Hunter Valley Wine Day Trip

The Hunter Valley is the closest major wine region to Sydney and one of the oldest in Australia, with vines planted in the early nineteenth century. Its heart is the area around Pokolbin and Cessnock, about two and a half hours north of the city by road: rolling hills of vineyards backed by the Brokenback Range, with well over a hundred cellar doors, from historic family estates to small boutique producers, plus restaurants, cheese and chocolate makers, distilleries and country hotels. The region is famous above all for Semillon, a white wine that is light and citrusy when young and develops honeyed, toasty complexity with age, and for its medium-bodied Shiraz; Chardonnay and Verdelho are also widely grown. Because tastings and driving do not mix, the easiest way to visit from Sydney is a guided day tour. The tour linked here departs early in the morning from central Sydney — pickup points at Central, near Hyde Park and at Circular Quay — and returns in the evening after about twelve hours. The day includes visits to three boutique wineries with tastings, a cheese and chocolate pairing, a stop at a distillery for gin tasting, and a pizza lunch with a glass of wine, beer or cider. It is a long day, much of it on the road, but it lets you sample the region without planning, and small groups keep it sociable. Independent travellers can instead hire a car and stay overnight, using a local tour or a designated driver for the tastings. Booking ahead is wise for weekends, and the region is busiest during its concert and festival seasons.

A short guide to the wines helps you get more out of a tasting. Hunter Semillon is the region's signature and a style unlike any other: picked early, with low alcohol and no oak, it can taste almost austere when young, but after five to ten years in bottle it becomes rich and golden while staying fresh. Many cellar doors offer an aged Semillon alongside the current release, and tasting the two side by side is the best lesson in the region. Hunter Shiraz is lighter and more savoury than the big Shiraz of South Australia, with earthy notes that develop with age. Ask about museum releases and small-batch wines, which are often only sold at the cellar door. Tasting fees are common and are usually refunded with a purchase, and most wineries can ship wine home or to your hotel.

If you have more time, stay overnight. The valley has a wide range of accommodation, from country cottages to resorts and golf hotels, and the evenings among the vines are peaceful. Hunter Valley Gardens, a large display garden in Pokolbin, has a famous Christmas lights display in the warmer months. Hot-air balloon flights over the vineyards at dawn are another popular splurge. Summer can be very hot, so spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; vintage, when the grapes are picked, usually takes place in late summer, around January and February, and the cellar doors are busy and full of energy then.

Choosing between the Hunter and the Blue Mountains: if you only have time for one day trip, the Blue Mountains are the more distinctive landscape and the easier trip by public transport; the Hunter is better for food and wine lovers and for a relaxed, sociable day. Both are long days from Sydney; an overnight stay improves either one. Whichever you choose, remember sun protection and water, and do not plan anything demanding for the evening after a full day of tastings.