Source: Hunter Valley Wine Country

Bimbadgen Estate is once again the toast of the town, having received top honours last Thursday night at the NSW Tourism Awards Gala Dinner held at the Star City’s Grand Harbour Ballroom, winning the prestigious ‘Tourism Wineries’ category.

The Tourism Wineries category is open to wineries offering a unique and outstanding tourism experience. It is not a wine award, but recognises a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of direct services to the general public. The annual 2007 NSW Tourism Awards highlight the best the state has to offer and celebrates business excellence in the tourism industry. The awards acknowledge tourism businesses that have demonstrated outstanding achievement and success during the year.

General Manager of Bimbadgen Estate, Mr. John Quirk, said the award was a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the staff at the winery in making Bimbadgen a place visitors truly want to visit, and testament to the continued success of Bimbadgen Estate, both as an integrated winery and food destination. “Bimbadgen Estate plays a significant role in attracting visitors to the Hunter Valley, which continues to be a domestic and international drawcard for wine and food enthusiasts.” said Mr. Quirk.

This is the fifth time Bimbadgen Estate has picked up this state award, after being inducted into the NSW tourism Hall of Fame in 2004 for winning this award for three consecutive years. This latest award follows on from a successful year, in which Bimbadgen Estate collected a number of major industry awards including the National Tourism win for Bimbadgen Estate in February, Region Tourism Win for both Winery and Restaurant in August, and a third consecutive win for Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant as Best Tourism Restaurant at the Newcastle/Hunter Restaurant and Catering Regional Awards.

At the 2007 ‘Royal Sydney Wine Show’, Bimbadgen picked up six medals across the range, from Bimbadgen Ridge to the premium Signature Range. The 2006 Estate Botrytis Semillon received the highest points in its class and is following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the 2004 Estate Botrytis Semillon, which was awarded an International Decanter Trophy for ‘Best Botrytis in the World under £10′, which was presented in London.

Bimbadgen Estate offers a unique experience for tourists with four distinct working areas all in one stunning location – 30-year-old vineyards; open plan, state-of-the-art winemaking facilities; award winning restaurant ESCA; a four bedroom executive homestead and a two bedroom cottage. Bimbadgen also boasts a large outdoor arena, located next to the Hunter landmark Bell Tower, a distinctive design feature of the vineyard.

Bimbadgen Estate hosts a number of esteemed musical events including the renowned “A Day On The Green” and the Bimbadgen Blues Festivals.

Bimbadgen Estate will now progress to the 2007/08 Australian Tourism Awards to be announced in Canberra in February 2008.