There’s nothing better than a wine weekend, so here are the best places for good wines, beautiful scenery and delicious food.
It’s practically an Australian right to spend a weekend or two a year in one of our many wine centres. But choosing which one to go can be tough.
Especially given that most are just an easy, few hours’ drive from New South Wales‘ largest cities, of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
Our top five: New South Wales wine regions
Of course, there aren’t just five. There’s plenty of smaller wine regions out there too. But, these are some of the best-known for a reason.
The winning combination of award-winning drops, mouth-watering cuisine and stellar views all around make these some of the most ideal New South Wales wine regions for weekend getaways.
Hunter Valley
Where is it? It’s about two-hours northwest of Sydney, or 45-minutes west of Newcastle, to Cessnock. However, the Hunter is a pretty large area, so some wineries will be further than that.
What to do: Taste wines, take a hot air balloon ride over the vineyards, visit the Hunter Valley Gardens,
How to get there: Driving is by far the easiest way to get there as there aren’t any direct trains from either Sydney or Newcastle to where most of the vineyards are. (You can get to Maitland and take a bus from there, in a pinch.) The closest major airport to the Hunter Valley would be Newcastle Airport.
Our favourite wineries: Hanging Tree, Piggs Peake, Tintilla.
We’ve been here!
Mudgee
Where is it? About 3.5 hours northwest of Sydney, or 3.5 hours west of Newcastle.
What to do: Sip wines, indulge in local foods, try beers at the two breweries in town, visit nearby historic Rylstone.
How to get there: Like most wine regions, cars are king when it comes to getting around. If you don’t drive, there are also limited flights from Sydney with Fly Pelican. Or, you can take a train from Sydney to Lithgow and take a bus from there.
Luckily, Mudgee’s wineries are very close to town. Some are within walking distance of each other. So, if you don’t have a car, you can grab an Uber or taxi to one and walk between them.
Our favourite wineries: 10s Estate, Yeates and Logan Wines.
We’ve been here!
Southern Highlands and the South Coast
Where is it? The inland wineries sit just south of Bowral, which is about an hour west of Wollongong, or 1.5 hours southwest of Sydney. There’s also quite a few wineries closer to the coast, which are about 45 minutes south of Wollongong, or two hours from Sydney.
What to do: Visit wineries, explore quaint towns like Berry and Bowral, see waterfalls, go on bushwalks or head to the beach on the coast.
How to get there: Driving will certainly help you get from winery to winery the fastest, but you can take a train from Sydney to Mittagong, Bowral or Moss Vale, which are all within just a few kilometres from wineries.
Our favourite wineries: Artemis, Cupitt’s Estate, Yarrawa Wines
We’ve been here!
Orange
Where is it? It’s about a 3.5-hour drive west from Sydney, or four hours from Wollongong, or five from Newcastle.
What to do: Try the local wines, check out nearby waterfalls, take a bush walk to nearby viewpoints and caves.
How to get there: Like all the regions on this list, driving to Orange will be the easiest. But, if you don’t drive, there are a few options for you. You can also take a direct train from Sydney’s Central station, but, clocking in at four hours and 45 minutes, the journey is a bit slow. If you’re looking for the fastest possible way of getting there, Qantas and Rex offer flights from Sydney.
Our favourite wineries: Brangayne of Orange, Macquariedale Organic Wines, Word of Mouth,
We’ve been here!
Murrumbateman
Where is it? Technically, it’s on New South Wales soil, but it’s actually just outside of Canberra.You can get to Murrumbateman town in about three hours from Sydney, 2.5 hours from Wollongong, or 30 minutes from Canberra.
What to do: Sample local wines and visit an alpaca farm.
How to get there: Unless you’re coming from Canberra (where you can catch a bus to town), unfortunately you will need to drive to get to Murrumbateman.
We haven’t been here yet!
