Eat like a Queen in the Hunter Valley
Sleep, eat and drink like a King in The Hunter Valley
Ah, The Hunter Valley is there a more romantic place in New South Wales? We don’t think so.
The Hunter Valley features 5-star rated wineries, hatted restaurants, picturesque sceneries and, plenty of open fireplaces. Despite it being a short 2-hour drive from Sydney you really feel as if you’re traipsing around the European countryside. It’s the perfect place to visit and feel like you’ve truly escaped the rat race and madness of the city.
With over 150 wineries you are spoilt for choice and it’s no wonder it can be hard to know where to go, what to do, and who to see. That’s where we come in! We had the tough job (not really, we were happy as little pigs in mud) to find the very best the region has to offer.
Stays
Image credit: @spicersguesthouse
This is L-U-X-U-R-Y at its finest. From the minute you walk through the door you know you’re in good hands. From the service to the food to the cocktails to the wine, the decor, the bedding and the Leif Products in the bathroom - no expense has been spared. You don’t even need to leave if you don’t want to - take a swim in the infinity pool, enjoy a pre-dinner glass of champagne in your robe before you head to eRemo for a degustation to ignite the tastebuds.
Image credit: @casalavina
We know, it’s hard to believe this Spanish castle actually exists in The Hunter Valley but lucky enough for us it does. Casa La Vina offers three, spacious and luxurious villas for an intimate couples escape, or you can hire it for a group getaway - tell your friends to bring their tequila, tacos, and maracas - the Mariachi band might stop by. The Santa Fe inspired villas, with rustic, south-western decor, create the feel and ambience of a contemporary New Mexican adobe. Located in the heart of Pokolbin's most popular wineries and attractions there are plenty of transport options to see the sights - including helicopter pickups for special occasions or if you’re feeling extra boujee.
Overlooking 20 acres of vineyards, Villa Provence boasts classic Provincial-style villas, with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, and 5 themed gardens for you to have your true Disney princess moment. Situated near the Hunter Valley Gardens, you’re only minutes away from popular wineries like Brokenwood and Tyrell wines, plus Hope Estate is just around the corner (Elton John and Bruce Springsteen have performed here). There’s plenty of activity to choose from between wine tours including trampolining, bushwalking, cycling, hot air balloons, horse riding, carriage tours, helicopter scenic tours, golf and catering that can be arranged by the host.
To eat
Image credit: @serehnonnlowe
Lunch among the vines? Yes, please. Enjoy the beauty of the Brokenback Ranges whilst relaxing with a drink from their European wine list. The food and service are both quintessentially French - we don’t blame you if you pull out Google maps and check you’re still in Australia. The iconic local Angus Beef prime rib-eye steak cooked “on the bone” for two served with desiree parsley potatoes, green salad, and drizzled with béarnaise sauce is a must-try. Say yes to their $5 wine tasting and make sure you have assigned someone trustworthy in the group to carry all the wine you’re sure to buy!
Image credit: @bistromollines
At Bistro Molines you could easily imagine you are in the South of France. The wrought iron chairs, candelabras, oversized flower arrangements, paved courtyard and vines that stretch almost as far as the eye can see all speak ‘Provence’. The menu doesn’t stray far from the Head Chef Robert’s French roots. You will find dishes like baked figs filled with gorgonzola wrapped in prosciutto with gorgonzola cream, and housemade linguini served with fresh pipis and lemon veloute. Most of the dishes use herbs and vegetables from the garden outside the restaurant door, and eggs from “Robert’s girls”. With freshly baked goods and cream cakes always on offer, this is a European country cooking at its finest.
Image credit: @marganwine
As the pioneers of Agri-Dining in the Hunter Valley, Margan Wines and Restaurant is committed to their ‘estate grown, estate made’ ethos. The menu is crafted around their one-hectare kitchen garden, and orchard. With their own olive trees, free-range chickens, beehives and lambs this is farm-to-fork at its finest. As farmers of the land, they are committed to sustainable practices and are the only vineyard and restaurant in the Hunter Valley to be certified with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia accreditation.
To drink
Image credit: @ushertinkerwines
When cured meats and wine mix, there’s nothing not to love. Visit award-winning winemaker Usher Tinkler at his cellar door (a converted old chapel) in the heart of the Hunter Valley for an exploration of traditional and not-so-traditional quirky wines while you snack on (or inhale if you’re like us) plates of soft and hard cheeses and salumi - Belissimo!
Image credit: @vindenwines
Second-generation vigneron Angus Vinden is proud to sustainably farm organically at Vinden Wines. Since taking over in 2015, Angus has maintained the original label, Vinden Wines, which possesses a traditional Hunter style as well as producing his offshoot label allowing a more experimental approach The Vinden Headcase - balancing tradition with innovation. With no use of herbicides or insecticides, all of the Vinden wines are vegan-friendly. Vinden Estate is the kind of place you never want to leave. With some of his wines available in Magnums, it would be rude not to.
Image credit: @krinklewood
Perhaps the most Instagrammable vineyard in the Hunter Valley, this French-inspired boutique Hunter winery and cellar door is set amongst Provencal gardens, urns, and fountains with the Wollombi Brook and Brokenback Range providing a spectacular backdrop. Not only are the wines certified biodynamic, but every aspect of our Hunter Valley vineyard and farm is also managed in a biodynamic, organic, holistic, and sustainable way. Sip on Francesca Rosé, make friends with the resident peacock and feel a million miles away.
