Hunter Valley Wineries

Fast facts

• Birthplace of the commercial wine industry in Australia
• The Hunter Valley is the most visited of Australia's wine regions
• Pokolbin is 155 km from Sydney via the F3 Freeway
  

Why go there

More than 120 cellar doors make the Hunter's seven sub-regions irresistible to the wine lover. And while age-old traditions and respect for the discipline of quality-not-quantity remain the hallmark of Hunter winemaking, a vibrant contemporary food scene has grown up around it.

Olives - the universal companion to grapes - are produced in all their manifestations from oils to tapenades, and local seafood, meats, poultry and cheeses inspire the creativity of chefs in the region.

All this is supported by an infinite choice of accommodation options, treks and tours, galleries and golf courses, rejuvenation spas and relaxation retreats.

Things to do

Take a winery tour by bike, bus, limousine or horse-drawn carriage.
Drift over the vineyards at sunrise in a colourful hot air balloon in the Pokolbin-Rothbury wine district.
Pick up some useful foodskills and pasta-making classes at Sandalyn Estate and olive oil tastings at Pukara Estate.
Learn from cheese and wine-matching sessions at Binnorie Dairy and the Hunter Valley Cheese Factory.

Don't miss

• The Hunter’s internationally-acclaimed semillon and shiraz. Two benchmark classics are McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon - Australia's winning-est wine - and the Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz.
• Lovedale, an intimate community of boutique wineries, cellar doors, bistros, galleries and friendly accommodation.
• Darren Ho's barbecue duck at Terroir; or Ben Sales' baked baby snapper with sauteed garlic prawn meat and parsnip crisps at Majors Lane Restaurant/Cafe.
• Simon Gough's great range of soft cheeses at Binnorie Dairy, including marinated fetta, labna and duetto.
  

Events

• The Hunter Harvest Festival in March and April celebrates the ancient ritual of the harvest.
• Lovedale Long Lunch in May is a legendary event - a weekend of gastronomic indulgence.
• Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair in May attracts the best of the region’s gourmet food producers, olive growers and wineries.
• Opera in the Vines in October.
• Semillon and Seafood Festival in April.