for the whole family.

Fennell Exhibition

In May 2008 we were very proud to host our first art exhibition which featured the stunning artwork of our good friend and long time Two Rivers supporter, Peter Fennell. The Cellar Door proved to be the perfect venue for the show which Peter titled "Back to the Bush".

Nick Adler, Stella Raleigh, Trish O’Brien, Steve Goodchild

In recent years, Peter's painting has taken him all over the world, including the romantic settings of Venice, the exotic Morocco and sell-out exhibitions in Paris. This show was a chance for Peter to get back to his roots, with many of his paintings inspired by local people and scenery, all painted in Peter's unique impressionistic style.

Peter's son Joshua, an emerging young talent in the art world, also exhibited some of his works. These paintings were particular favourites with the crowd and every one was sold on the night. Josh was quite chuffed with this - a fact he made sure he pointed out several times to his old man!

The night was a great success with an enthusiastic turnout from the Denman locals who relished the cultural experience. It was also a chance for us to show off our new release wines which went down a treat! A great night was had by all!

Stop Press

In the upcoming December issue of Winestate Magazine Two Rivers will feature with 4 stars for the 2007 Thunderbolt Shiraz and 2005 Reserve Shiraz.