Australia » New South Wales » Hunter Valley | 🏛 Hunter Valley Wine Tour

Hunter Valley Wine Tasting: 3 Wineries & Gin Distillery

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/14

Duration6h 30m

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Three wineries, a gin distillery, lunch with wine, and kangaroos among the vines

You’ll taste Hunter Valley’s signature wines straight from boutique cellars, pair them with local cheese and chocolate, and enjoy a leisurely lunch overlooking vineyards. With friendly guides who know everyone by name and a comfy ride (pickup included), it’s less tour bus, more road trip with new friends—and plenty of stories along the way.

6h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Hunter Valley wine tastings and tours

Visit three boutique wineries
Guided wine tastings at each winery
Behind the scenes wine production tour
Paired wine and chocolate tastings
Wine tasting at Iron Gate Estate

The Experience

The first thing I noticed stepping out in Hunter Valley was the way the air smelled—sort of sharp and earthy, with a bit of eucalyptus if you breathed deep enough. We climbed into the Mercedes (felt a little fancy, not gonna lie), and our guide, Mark, started chatting straight away about how this is Australia’s oldest wine region. He knew everyone at the cellar doors—at the first stop, he waved to a woman behind the counter who immediately poured us Semillon and told us how her dad used to sneak grapes as a kid. I tried to swirl my glass like I’d seen in movies but mostly just managed to spill a drop on my sleeve. No one seemed to mind.

After that we got this behind-the-scenes look at the production side—huge barrels stacked like something out of a movie. The smell inside was so thick with fermenting grapes it kind of stuck in my nose for hours (not complaining). Someone asked about sustainability and Mark grinned, saying all our emissions were offset for the day trip. He seemed genuinely proud of that. Then came the cheese pairing: honestly, I never thought blue cheese and Shiraz would work together but it did—still thinking about that weirdly perfect combo.

Lunch was slow and easy—a proper sit-down meal with big windows looking out at rows of vines. I picked chicken and a glass of red; someone else went for beer instead (apparently you can swap). The table next to us was celebrating an anniversary and kept laughing every time their toddler tried to grab someone’s bread roll. After lunch we stopped at Iron Gate Estate for another round of tastings—by then I’d lost track of which wine was which but it didn’t really matter anymore.

The last stop was this distillery where we tried gin that tasted like lemon myrtle. I couldn’t pronounce half the botanicals but our host just laughed and poured another tiny sample. It felt relaxed—no pressure to buy anything or pretend you’re an expert. On the drive back through Pokolbin, Mark played some old Aussie rock songs quietly in the van while most people dozed off or just stared out at all those endless green hills.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from selected areas around Pokolbin or Cessnock if you arrange ahead, all your guided winery visits with generous tastings (including paired cheese and chocolate), an exclusive look behind the scenes at local production facilities, a relaxed gourmet lunch with drinks, plus spirits tasting at Hunter Distillery before heading back in comfort—with all vehicle emissions offset for peace of mind.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Colourful Collective Travel