Wine regions – Broke Fordwich

Broke Fordwich   New South Wales

The Broke Fordwich sub-region produces a host of fine wines. Chardonnay, Semillon, Verdelho, Shiraz and Merlot are particularly pleasant. Alternative varieties are increasingly flourishing.

The Wollombi Brook, a tributary of the Hunter River, courses through this gently undulating country that is back-dropped by the Brokenback Range on its south western edge. The vineyards are in a cluster around the villages of Broke and Bulga.

Climate

Broke Fordwich has an inland climate courtesy of the Range which blocks the maritime influence of the relatively close coastline. The climate is warmer than the Lower Hunter. Most rain falls in the growing season and sometimes around vintage. Irrigation water is drawn from the Wollombi Brook which has a tendency to dry up in summer.

History

Broke Fordwich was accepted as the second sub region in Australia in September 1997, and is the only sub region identified in NSW thus far. It is part of the Hunter Region and Hunter Valley Zone.

Convicts first arrived in the Hunter in what is now Newcastle where the first coal mine was sunk to 110 feet. Settlement of the Hunter Region began around 1813 and the first vineyards were planted in the 1830s.

John Blaxland from Fordwich, Kent owned a total of 6,000 acres in the Broke area. After World War I this land was divided up into 10 acre lots under the Soldier Settlement grants scheme. With the onset of the Great Depression and severe hail storms in 1929 and 1930 the majority of the blocks became unviable and were bought up by larger vineyards such as Tullochs, Elliotts and Wyndham Estate. Thus the vineyards remained productive and continued to supply wineries around the region.

Grape Varieties

There are a total of 36 independent grape growers in the sub region with a total area of approximately 570 hectares of vines which represents 14% of the Hunter Valley plantings valued at approximately $30 million dollars.

The main grape varieties grown in the sub region are Chardonnay, Semillon, Verdelho, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Merlot which provide 75% of the grape crush. Other varieties in smaller proportions are Cabernets, Chambourcin, Malbec, Traminer, Barbera, Trebiano, Viognier, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Dolcetto.

In 2005, 3160 tonnes of grapes were harvested in the sub region with 2115 being white and 1045 red.  Out of this a total of 1500 tonnes were processed for labels of the sub region.

Wines

Max Lake in his book  Hunter Winemakers  (1970) wrote that “…much of the reputation of Pokolbin rests with the fruit from Fordwich.”

Winemakers confirm that distinctive characteristics of the sub region’s wines set them apart from the lower Hunter and Upper Hunter with both whites and reds reflecting the microclimate of the Fordwich district.

Semillon

Is noticeably different with more lemon-like citrus characters than surrounding areas. They are often considered to have bigger flavours and more backbone.

Chardonnay

Tends to have more melon characters due to the fertility of the soils.

Verdelho

Some of the finest Verdelho in Australia comes from Broke Fordwich. This variety was first grown by the Tulloch family. They along with other wineries have been dedicated to producing a style of wine which shows off the characteristics of the fruit. The variety is planted in most vineyards in Broke Fordwich.

Shiraz and Cabernets

The area has seen a decline in Cabernet over recent years with most being grafted to other varieties. A large percentage of Shiraz from the sub region comes from vines planted over 30 years ago. It has good fruit characters and provides the mainstay for the region’s reds. Newer plantings have also performed well for the region with older varieties being blended with Viognier.

Visiting the region

Broke Fordwich is blessed with beauty from the valley floor to the surrounding hills. The Wollombi Brook runs through the Wollombi Valley situated between the Brokenback Range, Hunter Range ,Yengo National Park and heritage listed Wollemi National Park home of the ancient Wollemi pine.

The region has cellar doors, vineyard and town cafes and restaurants and a variety of accommodation services for day trippers and longer stayers. There are also events throughout the year

Festivals and Rambles

A Little Bit of Italy held on the first weekend of April;
Broke Village Fair 2nd Sunday of September;
Garden Ramble in Spring
Folk in Broke 1st weekend in November.

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Sites with more information:

• Broke Fordwich
• Singleton Tourism
• Folk in Broke

 

Article by Caroline Colton
Preface paragraph Toni Paterson
Photos courtesy of Broke Fordwich Wine Tourism Association Inc
October-November 2008

© Wine Diva