When you think of classic Hunter Valley wine, chances are a few varieties come to mind. Semillon, shiraz, and chardonnay are pretty emblematic of the region’s best known grape varieties, even with lots of innovation in the wine industry in recent years.

It’s these three varieties that Wombat Crossing Vineyard grows and makes into its single vineyard wines, and has done for nearly 30 years. With over 130 medals and trophies awarded for its wines, the results speak for themselves.

“We are single vineyard – we only use what we grow here on the property, and we’ve got four hectares under vine. We’re one of the smallest in the Hunter Valley. We don’t retail at all. People that come here can see where the grapes come from when they taste the wine,” Simon Brooker, Wombat Crossing Vineyard’s cellar door manager, said.

“The vines are of an age – two of them nearly 30 years old now – where the quality is just getting better and better.”

The reason Wombat Crossing Vineyard makes such standout takes on traditional Hunter Valley varietals? The wines aren’t released until the team thinks they’re ready to drink.

“We don’t have a business policy of picking the grapes, making the wine, bottling it, and selling it straight away. For example, our current Semillon vintage is 2016. Our current chardonnay vintage we’re selling is 2015.”

This approach means that although a vintage is created each year, the wine can sit in Wombat Crossing Vineyard’s temperature-controlled cellar to age until it’s ready to drink.

How do the team know the wine is ready? Well, one of the requirements of the job is to taste how the wines are going on a regular basis – sounds like a pretty good day in the office to us.

Wombat Crossing’s cellar door makes for a lovely spot to enjoy its premium wines. With views of the vineyard and the Barrington Tops in the distance, beautiful gardens, and a relaxed, personalised tasting experience, it’s very easy to while away an afternoon with a glass of wine in hand.

A tasting at Wombat Crossing is just $10 per person, and 50% of each tasting fee goes to Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue & Hospital, a locally-run organisation helping to rehabilitate and release wombats. After all, the vineyard is named after the property’s resident wombats, so the team are passionate about doing what they can to support this important local charity.

As for what you can expect at a tasting, Wombat Crossing likes to showcase its current releases of cellar door-exclusive wines. From rosé made from the vineyard’s shiraz grapes, to chardonnay both classic and sparkling, the seven wine tasting experience is a great way to sample what Wombat Crossing has to offer, and maybe even find your new favourite drop. Plus, there’s even a popcorn palate cleanser between wines, in case you needed any more enticing.

If you’re planning your next trip to wine country, put Wombat Crossing Vineyard on your hit list. 

“We make wine that people like to drink, which is what it’s all about.”