Where to drink, eat and stay in the Hunter Valley

Everyone who visits the Hunter Valley should enjoy a full day of wine tasting. The Hunter’s big four are their: semillon (which is crisp and citrusy in its youth and honeys with age); a peachy chardonnay; lively verdelho; and a medium-bodied, savoury shiraz.

And while it’s true you could spend weeks adventuring around the hills knocking on cellar doors, we know not everyone’s got time for that. So, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite spots to check out. Come thirsty, book a group tour (we went with Grape to Glass wine tours and they were ace) and get ready to drink some seriously good vino. 

Housed in the original Pokolbin Church that was built in 1905, Usher Tinkler Wines is a picture-perfect place to stop for a tasting. We love the glass back wall, which allows sunshine to pour through while showing off the lush countryside in all its glory. Tinkler’s wines are funky, interesting and blur the lines between traditional and contemporary winemaking, like the 2022 Death By Semillon drop. The team also does a banging salumi and cheese platter, too.

Stop by Mount Pleasant to sip award-winning shiraz by highly regarded winemaker Adrian Sparks overlooking lavender and vines. The historic winery has recently undergone a luxe refurbishment, and now boasts eclectic art and colourful furnishings.

First Creek Wines bottles 80 per cent of the Hunter’s vinos, but that doesn’t mean this big operation has lost its charm and soul, with their winemaker Liz Silkman as good as it gets. Our top pick: First Creek’s bright and delicious chardonnay. Their cellar door is open seven days a week. 

And while Brokenwood Wines doesn’t have as much character as some of the wineries we’ve checked out, we can tell you their drops go down a treat.

If you're looking for a first-class cellar door experience, Thomas Wines is our pick. Winemarker Andrew Thomas produces some of the finest drops in the region.

Your next port of call is Pepper Tree Wines. This cellar door is positioned on a lush estate, which has spectacular accommodation within spitting distance and some superb food on offer at the nearby Circa 1876. If you have a particularly keen interest in wine science, or want to test the tasting skills you’ve learnt so far, book in for the winery’s Vault Experience. The extremely knowledgeable yet laid-back staff will take you on a private tasting journey of the boutique winery’s premium labels, while providing some history about their three decades in the business and the master vigneron behind it all, John Davis.

Are you done with all the tannins and creamy chardonnays? Cleanse your palate with a craft beer at Hope Estate. These guys are relatively new to the Hunter, but they’re smashing stereotypes and producing some solid craft beers in addition to their wine range. There’s always 12 brews on tap, rotated around 20 core range and seasonal beers – the mango sour is a shining light among this brew family. Since they’re already adhering to the unusual, these guys have also set up a massive stage that brings music and festival action to the valley.