The Hunter Valley, NSW
Approximately two hours drive north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is situated inland in a country area surrounded by hills and fertile ground. It is most famous for its wineries, but there are other things to do and see in the region. Because it’s a short drive for us, we generally go for a day trip, usually with friends or relatives visiting from overseas or from other states. Though a word of caution, if you are planning on doing some wine tasting and don’t have a designated driver, stay overnight. The local police are known for setting up RBT units (random breath testing) on the main roads out at the end of a day. Don’t chance getting caught, or worse, don’t chance an accident.
For anyone planning a visit, you can take children as there are plenty of ‘kid friendly’ places. We generally prefer to leave ours at home, as our main purpose for visiting is wine tasting and they’d quickly get bored. Also, if you can go mid-week or a Friday it will be less busy at cellar doors so you’ll get a chance to chat with the staff & learn more about the wines. Plus accommodation will be cheaper during the week. Here are my other tips:
My favourite wineries
We tend to venture around the Pokolbin and Mount View area, though there are other wineries in other nearby areas, such as Lovedale. We have tried quite a few vineyards, including some of the well known more commercial wineries. Here are my recommendations.
Peterson House – we usually start here. We leave Sydney around 7.30 or 8am, to time our arrival at Pokolbin by 10am when the wineries start to open and it’s a decent time to start tasting. We start at Peterson House because it’s located at the entry to the wine region, one of the first wineries you pass as you turn left off Wine Country Drive into Broke Road. And they are famous for their bubbles. If I’m going to start drinking in the morning, it makes sense to me to start with a champagne breakfast (albeit without the food). They have bubbles that appeal to all palettes, from dry to sweet. If it’s not too busy (every time we go it seems to be more popular) ask them to lead you through a tasting, so you can taste them in the order they are intended. Be sure to also check out their chocolate shop on your way back to the car and buy a few items to soak up some of the alcohol before you move on to the next winery or take some back home for later.
Lakes Folly – this is a small boutique winery, only open for certain months of the year. They only produce two wines: chardonnay and cabernets; and once they run out they close their cellar door until the next season when their next batch is ready. Both sell for around $50 a bottle (at time of writing) which might sound a lot but they are well worth the price; due to being released in limited quantities they are considered collectors items. I never thought I would pay $50 for a bottle of white wine but their Chardonnay really tastes amazing. Their Cabernet is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Shiraz and also tastes exquisite. When we were visiting, another couple had come all the way from Germany to try their wines. The owner is very down to earth and friendly, we saw him cutting the grass near the driveway as we drove in & assumed he was their gardener until he ran up to the cellar door to welcome us with a big friendly smile.
Audrey Wilkinson – take a turn off McDonalds Road and drive along a dirt road and you will be forgiven for thinking you’ve taken a wrong turn. Then you come to a gate, round the corner and drive up a small hill to be greeted by a gorgeous boutique winery dating back to 1866 and surrounded by beautiful views of hills and rows of vines. Head up the steps and enter the building to their cellar door and you will be welcomed by friendly staff with a sense of humour, all very passionate about their wines. Once again I recommend you put yourself in their hands, ask them to guide you through their extensive range of white and red wines. Tastings used to be free but now they charge a small fee (unless you’re a member). It’s totally worth it. They have a great range, at reasonable prices too. There’s also a little museum downstairs which tells you the history of the winery and contains some vintage machinery and equipment.
Briar Ridge – located in the Mount View region, slightly out of Pokolbin in the lower Hunter about a 20 minute drive away, this is another little boutique winery, set amongst some bushland. We like their reds, but they have a good range of whites too. You can enjoy a tasting in their museum cellar door downstairs or with a platter of cheeses or antipasto on their deck overlooking gardens.
Petersons Wines – not far from Briar Ridge in the Mount View area, yet another gorgeous winery, situated on a small hill surrounded by vineyards and rose bushes. A lot of their wines are more upmarket and some are very expensive – their reds start at $25 but their museum range go up to $180 a bottle. If you appreciate really good reds, you must stop by here.
Tamburlaine – this winery produces tasty organic wines. If you struggle with hangovers due to E220 preservatives then this is definitely the wine for you. Our favourite is their Syrah (Shiraz).
Tyrrell’s – in a beautiful setting, this winery offers great wines but we found it a little too busy and commercialised. It’s worth visiting once, if not just to admire the gorgeous decor, outbuildings and cellar door. Unfortunately when we visited we didn’t get the same personal touch or friendly attention we received when visiting some of the other more boutique wineries, so it’s not on our ‘must visit every time’ list.
Where to eat
A lot of the wineries go over the top with their restaurants, many don’t quite hit the mark, either being too expensive, too salty or just too much for lunch. If you want a simple sandwich or a light meal, you may struggle to find one. There are only a couple of places we visited that we recommend and will return to:
Cafe Enzo – located in the Peppers Creek village, in beautiful Tuscan styled setting, the cafe has indoor seating and a popular outdoor courtyard. They are open from 9am-ish until 5pm and offer a great breakfast and lunch menu with something for everyone. Four of us went for lunch, including a fussy father in law, and we all were really impressed with their food. You can read my TripAdvisor review here.
Amanda’s on the Edge – sit out on their verandah and have a lovely Modern Australian meal overlooking the vineyards. It’s not cheap, the food is a little on the posh side, but really delicious and worth it if you want a special lunch.
Harrigans Irish Pub – It might sound strange for me to suggest an Irish pub in the middle of beautiful Australian vineyards but if you want something less fancy and feel like a beer, you can get simple bistro food here. Just near the Hunter Valley Gardens, it’s great for families or if you just want a steak sandwich, pizza or fish & chips.
Other things to do
Hunter Beer Co. – if you have beer lovers with you who are keen to try something different, I recommend stopping here. It’s located at the Potters Hotel Brewer Resort on the main road, so we stopped later in the afternoon on our way out of the wine region (note they shut at 5pm). They run a tour of their brewery at 4pm, or you can just sit in their bar and sample some beers from their range of about 10 on tap. It’s a nice way to end the day with something a little different after visiting cellar doors and wine-tasting.
Hunter Valley Gardens – if you have children with you or fancy some fresh air and a walk around some beautifully manicured gardens, sculptures and waterfalls, this is well worth stopping by, especially if the weather isn’t too hot. At certain times of the year they run special events, for instance Snowtime in July, an Easter Hunt, and a Christmas lights spectacular. There’s a lovely little shopping village next to it as well.
Smelly Cheese Shop – situated amongst a group of wineries including Tempus Two, you will find this little shop/cafe where you can do a tasting or buy something from their huge selection of local and imported cheeses, buy some gourmet deli items like olives and cured meats and check out their other goodies. You can have a coffee in their cafe or grab a cheese or antipasto platter to take away. Their ice cream is really good too!
Hot air ballooning – I have never actually done this but have often seen hot air balloons gently flying through the sky. As long as you aren’t afraid of heights and the weather is right, this would be a great activity for a special occasion. There are a couple of locations offering this in the Hunter Valley, stop in at the visitor centre for more info.
Getting around
You really need a car! While there are organised tours that will take you around the wineries in a bus, if you want to choose your own wineries and avoid the commercialised destinations, you either need to get someone in your party to volunteer as a designated driver or alternatively look up a car hire service where someone else will drive you around (obviously the latter is at a cost). There is even one car service that drives you around in style, in a vintage convertible.
Negatives
Drinking & driving is a temptation that unfortunately not everyone resists. You really need to take this seriously, the local police certainly do.
Also, some of the roads aren’t that great, especially those unsealed ones, so maybe you shouldn’t take your little hatchback or sports convertible, in case a pothole spoils your day.
Regrets
We keep saying one day we will stay for a night or two – some of the vineyards have lovely chalets for hire; The Hunter Valley vineyards are also becoming popular venues for concerts so perhaps one day we will combine a wine tasting trip and catch a concert too.