The Garden Cellars | The Complete Tasting Experience

Just one look at the exterior of The Garden Cellars at Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village speaks volumes to its history – it’s one of the oldest cellar door complexes in the Hunter Valley.

But while the buildings that once housed tastings for Hungerford Hill still showcase a wide range of Hunter Valley reds and whites, its current tenant - The Garden Cellars - now offers a far more extensive and diverse range of Hunter Valley vodkas, gins, liqueurs, wines and beers.

After the previous business closed, it was re-opened in 2011 by local businessman Peter Clarke, who was keen to make the most of what he saw as a prime opportunity within the bustling tourist precinct.

With a background in accounting and law/economics and having been self-employed in a variety of successful enterprises selling everything from surfboards and yachts to fibreglass roofing, Peter moved to the Hunter Valley from Sydney in the late 1990s, where he diversified his interests even further to include chocolates and premium spirits.

However, with a lifelong interest in wine, beer and spirits, The Garden Cellars was a perfect fit for Peter. After taking the reins of the struggling retail liquor outlet, Peter saw the need to diversify the offering to a more mainstream range and includes an ever-evolving lineup of local craft beers and premium quality spirits to provide better value and suit the customers' changing tastes.

Being in the heart of one of Australia’s oldest winemaking regions, it’s little wonder that Peter remains committed to supporting plenty of locally made products.

“We currently have many Hunter Valley wines from different local producers, and we are increasing our range of local beers as much as possible.

“We have added local craft beers and ciders from local breweries that include Ironbark Hill, Maltnhops, Hope Estate and Dusty Miner to our range and stock an extensive range of Small Mouth liqueurs, vodka and gin, which continue to be very successful products for us.”

The Garden Cellars have also stayed true to the site’s cellar door heritage; as well as having their own Garden Cellars wine label, they act as a key distribution point for many Hunter wine brands that include Audrey Wilkinson, Blueberry Hill, Monkey Place, Leogate, Drayton’s and Vales Wines.

Much like vineyard-based cellar doors, The Garden Cellars has daily tastings, however, their much broader stock range means they can offer so much more than your average vineyard experience.

“The combination of wine, beer and spirits tastings gives our customers a different experience to other tasting options in the Hunter Valley,” Peter said.

“Our informative tastings allow the customers to connect with the products. It also allows us to understand the tastes of our customers, which are always evolving. We can then adjust what we do as well.”

The Garden Cellars experience is an essential stop for any Hunter Valley visit, and with a variety of wines, beer, and spirits on offer – there is something for everyone’s tastes!