The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is only three hours drive from Sydney and is Australia’s oldest wine region. As early as 1823 vineyards had already been planted in the Hunter Valley in the Dalwood, Gresford areas.
Innovative travel companies such as Travel Safe Bus Hire offer great Wine Tour Packages of the Hunter Valley, and are well worth contacting if you are considering a visit to the wineries of the Hunter Valley.
In this blog Sydney Connection highlights some of the premier wineries to visit when going to this marvelous wine region.
Margan
Voted Gold as Best Tourism Winery in 2015, Margan is rapidly closing in on the NSW Tourism Hall of Fame. The restaurant at Margan is also an award winning part of the estate due to its Garden to Plate Cooking School and the wonderful one acre market garden.
A great time to visit Margan is in June when the unique Margan’s 100 Metre Meal is taking place.
Scarborough on Hermitage
Scarborough is for serious wine aficionados who have a young family, so many cellar doors do not allow children but at Scarborough things are a little different.
Winemaker, Ian Scarborough is so serious about his wines he wants other people to enjoy them too. So at this particular winery he has built great outdoor activities to keep the kids entertained. Visitors are encouraged to try cheese and wine matching tastings as well.
Audrey Wilkinson
Audrey Wilkinson is one of the oldest wineries in the Hunter Valley, named after one of the Hunter Valley’s wine pioneers this winery has a five star rating.
Situated on the Brokenback ranges, stunning views are afforded as you sample the great range of wines made at this premium winery.
Mount Ashby
Situated in Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands the winery is surrounded by dairy cattle which provides the milk for some excellent local cheeses. Try the excellent Merlot with one of the great cheeses from the Bowral Produce Store next door to the winery.
Tertini Wines
Tertini wines has an award winning cellar door, and offers superb cool-climate wines with some great local produce. The pinot gris is one of the most successful of the wines made at Tertini and has a gold medal for its quality.
Close by are some other great stops including, Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Farm, Loch Farm and Joadja Ghost Town and Distillery.
Bendooley
Bendooley spend special care in producing fine wines from the vineyard’s diverse soils, included are classic varietals such as riesling, chardonnay and pinot noir.
The estate is a sprawling 80 hectares with a fantastic cellar door that evokes the laid back feeling of the estate.
These great wineries and cellar doors are some of the best in the Hunter Valley. But they are only the tip of a great wine iceberg to be explored in the Hunter Valley making your stay in Sydney an extra special occasion.