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| NEW SOUTH WALES - Wine | ||
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Summary of wine choices for New South Wales |
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| The main grape growing areas in NSW are ... | ||
| Hunter Valley | ||
| The Hunter Region is about a 90 minutes
drive or a half hour flight north of Sydney. There is a wide range of
accommodation available from B & Bs, cosy self catering cottages and
small country hotels to luxurious resorts with every facility. As well
as vineyards, you will find sparkling beaches, rivers and
lakes...magnificent wilderness and mountain tops where you can watch
native animals in their natural habitat.
There are over 80 vineyards to explore and many excellent restaurants, or if a picnic is more your style you can find a secluded spot set against a backdrop of vines and blue skies. Spring is a particularly lovely time to visit when the vines spring to life after their winter dormancy and the Valley is lush with the fresh green foliage.
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| Mudgee | ||
| This area, 260 km north west of Sydney,
was first planted to grapes in 1858 by Adam Roth, and was the first wine
growing region in Australia to grow Chardonnay. Although Mudgee is
on the same latitude as the Hunter Valley to the east, the district's
average 500 to 1000 metres above sea level provides cooler growing
conditions. This leads to a longer growing season which, when
combined with the rich soil, produces full and flavoursome wines.
Most of the district's more then 20 wineries are small, individual
growers.
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| Seeing New South Wales' Wine Regions | ||
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You can choose to explore on your own by car or you may prefer to take advantageous of one of the many escorted trips available, whether you want a day out from
Sydney or a longer tour taking several days. |
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| EXPLORING ON YOUR OWN - hotels, guest houses and self driving | ||
| The Hunter Valley is ideal for self
driving although mini bus transfers, and tours, are also available from
Sydney. You can also drive to the Mudgee area, 260 km from
Sydney. Outline details follow of a range of selected accommodation,
all of which are well
placed for exploring the vineyards of the Hunter Valley region. We
can book any of these for you as part of an independent itinerary,
combined with car hire. See our Self Drive section for details and prices of car hire (as well as some Self Drive Route itineraries which visit the Hunter). |
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| Accommodation Options ... | ||
| Peppers Guest House and Peppers Convent, Pokolbin | ||
| Both properties offer luxurious
standards of accommodation and are in the heart of Hunter Valley Wine
Country. Peppers Guest House has an award winning restaurant and is set
in peaceful gardens, making it an ideal escape. Peppers Convent was once
a convent building, now magnificently set in the landscaped gardens and
vineyards of Pepper Tree, just a short stroll away from the acclaimed
Robert's Restaurant. Peppers
Guest House and Convent ...
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| Hunter Resort Country Estate, Pokolbin | ||
| The Hunter Resort offers a choice of 4
star Cottage, Hunter or Spa rooms. It has its own winery, brewery, cafe,
restaurant and pool and is home to the well known Hunter Wine School.
Hunter Resort
Country Estate ...
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| Eaglereach Wilderness Resort, Vacy | ||
| Eaglereach is on a mountain top just
north of the Hunter Valley and offers a wilderness experience in
luxurious, private cottages set in the trees, with full resort
facilities. It is possible to make a day trip to the Hunter Valley Wine
Country from here as part of a wilderness holiday or you could stop over
here when you leave or approach the Hunter. Eaglereach
...
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| Tower Lodge | ||
| This new deluxe lodge is located on the
Tower Estate in the heart of the Hunter Valley. The large rooms
are furnished with antiques and have a separate living area, some rooms
having fireplaces whilst others have private courtyards. The food
and wine are exceptional. Tower
Lodge ... |
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| ESCORTED WINE TOURS - day trips and longer | ||
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Self driving around wineries can be rather hard on the
driver who is denied the pleasure of swallowing at the tastings and so
even fiercely independent travellers may like to opt for at least one
escorted tour here! Our selection focuses on small party or personalised
tours (the latter for pairs of people), all with knowledgeable guides.
All tours depart from Sydney.
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| Return to - Top Wine Introduction Index or hit 'Back' button to return to previous page | ||
| HOME | ||
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New South Wales is
home to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's oldest
established grape growing areas and particularly famous for its
Semillon and Shiraz. You can also taste the new generation wines like Verdelho and
Chambourcin. Well known producers include
McWilliams, Tyrell, Rosemount, Reynolds, Rothbury and Allandale.
260 km north east of Sydney is New South Wales's other main grape
growing area around Mudgee, where there are more than 20 wineries.
This area is higher than the Hunter Valley and has a longer growing
season which, combined with rich soils, produces full and flavoursome
wines.
Within easy reach of the Hunter Valley is the World Heritage listed
Barrington Tops Wilderness and National Park which shows the Australian
landscape in all its grandeur. With its highest peak at 1586 metres and
most of its plateau at 1000 metres, it is not uncommon for snow to
blanket the Barringtons in winter. The vegetation is diverse,
ranging from snow gums, ancient antarctic beech and peat bogs to
rainforest and eucalypt forests, which are home to a wide variety of
birds and animals, some rare and endangered. State Forests surround the
National Park and are filled with camping and picnic sites in idyllic
locations. 