Retired vineyard manager Graham Doran publishes Beginner's Guide to Viticulture in the NSW Hunter Valley

The Nulkaba resident has five decades experience in the industry, including 20 years as vineyard manager at McWilliams Mount Pleasant.

Mr Doran, now eight years retired, has published a book - Beginner's Guide to Viticulture in the NSW Hunter Valley - which is designed to help those starting out or who are new to the region.

He was inspired to write the guide after noticing some vineyards "going backwards" in recent times.

"We get a lot of vineyard managers from down south who aren't familiar with the Hunter, and are trying to manage them like they're elsewhere, and it doesn't work," he said.

"I just had to do it."

During his time at Mount Pleasant Mr Doran was involved in a five-year project in which McWilliams engaged university researchers to determine what was killing off grapes in one of its vineyards and to find a cure.

The research was a success, increasing the vineyard's yield from 100 to 600 tonnes a year.

Throughout the research project, Mr Doran collated a binder full of notes and photographs that formed the foundation of his book.

Grapevine propagation and planning, maintenance, pests and disease and harvesting are among the topics in the guide.

It has been endorsed by Tyrrell's Wines managing director Bruce Tyrrell, who says it's "a great practical book that can be used by anyone interested in or involved in the wine industry... I will be giving copies to any new people who come to work in the vineyard".

The first print run was 250 copies, and Mr Doran is already working on a second edition that delves more into vine history.

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