Hilltops Vineyards Association has a new president with the retirement of Brian Mullany from Grove Estate in Young.

Hilltops Vineyards Association has announced James Bowman from Barwang Wines takes up the role.

Brian has congratulated James Bowman on taking on the role as President.

“James and Wendy Bowman although new to the wine industry after purchasing the Barwang Vineyard just two years ago bring enthusiasm and another lease of light to the industry in the Hilltops,” Brian said.

Brian has spent the past three and a half decades in a number of roles within the Association and looks fondly on his time, however, is very happy to leave the committee in good hands.

"After being involved for 36 years in various roles including as president, vice president and a committee member on the Hilltops Association I feel its time for some new blood on the board," Brian said.

“I attended my first meeting of the Young Vineyards association at the late Peter and Bib Robinsons property Barwang in 1988.

"Peter and Bib at that stage had just sold Barwang to the McWilliams family and it is notable that the Bowman’s now have taken on that Property.“

The Hilltops was incorporated to the group almost forty years ago and it has been a part of the community ever since.

“At that meeting in 1988 it was suggested that the name Hilltops was a more appropriate name for the Vineyards Association as the vineyards were not only located in the Young Shire but also in The Harden and Boorowa shires," Brian said.

"The name Hilltops was used as most of the Vineyards were on Hilltops mainly as a form of frost protection.”

Brian said that the 90s were a very important part of the history of vineyards not only in the Hilltops but the whole world.

“Around the year 1997 the Australian Wine Industry was doing very well and the French started adjuvating that names like Champagne, Burgundy and Claret were names relating to French wine Regions and the rest of the world should not use these names to describe or label their wines as such," he said.

"So, a worldwide Geographical Wine Committee (GIC) was set up to see if they could define areas as Geographically different from each other and then name those areas.”

The history of the vineyards in the local area is amazing and it all began with an idea to launch a vineyard in an area that was not normally known for growing grapes. The association continued to grow and flourish in the region with more and more vineyards joining the ranks of the association after it was established, setting the area up as one of the most prevalent in southern NSW.

“The Hilltops association were very lucky that two people had moved to Young and purchased what was then the Hercinia Vineyard and Winery in Prunevale, this was later purchased by Brian Freeman," Brian said.

"Pam Gillespie and Rob Provan took it under their wing to have our area registered worldwide as the 'Hilltops GIC.'

"The work they did at no cost to the association was simply unbelievable and we will be forever in their debt.”

Brian is glad that he was apart of the association that has led the way locally with drawing tourists from not only across the country but overseas and he wishes James and the committee all the best as they head into the future.

“I find it unbelievable that 20 years later the Hilltops area has become a strong known agricultural region after the three councils of Boorowa, Harden and Young amalgamated," Brian said.

"I can see agricultural tourism becoming one of the major industries in this great region and wish all the best to James as the new Hilltops President on this exciting new challenge.”