“One of the best weekends of my life” is a big call, but I reckon I’ve just come close. The first reason? I sat down to a long, sun-drenched lunch at Iron Gate Kitchen – Pokolbin’s new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant – with seven of my friends. It was the kind of lunch where delicious plates of food keep on coming, stories are flowing, you’re not entirely sure how many bottles of wine the table’s had – and you don’t really care. I love those lunches.
The second reason is spending time with said friends. And the third? We spent the weekend at Iron Gate Estate, a Spanish-style villa set on a 25-acre, award-winning winery. I don’t think MTV Cribs: Hunter Valley Edition is in the works, but if it was – this place would be on it.
I can’t overstate how beautiful this villa is. With a soft, sun-worn golden exterior, grand curved archways, terracotta tiles, a lush ultramarine pool, classic European fittings and fixtures, and gardens bursting with pretty florals, it looks like something you’d find in the Spanish countryside – and not two hours from Sydney.
With seven bedrooms sleeping up to 15 guests, four bathrooms, multiple living spaces with two fireplaces – and both indoor and outdoor entertainment areas – Iron Gate Estate is also bloody huge. It’s perfect for weekends away with friends (just like I did), but also birthday celebrations, family holidays and hen’s weekends. And the fact that you have a beaut restaurant and cellar door just a stroll down the road is the cherry (or grape) on top.
After lunch – and cocktails on the lawn at sunset – we retreated to the villa for chilled Champagne by the pool. We then made pizzas topped with sweet tomatoes, soft salty prosciutto and warm melted cheese. We danced in the kitchen and played Pick-Up Sticks around the fire. I didn’t know where my phone was. I don’t remember even thinking about it. We may have drunk more wine.
Waking up wrapped in crisp white sheets, with views of the shimmering blue pool, well-manicured lawns and twisted vines, and the smell of bacon frying beckoning me from the kitchen, I felt blissfully happy – peaceful, loved, and, in even better news, I did not have a hangover.
I already can’t wait to come back to Iron Gate Estate. And the good news is you and your friends can stay here too.
My tip: BYO pizza dough – it goes down a treat.
Find out more here.
Address: 178 Oakey Creek Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320
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