- Liane Morris
Acknowledging the Past and Embracing the Future at The Still House
The history of Ben Ean goes back more than 140 years to when John McDonald gave the estate its Scottish name, meaning ‘mountain of pleasure’. When he built the tin shed that would house his distillery in 1907, little did he know that one day, in the far future, it would be home to one of the most distinguished private tasting rooms in the Hunter Valley. With a recent refurbishment, The Still House has become the most sought-after destination for VIPs and those ‘in the know’ to enjoy private dining and tasting experiences whilst soaking up the extraordinary heritage of this once humble building.
John McDonald sold his estate in 1917 to the Lindeman Family, who renamed it Lindemans Ben Ean. The distillery produced brandy spirits used in the production of fortified wines, which were once the most popular alcoholic beverages in the Australian market after beer. In 1963, the government put a hefty excise on the production of spirits that made it uneconomical to produce. By the 1980s, the old distillery was being used to house tastings, and the market had begun to focus on table wines over fortifieds.
Lindemans was caught up in the great merger of wine brands and was owned by Philip Morris in 1972, then by Penfolds in 1990. It became part of Southcorp, and by 2011, it was part of Treasury Wine Estates. Lindeman’s Ben Ean Moselle was Australia’s best-selling wine during the 1970s and was originally a blend of Hunter Semillon and Verdelho. It reached its peak in 1979 when it was estimated to hold more than 20 per cent of the Australian bottled wine market. It is widely recognised as one of the first successful Australian table wines.
During the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Lindemans was the official wine provider of the games. Southcorp invested $2 million into renovating the old tin shed, which was in disrepair, and it was officially reopened in September 1999, ready for visiting VIPs from the Olympics. It was after this that Treasury Wine Estate stopped producing wine in the Hunter, leaving Lindemans Ben Ean estate closed for some time. Until two well-known wine families stepped in to save it, that is!
Colin Peterson is the patriarch of the family that owns Peterson Wines and Savannah Estate and several restaurants. The family are also behind the well-known Peterson House, a public company that they own majority shares in, and have business interests in other wineries, including Two Rivers. In 2017, Colin could no longer ignore the sad image of Lindemans Ben Ean estate lying empty.
“It’s right on McDonald’s Road, in a prime location,” said Colin.
“I would drive past it daily, and I just felt so sad about it. It holds significant historical importance to the growth of the Hunter Valley wine industry, and I became determined to do something about it.”
Colin approached his friend and local wine industry icon Brian McGuigan with the idea to purchase the Estate together, with the intention to preserve its heritage.
Another wine family patriarch, Brian McGuigan, who holds Hunter Valley Legend status and is one of Australia’s most successful winemakers and marketers, formerly Managing Director and founder of Wyndham Estate Wine Company and McGuigan Wines, could see the potential. Together, the two negotiated a deal with Treasury Wine Estate that would not only sell them the estate but also enable them to secure the rights to sell Penfolds wines, including Grange.
“Colin and I are dedicated to maintaining and developing the Estate as a salute to some of the best-known wine producers of the last 170 years of viticulture and winemaking in the district,” said Brian.
“The property has produced extraordinary wines that have assisted in building the reputation of the Hunter Valley as one of the world’s highest-quality wine regions. The site's heritage will be protected at all costs in recognition of the great history we possess in our region.”
Central to the plans to develop the Estate, the new management team reverted back to the original name of Ben Ean in a nod to its past and stocked the cellar door with iconic wine brands including its famous families’ wines such as Petersons Wines, Savannah Estate, Lisa McGuigan Wines, Neil McGuigan Wines, Penfolds, Gunpowder Wines and Weerona Wines, with the tag – ‘from our wine families to yours’.
Returning Ben Ean to its historical past also meant revamping the previous refurbishment of the old distillery. Kevin Royan, ironically a Scotsman, was employed to renovate the old tin shed, which had lost its rustic charm to chipboard and aluminium. Along with Michael Partridge, the Ben Ean Cellar Door Manager, the two took on the five-year passion project and now want everyone to know about The Still House at Ben Ean.
“We sunk our souls into the place,” said Michael.
“We are so proud of the result. Our main focus and passion have been to keep the history alive. We wanted to return it to its former rustic self.”
“It took three months just to gut the place,” said Kevin. “All the timber, the bar, the slabs, everything was recycled and reused. We pulled it apart internally and completely rebuilt it. Externally, it has stayed the same, and people get such a shock when they enter. They think they’re walking into a tin shed and have low expectations. I love seeing the shock and subsequent awe on their faces.”
The Still House is unique. There is nothing else like it in the Hunter Valley. The old original copper brandy still sits in the corner with an historical beauty all of its own. The shelves are stocked with old Lindemans and Penfolds wines, with some dating back to the 1930s. Visitors are encouraged to look up their birth date. The wine racks that dominate the space are illuminated, and the recycled blackbutt timber table took 16 men to carry and had to be constructed on-site. The table features original plaques that show the vineyards that processed through the winery, some of which still exist today.
“When we were renovating, we found original legal documents and title deeds for Lindemans properties,” said Michael.
“We’ve got them displayed on the walls; some date back to the 1850s. It’s amazing. When people walk into the space, we keep it dark, then switch on the lights, illuminating from the top down, giving a unique perspective of the scale and creating a wonderful ambience.”
With a commercial kitchen having been built behind the building, the space is now open for private tasting and dining events that are nothing short of bucket-list experiences. There are the Meet the Maker Sunday Lunches for up to 12 people at $190 per person, private dining options that pair with wine tastings, a Penfolds Degustation with a minimum $6000 spend, a private tasting session for $50 per person or a Penfolds tasting session that includes Grange for $100 per person.
“The Meet the Maker lunches offer canapes and three courses, and it’s just like having lunch with the winemaker at the kitchen table,” said Michael.
“The winemaker talks about the wines, tells stories, and shares their food and wine philosophy. It’s a great insight into the winemaker’s personality, and it’s bloody good fun! We always say, ‘what happens in the Still House stays in the Still House’.”
Savannah Peterson, Colin’s daughter, manages Ben Ean. The estate has eighty acres of vineyards and plans for a new label called Still House Wines.
“We hope to have the wines released late this year,” said Savannah.
“We’re looking at Shiraz, Tempranillo and Semillon all from the property, as well as an Arneis, Chardonnay and Aged Semillon from the Hunter. In addition, we’ve got the Still House Wines 40-Year-Old Tawny being released.”
The fact that Ben Ean can offer tastings of Penfolds is a stroke of genius. Colin Peterson has built up one of the most extensive cellars of Penfolds back vintages in Australia as Penfolds tend not to hold back large quantities of its own back vintages.
“It was my dad’s vision to build up one of the largest cellars of Penfolds back vintage in Australia. Ben Ean is such an iconic and historical winery that it is fitting that we can provide access to iconic wines. We are able to have limited releases of Penfolds back vintages because of Dad’s foresight. They are available for tastings if we have them open at the cellar door.”
With one of the largest original cellar doors in the Hunter Valley and access to Penfolds Grange for tastings, the estate has been popular with corporate groups. If the group is larger than 12, the tastings can take place in the original winery rather than The Still House. Recently, a women’s World Cup team delegation visited for a Penfolds Grange tasting.
Ben Ean is a popular wedding venue and onsite restaurant Baumé fills the gap between pub and fine dining with a Mediterranean-inspired, family-friendly menu. There’s something to offer everyone who visits.
But if you’re looking for that exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime experience, you can’t miss The Still House and the opportunity to soak up the heritage and history of our iconic wine industry.
