#twofatblokes

Winemaker @ David Hook Wines

Employment Background

1979 – 1983  Tyrrell’s Wines Australia
Employed as assistant winemaker 1979
Promoted to winemaker at Glenbawn Estate 1981

1982 – 1983  Glenbawn Estate Scone Australia
Vineyard Manager

1981 Wines California USA
Assistant winemaker for vintage

1984 – 1985 Lakes Folly Australia
Employed as assistant winemaker to Steven Lake

1987 – 1990 Rothbury Estate Australia
Employed as winemaker for vintage

1989 Pokolbin Estate Pokolbin Australia
Employed as General Manager for 12 months

1990 Chateau Bonnet France
Employed as consultant winemaker for vintage

1991 – 1995 Hugh Ryman Wines / Rystone Wines France, Spain
Employed as a consultant in areas of grape growing, purchasing, winemaking and production

1997 Vinfera Pty Ltd Broke Australia
Managing Director

1998 David Morrison Winemakers Georgia
Employed as a consultant winemaker for Telavi Winery

1986 – 2017 David Hook Wines – Pothana Vineyard Australia
Self employed on own property establishing 10 hectare vineyard and winery

Relevant Winemaking Experience

1978 – 1979 Cellar hand, Tyrrells Pokolbin Australia for vintage
Crushing 500 – 700 tonnes

1980 Assistant winemaker, Tyrrells Pokolbin Australia
Crushing 700 tonnes

1981 Winemaker, Tyrrells, Glenbawn Estate, Scone Australia
Crushing 1200 tonnes

1981 Assistant winemaker, Friestone Winery California USA
Crushing 1200 tonnes

1982 – 1983 Vineyard Manager / Winery Manager, Tyrrells Glenbawn Estate Scone Australia
Growing 500 tonnes and processing 1200 tonnes

1984 Pothana Vineyard
Commenced vineyard

1984 – 1985 Assistant Winemaker, Lakes Folly Pokolbin Australia
Premium small Australian winery producing cabernet and chardonnay

1985 Pothana Vineyard
First vintage – 2 tonnes semillon. Established Pothana label

1986  Assistant winemaker for vintage Hungerford Hill Pokolbin Australia
Crushing over 1000 tonnes of both Hunter Valley and Coonawarra fruit

1987 Pothana Vineyard
First chardonnay wines produced

1985 – 1987 The Australian Wine Research Institute
Awarded scholarship to under take research into nitrogen levels of amino Australian grape juice and the metabolism acids by yeasts

1986  Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference
Presented paper titled “Amino Acid Metabolism by Yeasts”

1987 – 1990 Winemaker for vintage, Rothbury Estate Australia
Grape receival and processing

1990 Pothana Winery
First grapes processed. Contract winemaking of 25 tonnes of shiraz

1990 Winemaker at Chateau Bonnet Bordeaux France

1991    Winemaker at Cave du Casse Limoux Southern France

1992    Consultant Winemaker, Safeways UK
Production of 1000 tonnes of Luberon white

1994  Pothana Winery
Contract winemaking expanded to 50 tonnes. Specialising in small batches, 2 – 3 tonnes for individual growers.

1994  Sainsbury, UK in association with Val d Orbie in Southern France
Responsible for the selection of vineyards, wineries and supervision of production of 500,000 cases

1994 Sainsbury, UK in association with Cave St Pierre France
Responsible for the selection of vineyards, wineries and the supervision of production of 100,000 cases of Cote du Rhone Red

1995 Rystone Wines France
Responsible for the purchase of grapes for and supervision of production of 200,000 cases in the south of France

1995 Vineyard Consultant, Chateau Vignelaure Provence France
3 months planning and implementing renovation of 40 hectare vineyard

1996  Consultant Winemaker, Chateau Coussergues, Besier France

1996 Pothana
Expanded Vineyard. Established The Gorge label

1997  Established Vinifera Pty Ltd, Broke Australia
Leased Saxonvale Winery, 1500 tonnes   production

1998 Telavi Georgia
Responsible for recommissioning winery in  Telavi Georgia and production of 1200 tonnes for the 1998 vintage for export to Soviet Union and the USA

1998 – 2017 Pothana Vineyard / Winery
Increased capacity to 200 tonne production

David Hook - Hunter Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting - Two Fat Blokes
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Group Information

What is the minimum number of people you will pick up?

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.

Do you take parties like a 40th or 50th?

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!

What size groups can you cater 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.

Transfer Locations

Location
Fee
$50 flat rate
$0
$0
$50 flat rate
$15 per person
$50 flat rate
$15 per person
$0
$50 flat rate
$0
$100 flat rate
$0
$0
$50 flat rate
$0
$60 flat rate
$60 flat rate
Not Available

Sydney Transfers

  • SYDNEY direct transfers are not available.
  • To arrive from Sydney customers can catch the train between ‘Sydney-Newcastle-Maitland’ and request a Two Fat Blokes pick-up/drop-off at ‘Maitland’.

Transfer Fee Information

  • Flat rate is a single price for pick-up/drop-off at that location whether it’s two people or a full group of people.
  • Minimum 2 person pickup is required to operate the pickup service to fee based locations.
  • Fees are in addition to your tour booking and will be collected by your guide at time of pick-up. Please pay these fees by cash, ATM’s will be available on the tour.
Visit Wineries

Discover up to 3 great wineries handpicked for you.

How do you determine which wineries are best for my group?

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.)

Which wineries do we visit?

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.