However you look at it, it has been a big 25 years for First Creek.
The winery, bottling line and contract winemaking business celebrated its birthday recently and while it's huge operation these days, it wasn't always so.
"We started in 1998," owner Greg Silkman said. "It was the first vintage of the contract winemaking business and we leased the old Hungerford Hill winery off Brian McGuigan.
"We bought the current site here on McDonald's Road in 1999, built the first shed the next year for bottling, and the winery just after that."
Today First Creek are a high quality operation producing about 60,000 cases annually.
While the contract winemaking side of things has reduced to "about 13 or 14 clients" - they had 50 at one stage - it has been deliberately scaled back to accommodate their own growing wine production.
At the same time the bottling side has grown to now be responsible for about 80 per cent of the Hunter's total bottling.
"We bottle between 800,000 and 900,000 cases annually," Mr Silkman said. "This last year we've done a touch more, maybe 920,000."
If that's not enough, son Sean and his wife, chief winemaker Liz - two of the three-person winemaking team alongside Annabelle Holland - have branched out to build up their own brand, Silkman Wines with great success.
"First Creek is a continuation of my style of wine whereas Silkman is more contemporary ... the wines Sean and Liz want to make."
Just recently, the First Creek Single Vineyard Wills Hill Road 2022 chardonnay was named NSW Wine of the Year. Two years earlier Silkman won the same trophy for its 2014 Reserve semillon.
Different names, similar success. Clearly they're doing something very right.
"They do all the winemaking and just call me in to taste at the end which suits me fine," he said.
"I've had chemo twice, so it's a good thing because it has affected my ability to taste."
For all their success, First Creek is pushing ahead with new ideas.
"We started making single vineyard semillons in 2014 and we're releasing them as aged wines," Mr Silkman said. "We still have some we haven't released so that's exciting.
"We're also doing more single vineyard chardonnay, like the Wills Hill Road."
There's also a push into new varieties such as malbec, sangiovese, vermentino, fiano and gruner veltliner that show great promise.
So, let's cut to the chase - what drops does he recommend punters to try?
"Our First Creek Winemaker's Reserve 2022 chardonnay won gold at the Sydney Wine Show and is a beautiful wine.
"Our Sangiovese from Hilltops is a surprise packet ... lighter, but with lovely cherry flavours.
"And the Silkman Reserve Shiraz pinot drinks beautifully all the time. There's three good ones."
However you look at it, it's been a big 25 years.
WINE REVIEWS
SILKMAN'S TOUCH
First Creek Winemaker's Reserve
Chardonnay, 2022
$90
This is top-shelf chardonnay, which is not surprising as chief winemaker Liz Silkman is a star with this variety. It opens with white peach and stonefruit flavours, flowing to tangy citrus - grapefruit mostly, but also lime zest. There's a minerally character in there too, that is really appealing. This is barrel fermented, bringing a rounder, textural note to the finish, while the acid is fine and lingering, giving the wine backbone. Outstanding.
SOFT, JUICY DELIGHT
First Creek Limited Release
Sangiovese, 2022
$40
The fruit for this, like a number of their Mediterranean varieties, comes from the Hilltops region. Medium bodied, this is a real crowd-pleaser - soft, plump and juicy. The nose says strawberries but on the tongue it's cherries leading the charge of red berry flavours, with some cherry cola highlights. The flavours are generous and it is light and vibrant on the tongue. Easy drinking but downright tasty. A good food wine too.
HOT PICK FOR SUMMER
First Creek Limited Release
Fiano, 2023
$40
Fiano is on the up and up in the Hunter Valley - it likes warm, dry conditions and doesn't need a lot of water. Sound familiar? This has pear, white peach and melon flavours within a generous, full-bodied framework. There's some gentle spice at play and the acid lingers to give it a refreshing edge which is ideal for the hot months ahead.
