THE WINE FRONT

Hunter Valley winery Drayton’s Family Wines is back open following the explosion on 17 January that killed fifth generation winemaker Trevor Drayton.

The temporary cellar door, located at the winery in Pokolbin, was opened at the weekend, and family member, John Drayton, has already been overwhelmed by the response: 'In the past few weeks we have been overcome by the community spirit in the Hunter Valley. Many of our grapes are being picked and processed by other wineries but luckily, under the guidance of our father Max and his 60 years of experience, we are processing many of our reds on-site. We are also seeing our loyal customers, and new ones, wanting to be a part of our re-building process by purchasing our wine.

'It’s been tough, but the Drayton family are Hunter Valley pioneers and we will survive.'

John Drayton also reported that Drayton's assistant winemaker, Will Rikard Bell, who sustained extensive burns in the explosion, continues to improve despite the rigors of extensive skin grafts. 'We are hopeful that he will return to Drayton's and continue the job that he was doing so well.'

Drayton’s Family Wines is at:
Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin
(02) 4998 7513
The opening hours of the temporary cellar door are: 10-5pm