Having grown up in Maitland with parents that were lovers of Hunter Valley wines, winemaking was a natural choice for Andrew, and one that he embraced even as a child. No matter whether he wanted to be a fireman one week or a watchmaker the next, just like his father, the sentence always ended with; ‘and own a vineyard when I grow up’.
His first venture in the wine industry was work experience during vintage with Reynolds Yarraman Winery, Wybong Estate at just 15 years of age. From then on, his passion quickly flourished.
Following a move to New Zealand in 1997, Andrew completed college and went on to study Wine Science at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay. During his study, he worked vintages every year at various wineries in New Zealand and Australia to further evolve his knowledge of the great grape including Tyrrell’s in the Hunter Valley and Church Road Winery in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
In 2008, Andrew moved back to Australia and shortly afterwards, took up a position as Assistant Winemaker at Tempus Two. His admiration for the McGuigan family and love of the brand drew him to the role, which he relished. Later that year, he followed former Tempus Two winemaker, Liz Jackson, to First Creek also working stints at other leading Hunter Valley wineries including Tower Estate and Poole’s Rock.
When the role of Winemaker came up at Tempus Two, Andrew leapt at the chance;
“I have always been a huge admirer of the Tempus Two brand, so when the role came up I absolutely jumped at it! The high standard of wines here is really fantastic and the atmosphere in the winery is great, so I couldn’t ask for more.”
Andrew’s aim in the new role is to maintain the high standard of production & further promote the range of Chardonnay, which he feels deserves greater recognition.
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There is no minimum restriction to book so singles and couples can book tours, but there is a minimum number of people needed to run tours effectively.
We do our best to make sure every tour runs, which sometimes means shuffling minimum numbers together so tours can operate.
We need to group together at least 4 people (minimum number shown on each tour) for it to operate.
Yes. A day tour with your friends enjoying drinks and tasty food is one of the most enjoyable but hassle free ways to celebrate a birthday. We take care of the details and let us know if you would like something extra special too!
Each tour vehicle contains passengers from multiple bookings until it is filled to the ‘maximum guest limit’ (shown on each tour). This limit keeps our group small so it’s fast and fun with premium access.
A tour will operate when a minimum of four seats are booked. If there are only four seats booked, great you will have the tour all to yourselves in one of our smaller vehicles. The more a tour fills up, the bigger the vehicle we use until our maximum guest limit for that tour is reached.
If you would like a completely private tour for two, or, have a larger group than the ‘maximum guest limit’ please contact us for options.
We can cater to larger groups by combining multiple vehicles for any tour.
Discover up to 3 great wineries handpicked for you.
There is no set time. Some winery experiences take longer than others. The average is about 45min – 1hour at each winery.
Because we know the area so well and try to deliver the best experiences based on:
– Rave reviews from previous tour groups
– Boutique, non-touristy locations
– Excellent wines, moderately priced
– Warm & friendly service
– Perks available (cellar tours, barrel-tasting, wine-maker available, etc.)
There is no set schedule of wineries. Our tour guides will take advantage of the best winery experiences available on that day, including special events, to make sure you get the most value from your itinerary, have an enjoyable day and maximise your taste time of the Hunter Valley.
