how we’d spend the perfect day in the hunter valley

if someone gave us one perfect day in the hunter valley, here’s exactly how we’d spend it. no rushing, no spreadsheets, just good food, great wine and a healthy amount of ‘should we have another glass?’

wake up at the station

first things first, stay somewhere worth waking up in. 

the station hunter valley is one of our favourite places to stay. beautifully restored train carriages surrounded by vineyards? yes, please. 

make yourself a coffee, enjoy the fresh country air and pretend you’re not going back to reality tomorrow. 

brunch at ronnie’s

next stop … brunch.  

head into pokolbin and grab a table at ronnie’s. great coffee, seriously good breakfast and exactly the kinds of place that makes you decide brunch was always the better option anyway. 

fuel up. 

you’ve got important wine drinking to do later.

stretch your legs at hunter valley gardens.

before opening the first bottle, take a wander through hunter valley gardens.

whether you’re visiting in winter when the gardens are peaceful or during one of the seasonal displays, it’s the perfect excuse to slow down, take a few photos and convince yourself that yes, another plant would definitely fit at home. 

now for the important part, john wallace wines.

by now you’ve earned a wine. 

join us at our cellar door for a relaxed tasting of our award-winning wines, complete with a complimentary cheese plate (because wine is always better with cheese). 

you’ll taste everything from sparkling and crisp whites through to our trophy-winning ‘tilba’ rose and rich hunter valley reds. 

there’s no rushing here, 

just good wine, good conversation and probably a visit from tilly, our unofficial cellar door manager. 

pick your favourite and grab a seat by the fire.

this is where the day really slows down. choose your favourite wine, order a glass and settle in by the fire overlooking the vineyard. It’s the kinds of afternoon that reminds you why weekends exist. 

you’ll probably say ‘just one more glass’, we won’t judge. 

finish with dinner.

after a lazy afternoon at the cellar door, head out for dinner at one of the hunter valley’s incredible restaurants. 

whether you’re in the mood for a long degustation, a cosy pub meals or wood-fired pizza, you’ll find plenty of incredible local food just minutes way. 

see you soon?!

there’s a reason people keep coming back to the hunter valley. It’s not just the wine, it’s slowing down, catching up with people you love, finding somewhere cosy to spend an afternoon. 

if you’re planning a visit, we’d love to be part of it. we’ll have the wine chilled, the red ready by the fire and tilly waiting to say hello.