Our History
Almost 40 years as the Hunter’s home for independent wine, from the Small Winemakers Centre to Wine House today.
Established in 1987 as Small Winemakers Centre, we have been trading for over 35 years. We became Wine House Hunter Valley in 2018 but the philosophy around what we do has never changed.
Built in 1987 by Susie and David Lochhead, the original line up of brands at the Small Winemakers Centre included their own brand Verona, a winery established in 1977 near Muswellbrook. The other brands were Dawson Estate (now Capercaillie), Simon Whitlam (a collaboration between Andrew Simon and Gough Whitlam’s son Nick Whitlam, but now home to Winmark Wines) and Hordens Wybong, which later became Reynolds Yarraman.
We have been the launching point for some pretty notable Hunter Valley brands including: Thomas Wines (1997), Margan Family Wines (1997), Keith Tulloch Wines (1997) The Little Wine Company (2003), Hart & Hunter (2012), Silkman Wines (2014) and most recently Mercer Wines (2021). We have also showcased dozens of other wineries along the way and you can see our current range of winemakers here.
The first print run of the Small Winemakers Centre brochure in 1987 read: “Located in the heart of the wine growing district of Pokolbin, we offer one of the most extensive ranges of small and emerging wineries in the Hunter Valley”.
In September 2026, Wine House began an exciting new chapter under the ownership of Matthew and Kylie White, two of the region’s recognised wine names, bringing the Hunter’s biggest collection of iconic and emerging independent labels back under one roof. In 2027 Wine House Hunter Valley will celebrate 40 years.
35 years on, the line-up of winemakers has changed but the philosophy remains the same, showcasing the Hunter Valley’s best boutique winemakers!