One of the smallest wineries in the Hunter Valley yet with a comfortable cellar door and excellent wines, Emma’s Cottage in Lovedale is a must-visit for any wine-lover. Surely, this road we’re on—the Wilderness Road—was named ironically. Cutting across Lovedale, the road shows us satisfyingly straight rows of vines, elegant wedding venues, health retreats, boutique … Read more
With its iconic bell tower overlooking vines out to the Broken Back Range, Bimbadgen is a must-visit when you’re in the Hunter Valley. Check out all the things on offer at this award-winning winery in Pokolbin. I remember so clearly the first time we were introduced to Bimbadgen. We were on a drive with Hunter … Read more
Wine-tasting and visiting winery cellar doors is a lot of fun. But what if you want to dig a bit deeper and find out more about the industry in general and the wines and the winery specifically. Here are three Hunter Valley wine-tasting experiences that give you so much more than a sip. We’ve all … Read more
A perfect mix of homely and grand, and with wines that are both approachable yet complex, John Wallace Wines and its beautiful cellar door are set to become a centre-pin of any Hunter Valley wine experience. Every time we go to the Hunter, we always seem to spot new wineries we’ve either never heard of … Read more
With more wineries and cellar doors than you can shake the proverbial at, the Hunter Valley can be bewildering when it comes to choosing a wine-tasting experience. Here are 12 of our favourites. Broad sweeping vistas, craggy mountain peaks and braided rows of vines striating the land, the Hunter Valley is a wine-lover’s dream. But … Read more
Black walls, hard steel, crystals, candles and real wrought chainmail curtains, Vamp by Lisa McGuigan is all about the detail, all about the experience and, of course, all about great wine. What do you usually expect when you go to a winery cellar door? Light timber? White walls? A few wine barrels dotted about and … Read more
One of the many beauties about the regional NSW town of Mudgee is the quantity of quality wineries it has. But which ones do the winemakers themselves like to visit? Here are 7 family-run Mudgee wineries that get the blue tick from locals. Tucked away in its own little corner of New South Wales about … Read more
Way down south in the state of Victoria, Mornington Peninsula wineries are bottling some incredible vintages. But visiting these cellar doors gives you much more of an experience than just a wine-tasting. Here are a few Mornington Peninsula wineries you must visit. Less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula feels like you’re … Read more
Reclining beneath the whispering fronds of a weeping willow amongst the lines of pinot and shiraz vines in the beautiful elevated wine region of Orange, NSW. That’s how to picnic. I have to be honest, I haven’t tried that hard to keep my fervent dislike of picnics a secret. I’ve never really liked them – … Read more
It’s all well and good making the trip to wine country and vineyards’ cellar doors, but what if you’re just too busy? This cool city cellar door in Sydney means you can stay in the city but still enjoy that winery experience and it’s seeing a change in how people experience wine. Plus, check out … Read more