Twenty70: Introducing our Bold New Sustainable Wines

 

Bold. Bright. Blended to perfection. The ‘wild child’ of Brokenwood has arrived as a daring new figure at the forefront of Hunter Valley wines, and it’s paving the way for a new era of retro-meets-millennial.

Introducing Twenty70, our new vegan friendly red and white wine blends that are sensational on the palate and easy on the planet. Taking inspiration from the retro 70s fever in which our original Cellar Door was born, and fusing it with the vibrancy of today’s passionate wine lovers, Twenty70 is a delicious celebration of old and new. 

This is an exciting first for Brokenwood Wines, with winemaker Kate Sturgess encouraging Twenty70 to step ‘out of bounds’ into new territory. Together with the Brokenwood team, Kate has created wines that can lead our beloved winery into a dazzling new age focused on sustainability and infused with fun.

Years in the making and brimming with passion, each sustainable wine blend has been crafted to perfection right from the budburst of Oakey Creek through to the bottle artwork’s psychedelic splash. Twenty70 cherishes tradition while championing the future. It’s the culmination of decades of excellent winemaking, bright new ideas, and a promise to the planet on which our vineyards grow.

Let us take you on the journey from inception to glass, back to the future where Twenty70 began.

The Story of Twenty70

Since Brokenwood formed in the 1970s, our passion for making great wine and having fun has been shaped by strong community values embedded in true Hunter Valley wine culture. Family is at the heart of our Cellar Door, and that’s exactly how we approached the seedlings of what is now Twenty70 - as a family.

Back to the 70s

Sitting around an oak table as old as our original Cellar Door itself, a group of ten Brokenwood team members began discussions (aided by a few glasses each of Semillon, of course) into something new. Something fresh and exciting, a new product, that could launch Brokenwood into a bold and innovative future. 

A deep dive into our brand morphed into campfire stories about the old days. As we shared tales passed down from the founding fathers of Brokenwood, recounting dress up nights and BBQs, parties devoid of mobile phones, wine sipped beside crackling fires overlooking the rolling expanse of the Hunter, we realised something bittersweet: we would never reclaim the magic of the old days.

But what if we could? What if we could turn back time and sink into those dizzying 70s nights, where friends and family danced and drank and ate into the early hours of the crisp Wine Country morning?

We knew then that this project would embrace life in the 1970s. It would spark a celebration for the old days, the best days, and revive them as honestly as we could.

An Immersive Experience

Rewind the clock and immerse yourself in a wine tasting experience that pays tribute to those before us, while giving today’s wine lovers a glimpse into the best free-spirited days at our Cellar Door. 

Step inside our exclusive 70s themed apartment right here at our Cellar Door. Transformed from the long-standing museum on the upper floors overlooking our tasting pods, this fabulous retro-chic pop-up allows guests to experience an authentic 1970s style apartment for Twenty70 tastings and mingling with friends.

Complete with vintage sofa, shag pile carpet, lava lamps and quirky Brokenwood memorabilia, you’ll feel like you’ve zoomed back in time - except, of course, for all the Instagrammable photo ops.

Free up some space on your camera roll and bring your crew to experience a wine tasting like no other. The Twenty70 Apartment is open on Fridays and Saturdays, $10pp entry.

Cheers to 2070

The second part of this groovy new project was, we realised, to be aimed at the future. Embracing a history of pure gold that also welcomed future innovations at first seemed slightly at odds.

As we thought about the larger-than-life characters who started Brokenwood, though, we realised how chuffed they would have been to hear of the young ones taking winemaking into their own hands (literally). But it wouldn’t be without challenges.

Sales and Marketing Manager Carlee Watson described the team’s grapple with branching out from our beloved Brokenwood brand to try something new: ‘Approaching this, we realised just how embedded we were, and still are, in Brokenwood,’ says Carlee. ‘Moving outside of the Brokenwood brand was something we wanted to try here, but it was uncharted waters.’

Despite the challenges, we owed it to those bright-eyed founders, the ones who went dirt-deep into their craft and never refused a good time, to create something special. A celebration of the past and a doorway to the future. A turning of the clock, back to those feverish 70s nights, and a look forwards, to bold new ideas and bright energy. 

‘We’ve been around for 50 years, and we hope to enjoy great wine and have fun for the next 50,’ says Carlee. ‘That’s what Twenty70 is all about.’ 

Central to this notion of the future was another element: our land and our vineyards. We needed to ensure that our beautiful Hunter Valley home would continue to be preserved for years to come. Sustainability was key.

Easy on the Planet

Brokenwood has always been focused on sustainability, from our on-site Chef’s Garden to our more recent commitment to plastic reduction. We therefore knew that the Twenty70 would be a vegan friendly wine, sustainably sourced and ethically made.

As a family, we see sustainability as pivotal not only to the future of winemaking, but also to the future of our planet. They’re closely intertwined. Winemaking is dependent on the earth, after all - our vines simply won’t thrive without us taking care of their home. 

Twenty70 vintages are therefore produced using only sustainable materials and practices. Both blends are vegan friendly and have been crafted in a Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Certified Winery.

From the budburst to harvest at Oakey Creek, to the recyclable labels and bottles, you’re receiving a ‘farm-to-glass’ experience that’s 100% vegan and kind to the earth. Now that’s pretty 1970s!

Sensational on the Palate

Winemaker Kate Sturgess approached the Twenty70 project with a passion and fierce determination to create something innovative. Kate’s accolades in the wine industry are extensive: she was included in the 2021 cohort of Wine Australia’s Future Leaders program and was nominated for Winemaker of the Year at last year’s Hunter Valley Legends Awards (to name a couple).

Kate’s success as a young woman in a male dominated industry has already been paving the way for the future of Brokenwood. We knew she was the best person for the job when it came to Twenty70, a fresh, bold and sustainable new product that would continue to push the boundaries.

Oakey Creek vineyard provided the first harvest for Twenty70, which we’ve recently purchased in the Brokenwood name. This wonderful site holds so much promise now and for the future of our winemaking.

‘Our first vintage as the owners of the Oakey Creek vineyard meant that we had more grapes to play with from this great site,’ Kate says. ‘These two wines are a pigeon pair representing what the Oakey Creek vineyard can do.’

White Blend

With a more developed hue from its time on skins, this crisp white blend has a perfume that jumps out of the glass and into the warm summer air. 

‘This field blend white has been made in the same style as a red wine, fermented on skins for seven days,’ Kate notes.

With fragrant notes of lemon verbena and key lime pie and a subtle lime cordial fruit profile, this is the perfect wine for chilled beach drinking with friends. Enjoy with fresh fish and chips straight from the butcher’s paper, or with your favourite cheese board selection.

Red Blend

Oakey Creek’s 2022 vintage fruit is beautifully reflected in this red’s vibrant mulberry colour. This lighter styled red means it can be easily chilled during warmer weather.

‘Some new varieties became available for us to play with as a result of the Oakey Creek vineyard purchase,’ says Kate. ‘This wine perfectly reflects that, a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Cabernet Franc.’

The blackcurrant and Kakadu plum notes on the nose prepare for crunchy Cabernet characters on the palate, and the Shiraz adds a delicious suppleness that make this perfect for drinking now. Enjoy with your favourite puttanesca or spaghetti bolognaise for a deliciously satisfying summer banquet.

Purchase Twenty70 Online Now

Well, what are you waiting for? Jump onto the Twenty70 website now to buy your bottles for summer and get involved in a new wave of Hunter Valley wine culture.

Visiting us soon? Don’t forget to share your snaps of our Twenty70 Apartment and tag #twenty70 and #brokenwoodwines for the chance to be featured on our socials. Visit @brokenwoodwines to find out more.

Want to be the first to hear about more exciting updates? Join our Twenty70 mailing list to jump the queue. Hint: there’s more on the way when it comes to Twenty70!