Earlier this year, I visited Piggs Peake cellar door to catch up with the latest happenings there. And there is always something happening!… Cellar door changes & new landscaping cap it off … It is just a sign really that the team are well settled in and the welcome is as warm as ever at this Hunter Valley winery for visitors looking for the quirky side of wine.

Piggs Peake Five Spice GT 2015 – I always seek this wine out for its prettiness. GT stands for Gewurztraminer, a perfumed riot of floral spice and lush fruit that works particularly well with Asian flavours but will deliver its spicy appeal to a wide range of flavours.

Piggs Peake Sows Ear Semillon 2016 – an often overlooked grape variety unless you are a diehard semillon lover. This year’s semillon is a mouthful of citrus fruit, intense and zippy. A drink for summer or keep it for 3 – 5+ years to get some toastier notes coming through.

Make sure that you also try the rich, creamy stonefruited Piggs Peake Hogshead Chardonnay 2015 and Piggs Peake Pinot Piggio proved popular with the group I was visiting with.   Although it is sometimes hard to find, I would stock up on the Piggs Peake Wiggly Tail Marsanne. While good drinking in its youth, I am currently drinking through some older Marsanne I have purchased from Steve and it continues to surprise those who have not tried the grape before.

In amongst the reds, make sure you leave time to sample:

Piggs Peake Bush Pig 2015 – A bush vine grenache that lives up the promise of juicy, sweetly ripe fruit. It is renowned as a big hitter but I find this vintage to be fresh and balanced particularly when you enjoy it with a tasty steak.

Piggs Peake The Werewolf 2015 – Don’t attempt the Werewolf if you are scared by larger than life wines. A zinfandel from the cooler climate of Orange where about a fifth of the crop have started to shrivel on the vine. This is then blended with some McLaren Vale shiraz and just a touch of Mataro (Mourvedre). This wine is unashamedly rich with a massive hit of flavour. Not for the faint hearted but rewarding. If you wanted just a straight zin, then the Piggs Peake Wolfie is available too.

Apart from a quite elegant Piggs Peake Pressed Ham Tempranillo, other interesting red wines that are currently available to taste if you are lucky enough, are Piggs Peake The Flouro Pig a wine made from mataro (mourvedre, monastrell or as their blurb says ‘Flouroux’) and the Piggs Peake Pig Schist Touriga, Piggs Peake Pigs Blood (80% Chambourcin & 20% Shiraz).

If a sweetie is called for there is a range to choose from. Starting with the lighter side the tasty Piggs Peake Pigscato or the Piggs Peake Pigsbrusco. Of course, there is a range of fortified wines but for the full shiraz experience, there is always a dessert styled Piggs Peake Suckling Pig. A rich sweet wine that has been created to go with the richest desserts.

If you are after a fun, new Hunter Valley wine experience, this is a stop that you should not miss. I believe that there is now even accommodation available – go the whole Piggs experience.

To read more about this winery, click here & here.

It has also been featured on WinemakingTV!