Organised by the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association, before a crowd of more than 300 at a black-tie presentation dinner at Cypress Lakes Resort at Pokolbin, the winners were:

The Scarborough family wine company won the inaugural Award for Innovation and the Cellar Door of the Year title.

Liz Riley, Ian and Merralea's daughter-in-law as well as being Scarborough's viticulturist and proprietor of the Vitibit vineyard management consultancy, was the joint winner with Scott Bartlett of Tyrrell's Wines of the Award for Excellence.

IN THE NEWS:

Merralea Scarborough, for 34 years Scarborough Wines' self-proclaimed "mother hen, chief cook, gardener, cellar door manager and so much more" was created a Hunter Valley Tourism Industry Living Legend - replicating her husband "Scarbie's" status as a Living Legend of Wine in 2013.

Iain Riggs, now retired after 42 years running the acclaimed Pokolbin-based Brokenwood operation, was made the 2021 Hunter Valley Living Legend of Wine, joining such people as Brian McGuigan, Fay McGuigan, Jay Tulloch, Bruce Tyrrell and Phil Ryan in that august group.

The Broke-based Margan wine company had dual triumphs in the awards, with its chief Andrew Margan being declared Winemaker of the Year and its winemaker Nicole Wilson named Rising Star of the Year.

In 2019 Nicole was the joint winner of the NSW Wine Industry Association-Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference competition and in 2015 Andrew was judged Hunter Viticulturalist of the Year.

The 2021 Viticulturist of the Year award was won by Steve Ferguson of Mount Pleasant Wines.

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