Just Crushed - Summer Newsletter
Winery Review
The Winery team have been busy over the winter months as we polish and perfect our 2024 aromatic whites, which I’m excited to say are all now bottled and looking fantastic. We’re already seeing some great results from these wines, with our 2024 ‘Home Block’ Verdelho recently winning the trophy for best Verdelho at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, and our 2024 ‘Stone Mountain’ Riesling also just receiving an outstanding 95 point score from The Real Review. A big congratulations to the team and hopefully you’ll enjoy our new wines as much as we do. Additionally, the much anticipated 2023 “Kruger Vineyard” Barossa Shiraz is now in bottle. I’m incredibly proud of this wine; produced from 100 year old vines grown on my family vineyard, this is not only a new endeavor for Pepper Tree, but a truly unique and complex wine.
Spring is now in full swing with the vineyards coming out of hibernation and already showing very promising flowering. We’re already counting down to kicking off the 2025 vintage and we’re seeing a lot of potential for another great season ahead.
Cheers, Nick Kruger
Wine Club News
Merry Christmas everyone and raise your glass with your favourite Pepper Tree wine to
another great year!! We close 2024 with our annual Sydney Harbour Cruise for our Members & Guests where we always have so much fun sailing around the Harbour sitting back enjoying delicious food and sipping on fabulous wine while enjoying the company of old friends and meeting new friends. We will be showcasing some our most recent released wines; these wines are perfectly crafted for our sun-soaked afternoons & balmy evenings. From the crisp whites to refreshing Rose, our wines will be perfect for all the festive season gatherings. Our 2025 Calendar of Events is out, so make sure you pop all the events you would like to attend in your diary, so you don’t miss out. Let’s make this summer & festive season one to remember while enjoying your favourite Pepper Tree wine, cheers to great wine & company! Merry Christmas and have a Happy and Safe New Year to our Wine Club Members & Friends.
From the wine club crew, Shaz, Susie & Mark
In the Vineyard
Hi everyone, I’m Jeremy the new Vineyard Manager for our stunning Hunter Valley vineyards. Over the past few months, I’ve been exploring our grapes vines and the amazing wines we create here. Having spent the last six years in the Hunter Valley wine industry from Cellar Door, Winemaking and now Viticulture. Coming from a family with a rich history of farming it’s nice to be able to apply that to our grapevines and reap the benefits once the 2025 vintage rolls around. Outside of the vineyard I have two toddlers that get all my attention outside of looking after my veggie garden at home. Now that spring is in full swing, the vines are bursting with energy and new growth. It’s an exciting time to be out in the vineyard with the flowers blooming and everything all lush and green. We’re gearing up for another incredible season with the weather being kind to us for the start of the growing season. I am looking forward to meeting you at our events to chat all things vineyard and wine.
Vineyard Manager, Jeremy O'Brien
In the Lab
I joined the wonderful Pepper Tree team as a Lab Technician in January, bringing 16 years of experience in the local wine industry and a genuine passion for all things wine. In my role, I focus on quality assurance, collaborating closely with the winemaking team to analyse fruit, juice, and wine throughout the entire winemaking process, ensuring every bottle meets the highest standards. I’m excited to explore the Pepper Tree wine collection. There’s nothing better than enjoying a Hunter Valley Semillon and Shiraz paired with cheese and crackers — my current favourites are the Alluvius Semillon and Gravel’s Shiraz. Outside of work, I love to travel, take walks with my Border Collie, Beau, practise yoga, and spend quality time with my family and friends.
Lab Technician, Nicole Clay
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