Hunter Valley: Horse Carriage Wine Tour & Cheese Tasting

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Duration3h

GroupUp to 42

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Horse-drawn tastings in Pokolbin’s vineyards with local flavors

You’ll ride through Pokolbin by horse-drawn carriage, stopping for wine tastings at two local vineyards before sampling cheese and chocolate at a specialty shop. With a small group and friendly guide, you’ll get time to savor each bite (and laugh at your own wine guesses). There’s space for slow moments here—just you, good company, and those rolling Hunter Valley views.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hunter Valley wine and tasting tour

Join 3-hour horse and carriage tour
Visit 3 tasting venues
Enjoy 2 wine tastings
Taste cheese and chocolate
Learn about wine making process

The Experience

There’s this gentle clop-clop sound under you before you even realize how slow the world’s gotten. I was trying to snap a photo of the vines when our driver — I think his name was Mick — handed me a chunk of hay to feed the horse (I panicked and dropped half of it, but she didn’t mind). The Hunter Valley looks different from a carriage. You notice the way the light hits the leaves, or how the breeze smells faintly like eucalyptus and something sweeter I couldn’t place.

We stopped at a winery with old barrels stacked by the door — Tamburlaine, maybe? The woman pouring our first tasting told us about organic wines and laughed when my friend tried to guess which grape was which (she was way off). Sitting there with a glass in hand, you get this feeling that time’s stretching out. I kept reaching for another piece of cheese without thinking. The private tasting felt relaxed — nobody rushing us along. There was this moment where someone said something about “notes of chocolate” and then we all just started craving actual chocolate.

The last stop was for cheese and chocolate — not sure if it was Pokolbin Village Smelly Cheese or somewhere else, but honestly? I didn’t care by then. The air inside smelled creamy and sweet all at once. We tried little cubes of brie and some dark chocolate that stuck to my teeth. Our guide told us stories about local winemakers while we snacked. On the ride back, I leaned back against the seat and watched rows of vines blur past. It’s quiet out there except for the horses’ hooves and someone giggling behind me. Still think about that view sometimes — not sure photos do it justice.

What’s included

Your day includes two guided wine tastings at local vineyards plus a stop for cheese and chocolate sampling—all while traveling between venues by horse-drawn carriage with a friendly local guide leading your group through Pokolbin’s scenery.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomeNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Hunter Valley Horses / @ the farm / HVH FARMS