Kirkton Estate

If the Hunter Valley had a viticultural family tree, Kirkton Estate would be part of its root structure, which intertwines with some of the most important names of the greater Australian wine industry. The story begins with John Busby who sailed for Sydney from England on board The Triton in 1823, with his wife, Sarah, and son, James. While John would on go to establish the first vineyard in the Hunter Valley at an estate named after his Scottish birthplace, Kirkton, James Busby would go on to publish, “A Treatise on the Culture of the Vine and the Art of Making Wine’ in 1825 after gaining experience in Spain and France, which ultimately earned him the unofficial title of “Father of the Australian Wine Industry”. Kirkton Estate grew to include a 40-acre vineyard, with 365 different varieties of vines planted and the first positively identified Chardonnay in Australia.  Given that Busby’s travels led him to New Zealand with his wife Agnes, Kirkton was managed by his parents, John and Sarah, and ultimately James’ sister, Katherine Kelman inherited the property. It was then one of Katherine’s children, James, who married Mathilda of the Lindemans, and Kirkton became part of the legendary property in 1914. Intertwined with the story of the Hunter Valley, the Kirkton Estate wines are a benchmark for the classical Hunter Valley varietals: Semillon and Shiraz.