For a wholesome dining and incredible wine experience
With more than 100 wine tasting bars to choose from in the Hunter Valley it can be an overwhelming task deciding where to start, and end, your wine tasting journey.
If you are, however, on the lookout for something that stands out from the rest, then here’s a tip, head to the Wine House in Pokolbin.
Located in what used to be the Small Winemakers Centre, owners Suzanne and Ian Little have made the bold move of altering their well-established business name and undertaken a complete refurb of the restaurant and wine tasting space.
Whilst the original concept of being able to taste a collective of Hunter Valley wines under the one roof hasn’t changed, and that incredible selection of premium wines housed within the enomatic machines hasn’t gone anywhere, for some reason it doesn’t feel like too much of the old space remains.
The dark contemporary shades, award-winning local and international wine labels, décor edits and nourishing new menu all blend perfectly to create a fresh new dining and tasting experience.
The concept of Wine House is unique to the Hunter Valley with Suzanne explaining,
“What we wanted for this venue ultimately was a really welcoming and relaxed experience, where you can easily stay for the afternoon, do a bit of tasting, or just gaze at the lake with a glass of wine.”
“Wine House is ideal for a light lunch or some afternoon grazing, especially if you are heading out for a special dinner."
“Our chef, Ros is incredible; when we were planning the menu what Ros proposed was absolutely spot on with what we had in mind for the space. Relaxed, delicious, nourishing food that just tastes really good."
“The menu consists mostly of share plates which we feel is a really lovely way to eat, and combine that with some fabulous wines, and you have yourself the perfect afternoon.”
There’s a lot to take in at Wine House so to get the most out of your visit we recommend you follow a similar path to us which goes something like this…
On arrival at the Wine House front door take a right turn into the tasting bar where you’ll find Hunter Valley labels such as Andrew Thomas, David Hook, Silkman, Hart & Hunter and The Little Wine Company (Suzanne and Ian’s own label). Take a seat and become acquainted with the nearly 40 wines on offer with the help of their friendly staff.
From the tasting bar to the wine lounge, it’s time to get comfy and sample some of the Hunter Valley’s best vintages and even some surprise international labels from the enomatic pourer.
When you start to feel a little peckish the themed flight of wines and beautifully matched culinary pairings from the kitchen is the perfect way to ease those hunger pains.
If your afternoon is wide open why not grab a bottle of your favourite wine, select yourself some share plates and head out onto the patio, then sit back, relax and let the Wine House team do the rest for you.