What makes a truly iconic Australian wine?

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Brokenwood Chief Winemaker Stuart Hordern to explore the history, philosophy and future of one of Australia’s most celebrated wineries.

From growing up on a small Hunter Valley vineyard to becoming only the second chief winemaker in Brokenwood’s history, Stuart shares the lessons learned from legends like Iain Riggs and PJ Charteris, the pressure and privilege of making the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, and why Hunter Valley semillon remains one of Australia’s greatest gifts to the wine world.

The conversation dives deep into vineyard expression, wine evolution, vintage variation, cellar ageing, the realities of modern winemaking, and why Brokenwood sources fruit from some of Australia’s best wine regions including Beechworth, McLaren Vale and Orange.

You’ll also hear the remarkable story behind Brokenwood’s Halliday Winery of the Year win, the evolution of the Oakey Creek vineyard, and why some of Australia’s greatest wines are defined not by power, but by finesse.

Whether you're a wine lover, collector, sommelier or simply curious about how great Australian wine is made, this is a fascinating deep dive into one of the country’s benchmark producers.

Brokenwood Wines

Brokenwood on Instagram

Stuart Hordern on Instagram

Halliday Wine Companion

Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram

Anna Webster on Instagram

Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion

What to expect:

• Stuart Hordern’s journey from family vineyard to Brokenwood Chief Winemaker
• Growing up in the Hunter Valley wine region
• Working harvests in France and California
• The influence of Iain Riggs, PJ Charteris and Simon Steele
• Why Brokenwood sources fruit from multiple wine regions
• The story behind Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz
• Why Hunter Valley semillon ages so uniquely
• The philosophy behind ILR Reserve Semillon
• The impact of the 2020 bushfires on Australian wine
• How Brokenwood became Halliday Winery of the Year
• The future of Oakey Creek Vineyard and Hunter Valley Chardonnay

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country
00:25 Meet Stuart Hordern from Brokenwood
01:20 Growing up in the Hunter Valley
03:06 First vintages & cellar work
05:31 Studying winemaking in Adelaide
07:48 Returning to the Hunter Valley
09:23 What makes Hunter Valley wine unique
10:34 Joining Brokenwood
12:16 Learning from Iain Riggs & PJ Charteris
17:26 The evolution of Brokenwood
20:07 Why Brokenwood sources fruit outside the Hunter
24:01 The challenge of Australian vintages
28:36 The story of Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz
37:06 Brokenwood’s winemaking philosophy
38:56 The ILR Reserve Semillon story
43:59 Why some vintages are never released
45:10 Winning Halliday Winery of the Year
50:15 What’s next for Brokenwood

Brokenwood Wines, Stuart Hordern, Halliday Wine Companion, Hunter Valley wine, Hunter Valley Semillon, Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, ILR Semillon, Australian wine podcast, Australian winemaker interview, fine wine Australia, wine ageing, Hunter Valley Shiraz, winery of the year, Beechworth Chardonnay, Australian wine industry, single vineyard wine, premium Australian wine, Halliday winery of the year, wine collecting, Australian wine regions