I had been steered towards the Mudgee winery by my predecessor, Nick Hartgerink, who wrote the Mercury's wine column before handing it on to yours truly. Nick had been invited to Huntington Estate by the Roberts family and was spot on about the quality of the wines being turned out.

Huntington was established in 1969 by Sydney lawyer Bob Roberts, who helped pioneer the Mudgee region and planted Australia's first merlot vines.

Roberts, and in later years his prodigiously talented winemaker-daughter Susie, produced some very schmick wines including thumping good reds that earned quite a following among wine drinkers and live on in many cellars around the nation.

When Roberts sold the winery to his next-door neighbour, Tim Stevens of Abercorn, in 2006, he had given almost 40 years of his life to the Mudgee region. So it was fitting that Roberts was recently announced as the winner of the inaugural Mudgee Heroes and Icons award.

At a special awards dinner, Roberts was presented with a trophy designed by sculptor Nigel White and jeweller Sabine Van Gent.

Not only did it honour Roberts' winemaking achievements but his community service, which included the establishment of the annual Huntington Music Festival.