Our Story

THE WINERY 

2011 "Cellar Door of the Year" Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards

The Pepper Tree winery was founded in 1991 and has been developed as one of the show pieces of Hunter Valley Wine Country.

It is part of a quality food, wine and accommodation triumvirate comprising Peppers Convent Guesthouse, Roberts Restaurant and Pepper Tree Wines with its surrounding manicured gardens and vineyards. 

The popular boutique Cellar Door has been a regular winner in the tourism arena – complementing the Pepper Tree wine success on the show circuit.

Pepper Tree produces premium varietal wines sourced from its own vineyards in the Hunter, Orange, Coonawarra and Wrattonbully regions. 

THE WINEMAKER

2012 - Chairman of Judges - Hunter Valley Wine Show

2010  "Gourmet Traveller Wine Winemaker of the Year" – FINALIST

2009  "Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year” - Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards

Jim Chatto is a Wine Science graduate from Charles Sturt University, joining Pepper Tree Wines in the role of Chief Winemaker in 2007. Jim is the 2009 Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year.

Jim’s philosophies and techniques are reflective of a winemaker of the world having worked locally in the Hunter as well as vintages in the Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Hungary and France. 

To continue to grow, Jim moved back to the Hunter Valley where he relishes the rewards of winemaking – particularly the Hunter’s Semillon and Shiraz with their distinctive regional characteristics.

Jim is also a National Wine Show Judge and has been described by James Halliday as having a ‘remarkably acute palate’. Jim Chatto was a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar in 2002.

THE VIGNERON

In another life John Davis was a successful oil exploration geologist. In 1982 he bought his first vineyard and by 1988 his first winery.

What started out as a serious hobby gradually became his sole business focus. John has used his geological knowledge to purchase select vineyard sites in four of Australia’s premium grape growing areas – the Hunter Valley, Wrattonbully, Coonawarra and Orange.

His purchase of Pepper Tree in 2002 completed his objective of putting together his own vineyards with a compatible high quality boutique winery, where each vineyard’s terroir can be fully expressed. John’s house is situated in the middle of his Hunter Valley vineyard at Mount View.

THE AWARDS

Pepper Tree Wines is acknowledged as one of the most awarded boutique wineries in Australia amassing a show record out of all proportion to its size.

This includes the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 2001 for a Pepper Tree Cabernet Sauvignon and in 1999 the Trophy for Best Merlot Worldwide at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.

Not to be overshadowed by the reds, the 2001 Pepper Tree Wines Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is the only Australian wine ever to win The Best Sauvignon Blanc of the Year (Australia & New Zealand) in the annual Winestate Magazine awards.

This is reinforced by the five star ratings Pepper Tree Wines has received from James Halliday in his Australian Wine Companion.