 From his vineyard planted at the junction of Wybong Creek and the Goulburn river, Brecht's wines would win numerous gold medals at international wine competitions in the 1870s.Brecht's success would spur some interest in the area but the same turn of the 20th century events that saw decline throughout the Hunter Valley would compound to virtually extinguish all viticulture in the Upper Hunter.It wasn't until the 1960s when Penfolds purchased land near Brecht's old Wybong estate that significant viticulture interest in the Upper Hunter re-emerged.