Brokenwood Wines general manager Geoff Krieger said while it’s early days, this season is shaping up to be a high-quality vintage.

“It looks absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“It’s two weeks later than last year but it’s a really even fruit set.

“There’s lots of moisture in the soil, about nine inches of growth and no disease pressure.

“There’s a long, long way to go, but everything looks terrific.”

Mr Krieger said Hunter winemakers will have their fingers crossed for ideal conditions in the months leading up to the harvest (which usually falls mid-January).

“Like in 2014, we would want a long dry summer with nice warm days and not a lot of humidity,” he said.

“The last couple of years have not been kind to us – too much rain and humidity, too much disease pressure.

“But we’re eternal optimists – with every spring comes renewed hope for a bumper, high-quality crop.”