Your Hunter Valley Magazine
- Aug 15

First Hunter Winemaker to be Named Halliday Winemaker of the Year

At the Australian Wine industry’s night-of-nights this month, the Silkman family became winemaking royalty as Chief Winemaker Liz Silkman was named 2025 Halliday Winemaker of the Year, the first Hunter Valley winemaker to ever be bestowed with this title.

Greg and Jenny Silkman established First Creek in 1998 with a vision to create one of the Hunter Valley’s leading family-owned wine businesses. As the years went on and the family evolved their son Shaun armed with a Business and a Winemaking degree, joined the business to head up operations. When he married the then-emerging winemaker, Liz, she joined the family business as Chief Winemaker, taking the wines from strength to strength, and their reputation and accolades followed. Today, First Creek is one of the most awarded New South Wales wine brands, consistently recognised as a 5-Star Winemaker by Halliday every year since 2010.

In 2013, Shaun and Liz started what they affectionately call their ‘side hustle’, establishing their own wine brand, Silkman Wines, while maintaining their day jobs in the family business at First Creek and raising a young family. Silkman has become their place for creativity and the freedom to make wines and styles that they wanted to experiment with. Silkman was also Shortlisted for Best Winery by Halliday in 2025, and Liz was bestowed with arguably the most prestigious winemaking title in the country – Halliday Winemaker of the Year 2025 as well as taking the title of Semillon of the Year for her Silkman Blackberry Semillon 2023 amassing an “exceptional” 98-point score.

“We’re thrilled for Liz and that her efforts have earned her this title. She’s certainly a deserving recipient,” said Greg Silkman, Managing Director of First Creek Wines.

“Anyone that knows me will attest to the fact that I’m not one for the limelight, so I’m still in shock at being named Halliday Winemaker of the Year,” said Liz.

“While I’m humbled by the recognition, it really is a team effort at First Creek. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that 27 wines reviewed by Halliday this year scored 95 points or more. Twelve from First Creek and 15 from Silkman, and to have three wines score their ‘exceptional’ 98 points is really exciting.”