The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s best known wine regions. Located in the state of New South Wales, the region has played a pivotal role in the history of Australian wine with a viticultural history dating back to the early 1800s. Known for varietals such as Semillon and Shiraz, it’s home to numerous wineries, including world-renowned brands and family-run boutique operations. We have found the top rated wine tasting tours as per recent travelers reviews
List of wine tours in the Hunter Valley
An ideal taste of what the Hunter Valley has to offer. Perfect for people who are in the region for only a limited amount of time. Visit 3 boutique wineries for a private tasting of their delicious wines. At one stop you will conduct famous cheese & wine masterclass where they teach you to match 9 different cheeses with 9 different wines. The tours are informative, professional and fun
Full day explore some of the best big and boutique wineries and vineyards in the Hunter Valley without the hassle of arranging your own transportation. Sample some delicious wines, cheese/chocolate
Experience the Hunter Valley during a scenic helicopter flight that takes you to a winery lunch. Board your helicopter in Pokolbin and soar over Hunter Valley Gardens, the Brokenback ranges, rolling hills and vineyards, all the while soaking in sweeping views. After a gentle landing, have a 3-course lunch with a wine tasting before or after. Then lift off again for the final leg of your helicopter tour.
Meet your small-group tour in central Sydney then get comfortable on your air-conditioned coach for the two-hour scenic drive to the Hunter Valley. Your guide points out the sights and explains their history as you travel through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and over the Hawkesbury River. When you arrive in the valley, your guide takes you to some of the favorite wineries such as Iron Gate Estate, Tempus Two Wines and McGuigan Wines. During your visit, you’ll taste as many as 20 different wines, including the Hunter Valley’s famous semillon and shiraz varieties. Your tour includes a stop at an artisan cheese shop to sample a variety of delicious cheeses. For lunch, a delicious cafe lunch is included with hot and cold options available. Return to Sydney in the evening after a wonderful day in the Hunter Valley.
Get the most out of your day in Hunter Valley by combining two of its features—wine and wildlife—in a single itinerary. With a guide in the lead and transportation all arranged in advance, learn about the famous wine-producing region and its animal inhabitants through stops at a local wildlife park for morning tea and several area boutique wineries. All tastings of wine, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, and beer are included.
Enjoy a private Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney, exclusively for your group of 1-7 guests. Enjoy wine tasting at up to 4 boutique wineries plus an optional stop to taste cheese.Discover the secrets of Australian wine on this private, full-day tour of the Hunter Valley, including hotel pick-up. Travel in style in a luxury vehicle, stopping for tours and tastings at up to four boutique wineries. Indulge in wine and cheese tastings, and sample a range of semillon, chardonnay, verdelho, and Shiraz wines.
Discover the on-site museum at Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard during a self-guided tour and learn the history of the vineyard and local area. Sit back and enjoy a master class on wine history, production, and tasting notes with an in-house wine expert. Pick up your gourmet picnic basket, and find a spot in the vineyards for lunch with views over the Hunter Valley.
Departing from Pokolbin, New South Wales Exclusive private guides to the Hunter Valley, with option to select the venues/wineries from the list or opt for guide to pre-plan the day. This is more than a winery transfer service. Guides shares knowledge of the area and vineyard life while offering a unique selection of boutique wineries adds to the experience. Your tour is completely tailored to be stress free, enabling you to relax and enjoy your experience.
HUNTER VALLEY WINE HISTORY
DISCOVERY
The first sighting of the Hunter River by European settlers was in 1797, when it was discovered by chance by Lieutenant John Shortland during a search for escaped convicts. The Hunter Valley’s initial value was as a source of timber and coal for the steamships.The first overland route to the Hunter was discovered in 1820 by John Howe and a road-way was constructed largely along his path from Windsor to Singleton in 1823; this is now the Putty Road.Built by convicts between 1826 & 1836
THE EARLY VINEYARD HISTORY (1820 – 1900)
By 1823 some 20 acres of vineyards had already been planted on the northern banks of the Hunter River and what is now the Dalwood /Gresford area between Maitland and Singleton. The early pioneers of the Hunter Valley’s long winemaking history were George Wyndham of Dalwood, William Kelman of Kirkton and James King of Irrawang.
The Hunter Valley’s future was further assisted by the arrival of viticulturalist James Busby; who, after an extensive study tour of Europe’s wine growing regions, arrived back in the Colony of New South Wales with a collection of some 500 vine cuttings drawn from collections and private plantings. It was a replica set from these cuttings which established the Hunter Valley’s claims to viticultural fame; when Busby’s brother in law William Kelman took up one of the first official land grants at Kirkton on the Hunter River. By 1840 the Hunter Valley’s registered vineyard area exceeded 500 acres In the latter part of the 19th century four families established vineyards in the area; the Tyrrell, Tulloch, Wilkinson & Drayton families, alongside the well-known Dr Henry Lindeman.
MODERN VINEYARD HISTORY (1900 – 1970)
By 1930 the Pokolbin area had built a reputation for quality wine production. A number of qualified winemakers enhanced the Hunter Valley’s reputation in Sydney and Melbourne, led by the famous Maurice O’Shea of Mount Pleasant and Ben Ean of Lindeman’s. After a decline in vineyard activity, Dr Max Lake established Lake’s Folly in 1963; the first new vineyard planted in the 1900s.
TODAY
Today, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s most well-known wine regions; there are over 150 wineries producing a wide array of exceptional wines reflective of their origin. Hunter Valley Semillon enjoys a very special place in the world wine industry because, as award-winning Australian wine writer Campbell Mattinson puts it, “it produces a wine (…) that is acknowledged as the best in the world, the benchmark. It is the same kind of advantage enjoyed by Burgundy and Bordeaux and Champagne. source:winecountry