Travel
A taste of the Hunter Valley
Fancy a weekend of wine tastings, gorgeous rolling vineyards, and out-of-this-world eats? Look no further than NSW’s Hunter Valley.
By Leonie Jarrett
Two hours north of Sydney or an hour west of Newcastle (or a train or bus trip from either city) is the picturesque Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest wine-making region. Indeed, the birthplace of wine in Australia.
About 150 wineries are found here, each contributing to the magnificent wine, food and scenery available in the region. Oh, and special mention to the kangaroos. I am still child-like with wonder when I see kangaroos in the wild. I definitely snapped quite a few photos of them – their ears pricked up, silently watching me, and when I dared to move closer to them, they’d hop speedily away.
Having never been to the Hunter Valley before, I expected to see some pretty rows of vines, sample a few wines and enjoy a pleasant few days of relaxation. All of those things eventuated but also quite a lot more!
I smiled to myself as I drove into the Hunter (locals call it “The Hunter” or “The Valley”) along the aptly named “Wine Country Drive.” It is sunny and warm, the sky is brilliant blue and the scenery is all stunning shades of green.
Degen House Estate: magic and miniature horses
I drove up to my accommodation at Degen House Estate, the House on the Hill. The large country homestead plus 2 cottages accommodate up to 20 people on a 54-acre family vineyard. It is sumptuously fitted out and makes a gorgeous home base for our Hunter weekend. There is a mineral pool and local kangaroos that bound around in the grass. Yes, I am obsessed with the kangaroos!
Owner and chief greeter, Sasha Degen told me that her parents bought land in the Hunter by accident 23 years ago. Now a vineyard and accommodation, Sasha and her French husband John have created luxury accommodation and will provide delicious meals on site too.
There is an irresistible extra here, too – Sasha and John have 2 spoiled miniature horses who live in a custom-built stable. The “Mini Maison” was a lockdown project complete with a chandelier, Sonos bar, heating and cooling!
Degen Estate is perfect for a group of friends or a multi-generational celebration such as a wedding or a milestone birthday. From here, several wineries and restaurants in the nearby Pokolbin and Lovedale areas are easily accessible.
Trying my hand at winemaking at McCaffrey’s Estate
First up is McCaffrey’s Estate where I met Declan and Danielle McCaffrey. Apart from making wine and offering accommodation, they want to expand beyond the traditional cellar door. Opening a brand-new laboratory facility, they now offer a hands-on “Be a Winemaker" 90-minute experience.
After some explanation of the building blocks of wine, I experimented with different ratios then blended, bottled and took away my unique memento. I’m sure it’s drinkable, but I will have to get back to you after giving it the appropriate amount of ageing time…
Getting the dirt at Thomas Wines
On my visit to Thomas Wines, I looked at the Hunter Valley “dirt.” Literally. I learned that different soil types ripen the fruit differently. Some soil produces leaner, more acidic wine; some soil produces less acidity. Who knew?!
I learned a lot about wine in these few days and I now have several expressions to throw around and impress. Heard of “fruit wake,” “jamminess,” “fruit forward,” and “terroir” or about the structure of wine? Invite me to a dinner party and I’ll tell you all about it!
At Thomas Wines, I first heard what I would come to hear many times over the coming days – the Crown Jewel of the Hunter is Semillon, and Semillon is the unique gift of the Hunter to the wine world. Semillon ages very well I am told. Pleb that I am, I thought red wine was to be cellared and white wine was meant to be drunk immediately!
I also learned about Shiraz (which I heard pronounced as “Shiraaaz” for the first time in my life). The Hunter is the birthplace of Shiraz in Australia and has a unique style that is medium-bodied and food-friendly.
Another wine lesson, incoming! Lower alcohol-content wines are more food-friendly than higher alcohol-content wines. Oh, and smell first, taste second. I am instructed to swirl the wine around in my mouth like a front-loading washing machine. Who knew that this wine business was so complicated?
A favourite for me from Thomas Wines was the Braemore Semillon – the 2024 vintage is the 25th consecutive vintage from their flagship vineyard “Braemore” which was planted way back in 1969!
Having a nibble VAMP Wine Room
By now it was definitely time for some food to soak up the wine tastings, so off I headed to VAMP Wine Room, a cellar door and hospitality venue recently opened by Lisa McGuigan. Lisa was born into Hunter wine-making royalty but rebelled against it and first made a career in food.
Some years later, she returned to the Hunter as a wine-maker and has now opened VAMP, meaning “flirtatious woman!" I enjoyed a charcuterie plate of deliciousness with a glass of Lisa McGuigan Wines 2023 Velvet Vin Rose whilst admiring Lisa’s collection of swords, chain metal and gladiatorial costumes. The décor was certainly both eye-catching and individual!
Wines and pugs at Pepper Tree Wines
More wine to follow at Pepper Tree Wines. This is set in gorgeous gardens where The Convent accommodation (due to have a multi-million dollar refurb next year) and restaurant Circa 1876 are also found.
Nick Kruger is the winemaker at Pepper Tree. With Boston, the resident Pug, looking on, Nick takes me through some wines. Special mention to the flagship red, the Coquun Shiraz. It is named Coquun after the Indigenous name for the Hunter River. Grown from 90-year-old vines, it is a true treat to sip.
The day finished with Sasha and John making me a wonderful dinner back at Degen Estate and I literally rolled into bed!
Caffeine stop at The Deck Café
My first stop the next day was at The Deck Café in Lovedale where I had barista-made coffee (important for a Melburnian!) and yummy brekkie bites.
Matt Dillow owns The Deck Café (now a tapas bar) and Gartelmann Wines. Matt bought the businesses and the 20-acre site in 2020 (yes, just before COVID!). Full of energy and ideas, Matt is passionate about feeding people, his team, making wine, and creating a family-friendly destination for locals and tourists alike. In his spare time, Matt has a few other endeavours – Matt’s Produce, cooking lessons and food tours among them. He must have 28 hours in his day instead of my 24!
Cosy conversations at Our Italian Table
At our next stop, Our Italian Table, I had to check that I hadn’t wandered into a corner of Tuscany.
Jen Nicita (pictured at Nicita Estate in our feature image above) had a dream to establish a cooking school, so when her daughters left home, she and her husband relocated from Sydney and she founded her cooking school at Nicita Estate, a 70-acre property.
Their house and the cooking school sit on a ridge with spectacular views and there is a table under a pergola where you eat what you cook. Our Italian Table, a purposeful name, is all about sharing food, company and conversation around the table – a true oasis.
Sipping for good at Harkham Wines
Richie Harkham is a frenzied ball of energy and entrepreneurial ideas. At Harkham Wines, he makes wine, operates a cellar door, a bar, a restaurant and accommodation for 65 people, as well as running a charity. He must have 30 hours in his day!
Richie has been making organic and artisanal small-batch wine for almost 20 years, but the sharing-style restaurant is brand new. The kitchen is headed up by Shaun Nash (formerly of Melbourne darling Cutler & Co) and everything in the restaurant is created from scratch. Plate after plate, the food is astonishing!
Richie Harkham manages to combine fine dining at Harkham with even finer altruism through theHark Angel Foundation. Image: iStock/Fillipo Bacci
Richie’s charity is the Hark Angel Foundation. The charity’s mission is to work with impoverished communities to build schools and empower them to support their children to obtain an education to fulfil their full potential. Their bold vision is to build 100 schools in places the world has forgotten.
So far, 11 schools have been completed and the 12th school – in Cambodia – is about to start construction. I taste and love the 2022 Hark Angel Shiraz. I also love that a portion of its annual proceeds are dedicated to funding the projects – “making every lover of this wine an angel in their own right”, reads the label. Of course, I bought a bottle.
Saying “cheese” at Binnorie Dairy
A quick visit and tasting at Binnorie Dairy with their range of award-winning goat and cows’ milk cheeses rounded off a foodie’s day in heaven!
If you love cheese, check out Citro’s “cheese-lover’s tour of Australia” for more iconic spots.
Dinner at Circa 1876
After a little rest (there was a lot of food and wine that day!), I had a memorable dinner at Circa 1876. Situated in an original cottage which was a home until the 1970s, Circa 1876 is surrounded by beautiful gardens. I toured the flourishing kitchen garden where no pesticides are used and where whatever is growing influences the menu.
Such is the beauty of the cottage, the gardens and the adjacent chapel, it is no wonder that Circa 1876 hosts a lot of weddings and has often been featured on television shows such as “Farmer Wants A Wife.”
The dinner at Circa 1876 with paired wines is a triumph and I retire to bed full of food, wine and happiness.
Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
I rounded off my time in the Hunter by attending a Travel Writers’ Convention at the Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort. The rooms are nestled in the bush and feel like treehouses.
I stumbled across more kangaroos (!!) and my plus-one husband Andrew even got a game of golf in on the beautiful 18-hole championship golf course.
After our beautiful weekend had wrapped up, we were off home to work off all the lush wine and food. Now all there was to do is figure out when I can next return to the Hunter. There are just a few more cellar doors and restaurants for me to try!
Given how close the Hunter Valley is to Sydney and Newcastle, the Hunter Valley is worth at least a couple of days – beautiful scenery, wine, food and, of course, kangaroos in the wild.
You might also like:
- Yes cheese! Don’t miss this cheese-lover’s tour of Australia
- Australia’s 10 best food and wine festivals
- Matching great food to the right wine
The writer travelled as a guest of the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association and with the assistance of Oaks Cypress Lakes.
Feature image: Jen Nicita of Our Italian Table by Leonie Jarret