Things To Do In Hunter Valley

The Hunter is built on Semillon and Shiraz, and its cellar doors range from the historic to the boutique. Tyrrell's has poured since 1858, Audrey Wilkinson holds one of the best views in the valley, and Brokenwood is known for its Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz. Gundog Estate runs a sit-down tasting flight, and Whispering Brook over at Broke is known for small-group, personalised wine tasting. Most cellar doors now charge a small fee for tastings, usually redeemable against a purchase. A guided All-Inclusive Hunter Valley Wine Tour, bookable through Spicers Guesthouse, Spicers Vineyards Estate or The Convent, takes in a handful of cellar doors with tastings, lunch and transport arranged so no one has to nominate a driver. The Convent pairs its Stay n' Sip package with a tasting at Pepper Tree Wines next door on Halls Road, while Spicers Guesthouse can arrange a private picnic of local produce among the vines.

Guests staying at Spicers Guesthouse or Spicers Vineyards Estate are given a “Member for a Day” card at check-in, offering access to a network of participating cellar doors in the region with complimentary tastings or wine discounts. It’s a simple way to move between wineries with added value built into your stay and makes it easier to explore more of the Hunter Valley without planning each stop in advance.

Vintage runs from February to April, when the fruit comes off, and the wineries are at their busiest. Grape stomping turns up at cellar-door events through harvest, and it is as messy and good-natured as it sounds. To go a step further into the winemaking process, McCaffrey's Winemaker for the Day, booked through Spicers Vineyards Estate, hands you a morning in the cellar blending your own bottle to take home.

Cheese is the Hunter's other great export. Binnorie Dairy makes fresh curd and marinated feta worth a picnic, the Hunter Valley Cheese Factory runs a daily cheese tasting in Pokolbin (known for its rich, soft fromage), and Two Fat Blokes builds boards from a long list of local and Australian cheeses. Purple Pear Farm, a biodynamic property near Anambah, and Margan at Broke, which grows much of what its kitchen serves, round out a food-led day, along with a handful of cooking classes built on local organic produce. Hunter Belle Cheese is also a destination worth seeking out.

For a sweet tooth, the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company on Broke Road is an easy stop, with a counter of handmade chocolates and fudge and a café for a mid-tasting break.

CocoaNib, located at Keith Tulloch Winery, takes a more artisanal approach with a colourful range of chocolates in unusual flavour combinations, while Sabor Dessert Bar focuses on plated desserts and is a good midday stop, with bookings recommended on weekends.

Both Spicers properties keep bikes and e-bikes for the flat ride between Pokolbin cellar doors, with the lanes around McDonalds Road and Broke Road linking a dozen wineries within a few kilometres, so you can explore at your own pace. Guided Segway tours and horse riding tours both take in native bushland and vineyards for a different way to cover the ground.

Yengo National Park stretches west of the vineyards into sandstone country and native bushland, part of the Greater Blue Mountains. There are quiet bushwalks and walking tracks in the surrounding state forest, and wildlife is easiest to spot early in the morning or near dusk. Good for a walk in the fresh air before the cellar doors open.

Spa Anise at Spicers Vineyards Estate is the day spa most guests use, running treatments that draw on the wine country setting, including the Vino Spa Ritual. Guests of both Spicers properties can book it and use the free shuttle between the two.

The Hunter works well for families alongside wine-focused stays. Hunter Valley Wildlife Park offers close encounters with native and exotic animals, while Hunter Valley Gardens has seasonal events and open space for younger visitors. Many cellar doors are adult-focused, so mixing in dedicated family stops keeps the pace relaxed.

Hunter Valley Gardens opened in 2003 and runs to ten themed gardens across 14 hectares, from the Italian Grotto to the Story Book Garden, with eight kilometres of paths between them. Aqua Golf and a putt-putt course sit within the grounds, and the winter Christmas Lights and school-holiday events bring in families and kids.

Beyond wine, the valley has grown a small set of artisan distilleries and breweries pouring gin, vodka and craft beer, most within a short drive of Pokolbin. Pokolbin Distillery produces gin, liqueurs and vodka in small batches, while Tower Whiskey Distillery focuses on locally made spirits. Hope Estate rounds things out with a brewery known for experimental beer styles, including sour beers, alongside its concert venue and cellar door.

The drive in through Wollombi passes a heritage village of preserved old buildings, convict-era history and a couple of long-standing cafés. Further out, Baiame Cave near Milbrodale holds significant Aboriginal rock art, and the Winmark Art Gallery and Sculpture Park at Broke set contemporary works among the vines. The Hunter has grown wine since the 1820s, the country's oldest wine region, and that heritage runs through the older estates around Pokolbin.