Take a luxe weekend vacay in the Orange Region and meet the makers behind some of NSW’s best produce

How do you like your wine – red, white, orange or sparkling? Or perhaps it’s the latter served with a matching oysters and housemade vinaigrette for each tasting glass? Printhie Wines isn’t just home to a spectacular vineyard and acclaimed dining room; they keep a specially engineered oyster tank on site so that your oysters are as fresh as you can get them in inland New South Wales. Owners Emily and Ed Swift take pride in making the place its own little sustainable hub – so much so Printhie Wines received a 92 per cent score on Eco Tourism Australia’s scorecard. The menu features plenty of produce and pickled goods from Printhie’s own garden, and the wooden tasting boards are resourcefully crafted from wood found on the property. 

Say hello to the new kid on the Orange block, Canabolas Wines. Here, the ethos is all about making wine the natural way, with no intervention, no irrigation and no chemicals. The grapes that go into each ferment have been grown at an altitude of 800m, in the volcanic soil of the picturesque Mount Canabolas – Gaanha Bula – giving your drop distinctive flavours (she’s not just a pretty peak). Owner Jonathon Mattick earnt his stripes down in the Mornington Peninsula and has since brought his primo vino-making skills to Orange with a beautiful, architecturally designed cellar to boot. 

Now we’re really getting down into the nitty gritty of locals-only knowledge. You won’t find an Instagram page for Habitat Vineyard. You will find a website that’s rustic at best – and most importantly, amazing certified organic wines. If you’re looking for an experience that goes beyond the usual cellar doors, this appointment-only vineyard is for you. Owner Mark Berndt lives on the property and shows visitors around his lush permaculture garden with edible and medicinal plants and, for those that are really hands on, also conducts cooking workshops like sourdough making. He’s passionate about inspiring people with the power of nature, from the abundant microorganisms in the soil to the ones in gorgeous fermented foods like kimchi and natural wines. 

If you’re a wine nerd, you will have heard of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia – it’s a hand-curated suite of wineries across the country that specialise in experiences that take visitors beyond the cellar door. The Orange Region’s Swinging Bridge finds itself in the mix for its dainty canape and wine pairings, alongside the unorthodox #Hashtag range of drops. The latter started as an experiment to think outside of the box of their flagship Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A bright, tropical #003 here and a rich raspberry #006 there, and the range can be found all across the country. Plus, winemaker Tom Ward (who comes from a long line of farming heritage) was recently put up for Viticulturist of the Year award in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion awards. How good is that?

Craving homestyle food that’s been cooked by a nonna? The good news is you don’t need to head overseas, nor do you need to gatecrash an Italian’s kitchen. Recently refurbished and in picturesque foothills of Mt Canobolas (Gaanha Bula), Fiorini’s Ristorante Italiano has a menu full of regional Italian recipes and fresh Australian flavours. This means their offering is seasonal – so it’s anyone’s guess as to what you’ll arrive to. Some of their previous specials have been housemade basil cavatelli with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and radicchio; crisp-skinned fish of the day with a vinegary Sicilian caponata; and sorbetto served in hollowed oranges. Fun fact: the brains behind Fiorini’s are the same owners of Paddington’s homely Il Baretto. 

The beautiful thing about the Orange region is that the gems are speckled all over the place so there’s plenty of exploring to be done. Venture to the heritage-listed Millthorpe Village where you’ll find Tonic – an upscale diner experimenting with the freshest produce du jour. Think of the type of place where the menu guides you on which glass of wine to pair with your course. The only way to order here is the five-course set menu. It’s Provincially inspired with featured flavours like truffle and black garlic. We hope you like surprises – although Tonic was established in 2003 (and has won many awards since), the menu still rotates almost weekly. 

There’s oh so many wineries in the Orange Region and such little time. One of our favourite hacks for checking out the best wines in the region on a time crunch is heading to bustling daytime café-turned-funky-chic watering hole Byng St Nights. All their drops are locally sourced, and our favourite part is that you can pair all your glasses with crunchy salty snacks like Jalapeno Croquettes, maple-roasted spiced nuts and prawn twisters. Having too good a time with the crew after a glass (or three)? Stick around for some creative cocktails and crowd-pleasing share plates. With such a buzzing setting, we reckon you’ll want to make it a late one.