A battle is brewing between wine producers and proponents of a coal seam gas project in Hunter Valley as vintners seek to stop AGL Energy from exploring and putting in gas wells through their vineyards.

On Tuesday, the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association submitted a petition from residents of New South Wales to the state's legislative assembly to halt the gas well project which would pass through Broke, Fordwich, Pokolbin, Lovedale and other defined vineyard areas.

Wine industry icon Bruce Tyrrell, who delivered the petition with 11,000 signatures, cited documented risks to the environment, tourism, vineyards and wine industries as well as the coal seam project's impact on property owners.

The group asked the lawmakers to permanently protect their lands from any future coal seam methane gas exploration or extraction and to implement the 2011 coalition policy that a triple bottom line assessment and other protection associated with current or future mining and coal seam exploration or license applications in Hunter Valley.

Although the Hunter Region is known for its wineries, it is also known for the coal industry. Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have coal mines in the area. As a result of coal mining emerging as the most important economic activity in the area, tension has heightened between coal mining and other industries due to the environmental impact of coal mine dust, water usage, water contamination and destruction of agricultural lands on other industries.