DRIVING ESCAPES 48 hours in the Hunter Valley

48 hours in...

THE HUNTER VALLEY

WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL

Oenophiles of the Central Coast should count themselves lucky. Australia’s oldest wine region, which has been cultivating grapes for wine since the early 19th century, is just an hour or so up the freeway. Its rolling green hills are home to more than 150 wineries and a medley of cellar doors, from sleek and modern spaces to cosy boutique sheds, offering samples of award-winning drops. There’s the iconic semillon, but the chardonnay and shiraz also garner worldwide attention. Add to that a slew of hatted restaurants, a bounty of locally made produce, craft breweries and dreamy stays, and the Hunter Valley is an idyllic and satiating road trip for the eyes and the tastebuds.

Day One 2pm We travel to the Hunter Valley with another couple, sans our offspring, so we have booked the loft above Tatler Wines in Lovedale. It’s the perfect space for a small group, simple but well equipped with three bedrooms and bathrooms, a full kitchen, spacious lounge and balcony that overlooks working vineyards. Even better is the fact that the family-owned cellar door is located underneath us. It’s a literal hop, skip and jump to enjoy a wine tasting. We spend the afternoon here before retreating to our loft for a cheese platter on the balcony.

TIP: On your way to your accommodation, detour to the Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop in

Pokolbin to pick up one of their pre-made platters featuring local cheeses and other goodies.

tatlerwines.com.au; smellycheese.net.au

6pm The Hunter Valley isn’t short on world-class restaurants for dinner. We choose Hunters Quarter, a modern space that overlooks the vineyards at Cockfighters Ghost Vineyard. Headed by Brian Duncan, who has worked for Michelin-starred restaurants in London, the hatted restaurant serves a three-course menu that’s big on seasonal produce and balanced flavours. Each dish is delicious but the cooked-to-perfection Wagyu rump, with parmesan soubise and king brown mushrooms, is a stand-out for our group. TIP: If you’re planning to enjoy a few local wines over dinner — sacrilege if you don’t, really — be sure to pre-arrange your transport. Taxis are extremely unreliable in the Hunter Valley, so a private transfer is your best option. We booked Keith (KR007 Private Transfers; 0404 005 904) who was prompt, super friendly and reasonable.

Day Two 9am This morning, my husband and his friend make their way to Hunter Valley Golf & Country Club at the Crowne Plaza for a social 18 holes (tee off on the weekends is 7.45am) while my friend and I make a beeline for Ubika Spa for a massage. Ninety blissful minutes later, we emerge feeling refreshed and ready for a day of exploring.

crowneplazahuntervalley.com.au

11am We head to Brokenwood Wines, which was established in 1970 and is consistently awarded for its vinos. The cellar door experiences on offer here are second-to-none: there’s the $25 per head ‘taste’ or $60 ‘match and dine’ with bite-sized canapes, or you can go all out with a behind-the-scenes VIP ‘soil to cellar’, which includes a winery tour, wine tasting, four-course degustation lunch, a special wine to take home, and more for a humble $1,149 per person.

We have booked lunch at the onsite Cru Bar + Pantry, which is perfectly relaxed and filling. Our group orders the smoked chicken woodfired pizza, cured Atlantic salmon with compressed watermelon and pomegranate dressing, and the wood-fired, oven-baked polenta with sauteed mushrooms and hazelnuts, matched with Brokenwood wines.

brokenwood.com.au

1pm We are on foot now, as we walk to the smaller scale

M & J Becker Wines at Roche Estate on the corner of McDonalds and Broke Roads. Owned by husband-and-wife duo James and Meagan, Becker Wines is focused on producing vegan-friendly, sustainable and wild fermented wine with minimal intervention. We spend the next hour here, relaxing at the stylish cellar door and sampling eight handcrafted drops. The light and fresh rosé is a winner for us and we take home a couple of bottles.

For feel-good drinking, Tamburlaine Organic Wines is one of the country’s largest producers of certified organic wines (it’s about a 15-minute walk down the road). For a donation of five cents on top of your wine purchase, customers can help them achieve their goal of achieving carbon neutrality; they also offer ‘cases for a »

cause’ where $50 of every dozen Wine Lovers wines is donated to a fundraiser of your choice. If you have a driver, another great stop along this strip is Usher Tinkler Wines (three minutes’ drive or a 30-minute walk); housed in a converted church, you can enjoy your tasting with a plate of salumi and cheese.

beckerwines.com.au tamburlaine.com.au ushertinklerwines.com

6pm By now we need a break from the delicious grapes we’ve been consuming all day long in liquid form. After kicking back at our loft and watching the sun dip behind the mountains in the distance, our noble chauffeur Keith drives us to Harrigan’s, the Irish pub that has been a local institution for more than two decades.

The relaxed menu is filled with pub grub favourites such as beef and Guinness pot pie and chicken schnitty. There is live music every weekend, and the improvised dance floor is filled with revellers who we happily join by the end of the evening.

harriganshuntervalley.com.au

Day Three 9am We don’t have far to go for breakfast. Mockingbird is located at Tatler Wines, so once again we simply toddle downstairs. The chic café is open for breakfast and lunch; dishes include avo on toast with poached eggs, corn fritters with kaffir lime and chilli jam and red velvet pancakes for the sweet toothed among us.

mockingbirdcafehuntervalley.com.au

11am It’s time to depart, but we decide to swing via the Hunter Valley Gardens first to peruse the shopping village. Among the collection of boutique stores, you can grab gourmet goodies to take home (local honey, chocolates, cookies etc.); beautiful homewares at The Store Pokolbin; last-minute wine purchases as well as the largest craft beer range in the Hunter Valley at The Garden Cellars; and unique gifts at Byvonne (for those who remember, Byvonne used to be located at the Wyong Milk Factory).

If you have time, spend the day wandering the eight kilometres of pathways and 14 hectares at the Hunter Valley Gardens, which comprises 10 individually themed gardens created from both native and exotic plants.

huntervalleygardens.com.au