Hunter Valley Wine Tour: 3 Wineries & Lunch from Sydney
Your chef selects the seafood, cooks the breakfast, pairs the wines, and drives the van.
A chef-led Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney includes pickup from seven city locations, a tour of Sydney Fish Market, breakfast by the Hawkesbury River, and visits to three boutique wineries where the chef prepares modern Australian dishes paired with wines on site. The same person (your guide, driver and chef) runs the entire day, which lasts around 11 to 12 hours and includes all food, wine tastings, and return transport to your starting point.
Step-by-step itinerary
Chef-led food and wine tour
- Pickup from city locations
- Visit Sydney Fish Market
- Breakfast at Hawkesbury River
- Drive to Hunter Valley wine country
- Visit three boutique wineries
- Chef prepares paired dishes
- Stop at local produce store
- Return to Sydney via Harbour Bridge
- Drop off at pickup locations
- Sydney Fish Market 45m
- Hawkesbury River 3h
What’s included
- Pickup from one of seven Sydney locations and return drop-off.
- breakfast cooked by the chef at Hawkesbury River.
- entry and a guided tour of Sydney Fish Market.
- tastings at three boutique Hunter Valley wineries.
- a multi-course lunch prepared on site and paired with wines.
- snacks and bottled water throughout the day.
- an air-conditioned vehicle and the chef's commentary on landmarks, vineyards and local produce.
Times
- Monday and Wednesday No fixed time
Before you book
Operated by Gourmet Getaway Tours
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The experience
Most wine tours hand you off between a driver and a guide. This one doesn't. Jimmy (the chef, driver and guide) picks you up from one of seven Sydney locations and runs the whole day himself. On the two-hour drive north, he points out landmarks and landmarks and keeps the van stocked with water. The first stop is Sydney Fish Market, the world's third-largest, where he walks you through the famous seafood auction, explains how to pick and cook the local specialties, and selects the fish for lunch. It's a working market, not a museum, so you see how the place actually moves.
The drive breaks at Hawkesbury River, where the chef cooks breakfast: a proper meal designed to settle your stomach before the wine tastings ahead. The river is famous for Sydney Rock oysters, Pacific oysters and the Hawkesbury River prawns, and he'll talk through what makes them different as you eat. From here, the road climbs into wine country. Watch for Eastern Grey Kangaroos among the vineyards. They're common enough that the itinerary names them as something you're likely to see.
You visit three boutique wineries. At the second one, the chef opens his mobile kitchen and starts cooking. The menu changes with the season and what he found at the market that morning, but it centers on Australian ingredients: barramundi with Semillon, kangaroo with Shiraz, a dessert wine to close. Each dish is timed to pair with the wine you're tasting at that winery, so the tasting becomes a meal. By the third winery, you're sitting down to the long lunch. The Hunter Valley is also known for olive oils, chutneys and chili sauces. If time allows, you'll stop at a local producer to taste those too. On the drive back to Sydney, the chef points out restaurants and landmarks as you cross the Harbour Bridge, then drops you at your original pickup point.
Is this one for you?The 11- to 12-hour day fills most of a single calendar day, so book this if you have a full day free and want food and wine to be the focus rather than one stop among several. The chef handles all the driving and cooking, which means you're never navigating or worrying about logistics. Just moving from one place to the next and eating what he's prepared.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 15 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.
What's the Sydney Fish Market like, and what will we actually do there?
Sydney Fish Market is the world's third-largest fish market and a working auction space, not a tourist display. Your chef will walk you through the auction, explain how to select and cook the local seafood, and pick the fish for your lunch that day.
How does the chef prepare lunch if we're visiting three different wineries?
The chef carries a mobile kitchen on the van. At the second winery, he opens it and cooks dishes designed to pair with the wines you're tasting at each stop, so the tasting becomes a meal rather than a quick sample.
Will we actually see kangaroos in the vineyards?
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are common in the Hunter Valley vineyards, so there's a strong chance of spotting them as you drive through wine country. The itinerary names them as wildlife you're likely to encounter.
How long is the drive from Sydney to Hunter Valley, and what happens along the way?
The drive north takes around two hours. The chef breaks it up with a stop at Hawkesbury River, where he cooks a hearty breakfast and talks through the local oysters and prawns the river is famous for.
What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?
The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off from seven Sydney locations, all meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks), wine tastings at three wineries, bottled water, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Dress smart casual and bring a light layer for the drive. The tour runs in all weather.
Hunter Valley Wine Tour: 3 Wineries & Lunch from Sydney
11h–12h · EN
from AU$ 277 per person
≈ US$ 197 in your currency
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