Winetastic

Peterson House is unique to the Hunter Valley, specialising in premium sparkling wines made by traditional methodè champenoise*. They host a series of wines to suit most drinkers, their sparkling range consists of the easy drinking “Blush” through to the premium blends that everyone can enjoy. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and happy to talk you through the range of wines on offer for tastings.

The Peterson House Gateway ($17.50) was a stand out wine for me, soft straw in colour and a developed nose of toast and fruit characters the palate is full with subtle citrus and hints of biscuit. An approachable easy-drinking wine with a clean soft finish that will appeal to the masses.

If you’re looking for something a bit sweeter then try the Pink Blush Rose ($17), a wine with an enchanting pink strawberry colour and fresh fruity aromas, fairly sweet on the mid palate with a clean fresh finish.

Peterson House have an excellent range of sparkling reds, especially the 2004 Sparkling Merlot($27) which is a vibrant crimson wine with a spicy berry aroma, the palate shows typical Merlot characters of berry and cinnamon. Another good red is the N/V Sparkling Shiraz Reserve ($34). This wine has a complexity and smoothness developed from four years aging on yeast lees and the palate is typical of a Hunter Shiraz with earthy and peppery characteristics.

If you’re after something a bit different then try the 2004 Botrytis Semillon ($25), this was the first sparkling dessert wine i’d tried and I was pleasantly surprised. A soft gold in colour with the aroma of wild honey and apricots, this is a well balanced wine that shows elegance and structure.

I would highly recomend a visit to Peterson House if you happen to be in the Hunter, they have an excellent range of sparkling wines available with something to suit everyone’s taste and budget.

*The conversion of a base wine into a sparkling wine using this traditional method can take from 9 months and up to 4 years. The bulk wine is tiraged/ bottled where it will go through a secondary fermentation in the bottle from 9 months to 4 years. The wine is then stored upside-down in wooden crates until such time as it will be disgorged ready for consumption. Riddling & Disgorging is the next process which involves the removal the dead yeast cells, achieved by freezing the necks of the bottle, forcing the yeast to extract. Additional liquor is added to get the desired sweetness and body required by the winemaker and the wine is then ready for consumption.