Delicious Drops: The Best Hunter Valley Wineries

In the heart of New South Wales, the Hunter Valley proudly stands as Australia’s oldest wine region, boasting a history that spans centuries. This destination beckons those searching for gourmet pleasures, celebrating exceptional grapes, boutique breweries, stylish cellar doors, sprawling vineyards, and culinary treasures.

A day tour through the award-winning region is an expedition into pleasure and indulgence, so to enhance your weekend getaway, we’ve thoughtfully curated a list of the best Hunter Valley wineries. You’re welcome!

Best Hunter Valley Wineries: Pokolbin

McGuigan Wines

With. a freshly refurbished cellar door offering tailored tasting experiences every day of the week, the team at McGuigan Wines are always happy to share the history of their vineyard, spreading over four generations and 100 years in the Hunter Valley.

Playing the perfect hosts, walk-in or make a booking for a bespoke tasting experience, from simple wine tastings of favourites and award-winning icons to personalised group tastings for groups of six or more.

C/2144 Broke Road, Pokolbin 

Pepper Tree Wines

Situated in the heart of Pokolbin, the cellar door of Pepper Tree Wines, The Vault, is designed to offer the quintessential Hunter Valley wine experience. Specialising in single vineyard wines, you can enjoy up to six wines paired with cheese and olives while enjoying the cellar’s leafy surrounds.

86 Halls Road, Pokolbin

Keith Tulloch Wine

Set on the historic Field of Mars vineyard on Hermitage Road with old vine semillon, chardonnay and shiraz planted in 1968, Keith Tulloch Wine is one of the Hunter’s most distinctive and thoughtful cellar door experiences. Sample wines from their single block and single vineyard collections alongside unique pairings with handcrafted chocolates from the onsite Cocoa Nib chocolate shop, with the tasting room overlooking the vineyards.

989 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320

Tulloch Wines

One of the Hunter’s great family dynasties, Tulloch has been crafting wines and experiences that reach beyond the bottle across four generations and 130 years. The cellar door on De Beyers Road is beautifully designed and genuinely family-friendly, with experiences ranging from a Wine and Chocolate Tasting and Mystery Wine Tasting through to the premium Hunter Heroes experience featuring local cheeses and charcuterie boards alongside the region’s most iconic varietals. The back-vintage museum collection is a serious highlight for any wine lover wanting to go deep into Hunter Valley history.

638 De Beyers Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320

Audrey Wilkinson Wines

If you’re after 360 degrees of views accompanying your next drop, pop into Audrey Wilkinson. One of the oldest vineyards in The Hunter, they offer loads of tastings from a standard $10 flight to a heritage cellar experience and even a picnic amongst the vines. Sample everything from shiraz produced from 50-year-old vines to their very drinkable light rosé. 

750 De Beyers Road, Pokolbin 

Tyrrell’s Wines

Steeped in history, Tyrrell’s provides a beautiful winery experience. Well worth the visit, this oasis-like setting offers a cellar door, relaxed winery tours, barrel tastings, and masterclasses.

Be sure to check out the winemaker’s wall for a veritable who’s who of Aussie viticulture, and to ensure you taste the best of the best, opt for a glass or two of their chardonnay. 

1838 Broke Road, Pokolbin

Usher Tinkler Wines

Set within the original Pokolbin Church, Usher Tinkler Wines’ cellar door is a welcoming space where you can match your wine or whiskey with freshly diced cured meat. Choose from their collection of reds, whites and whiskeys, while you soak up the stunning view of the Brokenback Range from outside the venue’s soaring glass panorama window.

97 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin 

Best Hunter Valley Wineries: Lovedale

Bimbadgen

If you’re only doing one full-day winery experience in the Hunter, make it Bimbadgen. Perched high on a hill in the heart of wine country, this striking winery encompasses an expansive cellar door, the award-winning Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant, a wood-fired pizzeria, an outdoor amphitheatre and onsite accommodation — all in one stunning location. The views across the Brokenback and Barrington Ranges from your tasting table are spectacular, the semillon and shiraz are excellent, and the Night Merchant Distillery inside the cellar door means you can round out the afternoon with a cocktail. Dogs are welcome at the pizzeria courtyard, and the venue also hosts A Day on the Green concerts throughout the year. A true Hunter Valley institution.

790 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320

Best Hunter Valley Wineries: Broke

Margan Wines & Restaurant

Is it a food and wine experience you’re looking for? You’d be hard-pressed to go past Margan, offering a range of limited-release wines from 100 hectares of sustainably farmed Margan vineyards.

They boast a range of casual grazing options, paired with wine flights, seven days a week. Or you can dine in their acclaimed one-hat restaurant, Friday through Sunday, where dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio. 

1238 Milbrodale Road, Broke

Talits Estate

Bringing the magic of Provence to the Hunter Valley, Talits Estate is home to a gorgeous French-inspired homestead, sitting amongst 50 acres of olive trees, vineyards, manicured gardens and a cellar door.

Only 15 minutes from Pokolbin, stop into the rustic cellar door to try the award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Merlot, or make a weekend of it and book out the luxury accommodation, complete with curated furnishings that bring Euro-chic to the Hunter Valley. 

722 Milbrodale Road, Broke 

Best Hunter Valley Wineries: Morpeth

Boydell’s Vineyard

Boydell’s Vineyard is a treasure trove for wine and food enthusiasts. Their collection of award-winning wines – from the vibrant Verdelho to the elegant chardonnay and robust Semillon and Shiraz – beautifully encapsulates the essence of the Hunter Valley.

Tucked away in the historic town of Morpeth, their cellar door is housed in a charming old slab hut, but it’s not just about the vino. Boydell’s restaurant delivers the finest cuisine with a side of rustic ambience. 

2 Green Street, Morpeth

The Best Dog-Friendly Hunter Valley Wineries

Briar Ridge Vineyard

Briar Ridge Vineyard offers an exciting wine adventure in the serene Mount View region. Guided by the skilled hand of award-winning winemaker Alex Beckett, they beautifully fuse tradition with innovation, giving birth to exceptional wines like the 2022 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Semillon and the 2022 Limited Release Albariño.

Their inviting cellar door welcomes you to sip some vino, explore their charming Wine Deck, or stay cosy indoors. 

593 Mount View Road, Mount View

Wild Ren Wines

Wild Ren Wines is a revelation. Founded by Renee Burton, a seasoned pro in the wine and tourism industry with over two decades of experience, it’s a testament to her transformation into a trailblazing creator of her own wine venture.

In the heart of Peppers Creek Village, the Wild Ren Wines tasting room offers an opportunity to savour Ren’s delectable wines. Whether you’re exploring classic Hunter Valley wine styles or daring newcomers, you’ll discover wines that capture Ren’s passion for the craft. 

1946 Broke Road, Pokolbin

Vinden Wines

It’s a new chapter at Vinden, as second-gen winemaker and viticulturist Angus Vinden takes the reigns. Where tradition and innovation collide, the estate offers some of the truest expressions of the region’s varieties in its established and offshoot labels.

With plenty to sip and see, make your way to the sun-soaked cellar door for a tasting – all their award-winning drops are handcrafted on the estate, with minimal intervention on-site, from hand-picked grapes. For those looking to spend a night amongst the vines, book a night at the stunning dog-friendly homestead with views of the Brokenback Ranges and surrounding Hunter Valley vineyards.

138 Gillards Rd, Pokolbin

Winmark Wines

For chardonnay served with a side of culture, make your way to Winmark Wines. The Chardonnay is next-level, as is the firepit which overlooks the property’s beautifully landscaped grounds, where your furry friend will have room to roam.

There’s a majestic steel sculpture perched above the vines by sculptor David Ball. Owner Karin Adcock commissioned the piece just before he won the 2017 Bondi Sculpture by the Sea.

229 Wollombi Road, Broke 

Mount Pleasant Wines

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the rolling vineyards and the Brokenback Range, Mount Pleasant Wines needs to be added to the top of your winery hitlist. 

You can book one of their four wine-tasting experiences at the cellar door, where you’ll sip your way through a wine flight made up of their signature drops. After sampling some of the region’s best wines, we can all but guarantee you won’t leave empty-handed.

401 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin

Wandin Valley Estate

Set amongst rolling vineyards and natural bushland, Wandin sets an example of a winery serving exceptional meals, created from only the finest local produce. Offering a range of tastings, and two, three, and four-course lunch options complete with wine pairings, only means one thing — a long, lazy lunch here is a must when in Lovedale.

12 Wilderness Road, Lovedale 

Krinklewood

The Hunter Valley meets the French countryside at the whimsical boutique cellar door, Krinklewood Vineyard. Set amongst a Provencal-style garden, with oversized urns and French metal garden chairs dotted about, this ivy-covered venue serves organic wines, grown and produced in a biodynamic and sustainable way.

712 Wollombi Road, Broke 

Tamburlaine Organic Wines

Located in the heart of Pokolbin, Tamburlaine is Australia’s largest producer of organic wines, with the winery itself dating back to 1966. Today, the entrance to the cellar door sets the scene, with a whimsical arch draped with grapevines leading the way. Visit for casual tastings at the bar or book a structured tasting session in one of their many private rooms.

358 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin

Did you love our list of the best Hunter Valley wineries? Explore more New South Wales magic and live like a local with our guides to Byron Bay and Port Macquarie.