Our guide to unique wine experiences in the Hunter Valley

While visitors to the Hunter Valley are spoiled for choice when it comes to wine tasting opportunities, sometimes the sheer number of cellar doors can be overwhelming. How do you distinguish one wine tasting from the next?

To help you out, we’ve created a guide to wine tasting experiences in the Hunter Valley that are a little out of the ordinary, so you can change it up on your next trip to wine country.

Audrey Wilkinson

Make the most of a morning in the Hunter Valley with Audrey Wilkinson's Sparkling Brunch in the Vines. Take in the views while you tuck into a shared brunch board, and taste four of the winery's sparkling wines, before taking home a bottle to share between two.
Cost: $80pp
Where: 750 De Beyers Rd, Pokolbin

Ben Ean

Penfolds Grange is Australia’s most revered wine, and the opportunity to taste it doesn’t come along all too often. Unless you head to Ben Ean, the only cellar door in New South Wales to offer a Grange tasting.
Cost: $65pp
Where: 119 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin

Gartelmann Wines

Combine a tasting with a wine blending masterclass at Gartelmann Wines in Lovedale. You can choose between a white blend (chardonnay, semillon, and verdelho) or red blend (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and petit verdot) masterclass. Follow up your newfound expertise with a tasting of Gartelmann wines.
Cost: $35pp
Where: 701 Lovedale Rd, Lovedale

Hungerford Hill

Hungerford Hill shares a building with Muse Restaurant, and the winery has made the most of this relationship by offering two unique offerings; the Epic Tasting Experience and The Hungerford Lunch.
Cost: From $60pp
Where: 2450 Broke Rd, Pokolbin

Margan

Margan is known for its estate-grown, estate-made philosophy, which applies to its wines, right through the food cooked in the restaurant, nearly all of which is grown onsite. So, a visit to Margan is best when it is all-encompassing – try the Grape, Garden & Graze Experience which takes you on a tour of the huge kitchen garden and the winery, where you’ll get to try not-yet-released wines straight from the barrel.
Cost: $85pp
Where: 1238 Milbrodale Rd, Broke

Mount Pleasant

After undergoing a significant renovation in 2022, Mount Pleasant offers one of the most elevated cellar door experiences in the Hunter Valley. Take things up a notch with the Significant Sites tasting, which showcases three historic red vineyards, paired with an artisanal cheese board, olives, nuts, and crackers.
Cost: From $70pp
Where: 401 Marrowbone Rd, Pokolbin

Peterson House

Don’t get us wrong – we love a good cheese platter or chocolate selection with our wine tasting. Want to swap out the usual cheese or chocolate at your next wine tasting? For something a bit different, try the gelato and sparkling wine tasting at Peterson House, available seven days a week.
Cost: $35pp
Where: 2457 Broke Rd, Pokolbin

Pokolbin Estate Vineyard

Looking for something truly unique when visiting the Hunter Valley? Look no further than Pokolbin Estate Vineyard’s Puff & Pour tasting experience. Enjoy five in-house handcrafted puff pastries paired with five premium wines.
Where: 298 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin 

Saltire Estate

Are you craving a cocktail after tasting all that wine in the Hunter Valley? At Saltire Estate, you can switch things up. The team at Saltire have concocted four cocktails featuring Saltire Estate wines and spirits from all over, and they’ll show you how to get your cocktail blend just right before you taste.
Cost: $25pp
Where: 113 Wilderness Rd, Lovedale

Savannah Estate

In a stroke of genius, Savannah Estate has paired its wines (including emblematic Hunter Valley varietals like shiraz) with housemade pies by pastry chef Steve Bampton, which also feature the estate’s wines.
Cost: $55 pp (non members) $45 pp (members)
Where: 312 Mount View Rd, Mount View

Tulloch Wines

If you’ve got a competitive streak or you love a bit of a challenge, Tulloch Wines’ Mystery Wine Tasting Experience is for you. Rather than have each wine explained to you in detail like usual, you’ll get all the clues you need to work out which delicious Tulloch wines you’re tasting.
Cost: $53pp
Where: 638 De Beyers Rd, Pokolbin

Tyrrell’s

Tyrrell’s is not only one of the oldest wineries in the Hunter Valley, but in Australia, and is home to some of the most awarded wines in the country. Its Sacred Sites range is made only from dry-grown vines that are more than 100 years old and on their own roots, and the Sacred Sites Experience is your opportunity to taste these exceptional, rare wines.
Cost: $475pp
Where: 1838 Broke Rd, Pokolbin

Wine House Hunter Valley

Take the Hunter Unearthed tasting experience and discover the best range of Hunter Valley winemakers, styles and varieties with a guided tasting at our Tasting Bar. Cost: $15pp (Free for Members + 3 guests).
For something a little more extra special, take the Icon Wine Journey, a self guided journey through an amazing range of top tier wines from some of the best Hunter winemakers. Cost: $30pp (Free for Members + 1 guest) 
Where: 426 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin

Do you think we’ve missed somewhere? Email us!