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Our Story

We built Silkman around a relatively simple idea - great vineyards, room to experiment, a bit of fun, and wines that feel alive in the glass.

Yes, there have been accolades along the way - including Halliday Winemaker of the Year 2025 and four-time Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year - but at our core this has always been about energy, balance and a modern take on classic Hunter varieties.Our approach is hands-on but light-touch: thoughtful vineyard choices, considered oak and knowing when to step back. The result is wines with clarity, finesse and quiet confidence - distinctly Hunter, seen through a sharper, contemporary lens and made to stand comfortably on the world stage.

WHO WE ARE

We created Silkman in 2013 as a place where we could unapologetically make the wines we wanted to make - and drink. It began as a side project driven by passion, curiosity and a desire to explore the Hunter in our own way.Despite collecting almost every major winemaking accolade along the journey, there’s nothing showy here. Just clarity of site, thoughtful decisions and wines that feel balanced, detailed and alive. Today, Silkman has grown into one of Australia’s most celebrated small wine brands - crafting small-batch, contemporary expressions of Hunter Valley Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz that honour tradition while looking forward.

ABOUT

Shaun Silkman

Shaun grew up in amongst the Hunter wine industry, and that perspective shapes everything we do. His focus is on connecting the vineyard, the winery and the people who drink our wines - making sure Silkman remains progressive while staying grounded in the region’s heritage.Practical by nature, quietly ambitious, and driven to build something lasting - Shaun's driven to ensure Silkman is a brand that feels relevant now and will still matter decades on.

ABOUT

Liz Silkman

Liz didn’t grow up in a winemaking family - she built her path through years of commitment, curiosity and time in the vineyard. Working across some of the Hunter’s most prized sites has given her an incredible instinct for picking decisions, balance and structure that only comes with experience. The accolades tell the story. The only Hunter Valley winemaker to ever be named Halliday Winemaker of the year, and the only winemaker to have won Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year four times.Her style is precise but never heavy-handed. She guides when needed and steps back when the vineyard is speaking clearly. For Liz, it’s always about purity, texture and letting the site show through. The goal is simple: wines that are composed, expressive and unmistakably Hunter.

We make only tiny parcels of wine from the very best Hunter fruit we can get our hands on and are entirely focussed on making the absolute best wines that we can

Shaun Silkman