Hunter Valley Wines: The Gem of the New South Wales Countryside

Looking for a destination to relax and enjoy a great wine? The Hunter Valley is your place to visit. With its delightful greens and stunning reds of the New South Wales Countryside, the Hunter Valley offers its visitors clear and unpolluted air and numerous gorgeous vineyards, making it the perfect setting for those who want to take a winery tour or simply relax.

The Hunter Valley also hosts a wide range of festivals and events. The most popular of them is the ‘Hunter Valley Wine and Festival’ which will last from May to June, 2016. The event showcases the regions’ diverse wine and food culture with a variety of themed activities and is the perfect opportunity to enjoy premium Hunter Valley wines and met well known Hunter Valley winemakers and chefs.

Talking about winemakers, there are more than 150 wineries in the Hunter Valley, so where to start? Let’s begin with the most famous one – the Brokenwood Maxwell Vineyard. Founded 40 years ago by three wine-mad solicitors, Brodenwood – famous for its Semillon wines, which are by the way consider one of the best Hunter Valley wines. Pale-straw-green, the Brokenwood Maxwell Vineyard Semillon is a wine of exceptional finesse, balance, length and line. Its aromas are a blend of citrus and green apple followed by a hint of beeswax, and its slight higher alcohol content gives an extra length to the finish.

Hunter Valley Wines

Following the Brokenwood Maxwell Vineyard comes the Audrey Wilkinson Winery, which offers a 360-degree view of the groves and hillsides of the valley. Chardonnay, Semillion and Shiraz are standouts of the winery, while it also produces an attractive Gewurztraminer that is worth a try.

Another place to find great Hunter Valley wines is the Bimbadgen Winery, the scene of various great concerts in the Hunter Valley and also a stop for swirling, eating and wine tasting. In its spacious tasting rooms you should try the Verdelho, Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz Viognier, with the last being consider one of the best examples of blend in the Valley.

Just like the more traditional wineries, the Hunter Valley also has numerous innovative young producers that apply new techniques to create new styles and flavours. So, when visiting the Hunter Valley, a trip round the wineries is a must.

Tours of the wineries and vineyards can be arranged in advance but can also be made by just turning up at the cellar doors. You can choose to go with your own vehicle or travel as part of a group, or to make it more interesting, with a horse and carriage. You can even take a hot air balloon or a helicopter tour for an amazing panorama view.