What to do in Sydney's backyard wine country!
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Hunter Valley is a famous area for its wineries and vineyards. Here, you’ll find some of Australia’s most famous wines that is exported all over the world to small family owned vineyards creating small exclusive batches.
I don’t know much about wine myself…but who doesn’t like a day trip out of the city!?
If you like wine then hunter valley is a must visit. If you don’t like wine, it’s still worth the visit for a nice countryside escape.
Let me show you the best places to go when you do go.
How to get here
Hunter Valley is a good 3 hour drive from Sydney city centre. If driving isn’t your thing then train and coach are also possible.
If you take the train, you can get off at Maitland or Morisset and get a connecting bus into Cessnock.
…though driving your own car would be the best option to get to different places once you’re there.
Hunter Valley Chocolate Factory
Location: Petersons Champagne House corner Broke & Branxton Rd Pokolbin, Corrabare NSW 2325, Australia
A small boutique store sells confectionaries. Chocolates, candy and other sweet goodies that are great as gifts to bring back.
Hunter Valley Cheese Factory
Location: 447 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Australia
Hunter Valley Cheese Factory doesn’t just make cheese. They make a whole array of goodies perfect for your charcuterie board.
Every time I come here I always have to get their balsamic vinegar. It’s perfect for salads and almost everything else!
Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Factory
Location: 2144 Broke Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320
The name pretty much says it all. A whole range of smelly cheeses available for purchase here. My lactose intolerance means I don’t buy anything from here, but its a popular place for many visitors to get their hands on some yummy cheeses you can’t find in the city easily.
Hunter Valley Gardens
Location: 2090 Broke Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320
Hunter Valley Gardens is as much a shopping area as it is a garden. You’ll find a bunch of small shops and restaurants selling a range of products dotted around this area.
Wine Tasting
There’s a lot of wineries in Hunter Valley and one day of drinking wouldn’t be enough to make a dent into all this place has to offer. However we did manage to squeeze in 3.
McGuigan Wines, Hunter Valley Address: 447 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Australia
”A celebrated Hunter Valley winery offering boutique wines including the McGuigan Cellar Select Chardonnay 2017.”
Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard, Hunter Valley Address: 750 De Beyers Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Australia
“Rated by Gourmet Traveller Wine as one of the Top 10 Cellar Doors in the country, and the only one in NSW, our Cellar Door is perched atop a foot hill of the Brokenback Mountain Ranges, and is a true must see site of the Hunter Valley.”
Hanging Tree Wines, Hunter Valley Address: 294 O’Connors Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Australia
“The Hanging Tree Wines Vineyard is perched on the most scenic ridge of Pokolbin in the sensational Hunter Valley, an easy 2 hour drive from Sydney and 40 minutes from Newcastle. Featuring a fully stocked cellar, prominent cellar door, luxury accommodation and access to a wide variety of attractions in the Hunter Valley, Hanging Tree Wines is your new home away from home.”