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Delicious Drops: The Best Hunter Valley Wineries
From cellar doors to long lunch destinations, these are the best Hunter Valley wineries to add to your weekend hit list.
In the heart of New South Wales, the Hunter Valley proudly stands as Australia’s oldest wine region, boasting a history that spans centuries. Some of the best Hunter Valley wineries include Tyrrell’s in Pokolbin for heritage chardonnay and barrel tastings, Bimbadgen for a hilltop cellar door, restaurant and pizzeria in one, and Margan in Broke for limited-release wines and a one-hat lunch.
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!
Editor’s Pick: Wine House Hunter Valley
Wine tasting in the Hunter without the endless winery hopping? We’re listening. Newly taken over by local wine industry duo Matthew and Kylie White, Wine House Hunter Valley brings dozens of independent Hunter producers together under one roof, from cult names like Silkman and Brokenwood to smaller labels without cellar doors of their own. With over 35 wines by the glass and over 100 by the bottle, it’s basically the shortcut to tasting your way around the Valley. There’s also food, coffee and a big lawn so it’s a pretty great place to park up and enjoy yourself for the day!
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Group dining, Outdoor dining, Weekend plans
Best Hunter Valley Wineries for a Long Lunch
Bimbadgen
If you’re only doing one full-day winery experience in the Hunter, make it Bimbadgen. Perched high on a hill in the heart of wine country, this striking winery encompasses an expansive cellar door, the award-winning Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant, a wood-fired pizzeria, an outdoor amphitheatre and onsite accommodation — all in one stunning location. The views across the Brokenback and Barrington Ranges from your tasting table are spectacular, the semillon and shiraz are excellent, and the Night Merchant Distillery inside the cellar door means you can round out the afternoon with a cocktail. Dogs are welcome at the pizzeria courtyard, and the venue also hosts A Day on the Green concerts throughout the year. A true Hunter Valley institution.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Long lunch, Dog-friendly, Group dining, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Dogs welcome in the pizzeria courtyard.
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.
Suburb: Broke
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Long lunch, Special occasion, Dog-friendly, Wine lovers
Need To Know: Restaurant open Friday to Sunday, with grazing and wine flights seven days a week. Dogs welcome on the outdoor patio.
Boydell’s Vineyard
Boydell’s Vineyard is a treasure trove for wine and food enthusiasts. Their collection of award-winning wines – from the vibrant Verdelho to the elegant chardonnay and robust Semillon and Shiraz – beautifully encapsulates the essence of the Hunter Valley.
Tucked away in the historic town of Morpeth, their cellar door is housed in a charming old slab hut, but it’s not just about the vino. Boydell’s restaurant delivers the finest cuisine with a side of rustic ambience.
Suburb: Morpeth
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Long lunch, Wine lovers, Weekend plans
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.
Suburb: Lovedale
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Long lunch, Wine lovers, Group dining
Need To Know: Two, three and four-course lunch options available with wine pairings.
Best Historic Hunter Valley Wineries and Family Estates
McGuigan Wines
With. a freshly refurbished cellar door offering tailored tasting experiences every day of the week, the team at McGuigan Wines are always happy to share the history of their vineyard, spreading over four generations and 100 years in the Hunter Valley.
Playing the perfect hosts, walk-in or make a booking for a bespoke tasting experience, from simple wine tastings of favourites and award-winning icons to personalised group tastings for groups of six or more.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Group dining, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Open every day. Walk-ins welcome or book ahead, with personalised tastings available for groups of six or more.
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.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Special occasion
Audrey Wilkinson Wines
If you’re after 360 degrees of views accompanying your next drop, pop into Audrey Wilkinson. One of the oldest vineyards in The Hunter, they offer loads of tastings from a standard $10 flight to a heritage cellar experience and even a picnic amongst the vines. Sample everything from shiraz produced from 50-year-old vines to their very drinkable light rosé.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Outdoor dining, Weekend plans
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.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Special occasion, Weekend plans
Keith Tulloch Wine
Set on the historic Field of Mars vineyard on Hermitage Road with old vine semillon, chardonnay and shiraz planted in 1968, Keith Tulloch Wine is one of the Hunter’s most distinctive and thoughtful cellar door experiences. Sample wines from their single block and single vineyard collections alongside unique pairings with handcrafted chocolates from the onsite Cocoa Nib chocolate shop, with the tasting room overlooking the vineyards.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Families, Group dining
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.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Group dining, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Four bookable tasting experiences available at the cellar door.
Best Hunter Valley Cellar Doors for Food and Wine Pairings
Pepper Tree Wines
Situated in the heart of Pokolbin, the cellar door of Pepper Tree Wines, The Vault, is designed to offer the quintessential Hunter Valley wine experience. Specialising in single vineyard wines, you can enjoy up to six wines paired with cheese and olives while enjoying the cellar’s leafy surrounds.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Tastings include up to six wines paired with cheese and olives.
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.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar, Charcuterie
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Group dining
Best Hunter Valley Wineries with Accommodation
Talits Estate
Bringing the magic of Provence to the Hunter Valley, Talits Estate is home to a gorgeous French-inspired homestead, sitting amongst 50 acres of olive trees, vineyards, manicured gardens and a cellar door.
Only 15 minutes from Pokolbin, stop into the rustic cellar door to try the award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Merlot, or make a weekend of it and book out the luxury accommodation, complete with curated furnishings that bring Euro-chic to the Hunter Valley.
Suburb: Broke
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Luxury accommodation available on the estate.
Best Organic and Boutique 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.
Suburb: Mount View
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Outdoor dining, Weekend plans
Wild Ren Wines
Wild Ren Wines is a revelation. Founded by Renee Burton, a seasoned pro in the wine and tourism industry with over two decades of experience, it’s a testament to her transformation into a trailblazing creator of her own wine venture.
In the heart of Peppers Creek Village, the Wild Ren Wines tasting room offers an opportunity to savour Ren’s delectable wines. Whether you’re exploring classic Hunter Valley wine styles or daring newcomers, you’ll discover wines that capture Ren’s passion for the craft.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals, Weekend plans
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.
Suburb: Broke
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Outdoor dining, Date night
Tamburlaine Organic Wines
Located in the heart of Pokolbin, Tamburlaine is Australia’s largest producer of organic wines, with the winery itself dating back to 1966. Today, the entrance to the cellar door sets the scene, with a whimsical arch draped with grapevines leading the way. Visit for casual tastings at the bar or book a structured tasting session in one of their many private rooms.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Group dining, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Casual tastings at the bar, or book a structured tasting in a private room.
Best Dog-Friendly Hunter Valley Wineries
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.
Suburb: Pokolbin
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Dog-friendly, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Dog-friendly homestead accommodation available on the estate.
Winmark Wines
For chardonnay served with a side of culture, make your way to Winmark Wines. The Chardonnay is next-level, as is the firepit which overlooks the property’s beautifully landscaped grounds, where your furry friend will have room to roam.
There’s a majestic steel sculpture perched above the vines by sculptor David Ball. Owner Karin Adcock commissioned the piece just before he won the 2017 Bondi Sculpture by the Sea.
Suburb: Broke
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Dog-friendly, Outdoor dining
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Hunter Valley Wineries
There is no single best winery in the Hunter Valley, but Bimbadgen in Pokolbin is the strongest choice for a full day out, combining an expansive cellar door, the award-winning Esca Bimbadgen restaurant, a wood-fired pizzeria and views across the Brokenback and Barrington Ranges. Tyrrell’s Wines suits visitors interested in the region’s history and its chardonnay, with barrel tastings and masterclasses available. For tasting across many producers in one stop, Wine House Hunter Valley pours more than 35 wines by the glass from independent Hunter labels, including Silkman and Brokenwood.
Several Hunter Valley wineries welcome dogs, though policies usually cover outdoor areas only. At Margan Wines & Restaurant in Broke, dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio of the restaurant, which opens Friday to Sunday. Bimbadgen in Pokolbin allows dogs in its pizzeria courtyard, and Winmark Wines in Broke has landscaped grounds and a firepit area where dogs have room to roam. Vinden Wines in Pokolbin offers a dog-friendly homestead for overnight stays among the vines. Confirm current pet policies with each cellar door before visiting, as rules can change.
Booking ahead is recommended for Hunter Valley wine tastings, particularly for weekends and groups. McGuigan Wines in Pokolbin accepts walk-ins but also offers bookable bespoke tastings, including personalised sessions for groups of six or more. Mount Pleasant Wines runs four bookable tasting experiences at its cellar door, and Tamburlaine Organic Wines offers structured tastings in private rooms alongside casual tastings at the bar. Restaurant experiences such as Margan’s one-hat dining room also need reservations. If you are planning a multi-stop day, booking each cellar door in advance makes the schedule easier to keep.
Several of the Hunter Valley’s best wineries have restaurants on site, making it easy to pair a tasting with a long lunch. Margan Wines & Restaurant in Broke runs an acclaimed one-hat restaurant from Friday to Sunday, alongside casual grazing options and wine flights seven days a week. Bimbadgen in Pokolbin is home to Esca Bimbadgen and a wood-fired pizzeria, while Boydell’s Vineyard in Morpeth pairs its slab-hut cellar door with a restaurant. Wandin Valley Estate in Lovedale offers two, three and four-course lunches with wine pairings built around local produce.
Wine tasting prices in the Hunter Valley vary by cellar door and by the type of experience booked. Standard flights start from $10 at Audrey Wilkinson Wines in Pokolbin, while premium sessions cost more, such as Audrey Wilkinson’s heritage cellar experience or the Hunter Heroes tasting at Tulloch Wines, which includes local cheeses and charcuterie. Some cellar doors build food into the tasting, including Pepper Tree Wines, where up to six wines come paired with cheese and olives. Check each winery’s website for current pricing, as tasting fees are updated regularly.
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.
