Gourmands would know that every meal deserves its complementing wine counterpart, and that is especially the case in New South Wales, home to over 6 incredible wine regions. From Down Under’s oldest wine region, the Hunter Valley, to the cooler regions of the Canberra District, Orange and the Southern Highlands, the historical town of Mudgee and the stunning coastal wine region Shoalhaven Coast, you’re going to be spoilt for choice! Here’s a cheat sheet where we have rounded up the best that NSW’s wines and vineyards have to offer that we bet you didn’t know about yet.
1. Unique Food Pairings
Did you know that the Hunter Valley’s signature semillon is a great match for spicy Asian cuisines? With a moderate body whilst maintaining a fresh flavour, the semillon holds up to bolder, aromatic dishes. It also pairs perfectly with raw and lightly cooked shellfish – our favourite pairing is freshly shucked local oysters with a flavourful Asian dressing.
Be spoilt for choice by Audrey Wilkinson’s expansive semillon archives, every bottle is birthed from a 150-year-old vineyard, perched on the foothills of the Brokenback Range with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Wine connoisseurs would also be familiar with 5-star winery Brokenwood Wines, one of Australia’s most reputable premium wine labels and home of the renowned ILR Reserve semillon.
Established in the 1970s, Scarborough Wine is a family-owned winery. Take your pick from the three different semillon options: the Green Label semillon and Late Harvest semillon from their Classic Range, or The Obsessive semillon, a classically styled Hunter Valley from their Obsessive range.
2. Cool-Climate Regions
Microclimates within Australia had diversified Australia’s wine varieties and some of today’s most exciting wines are coming from the cool, temperate southeast, with the Canberra District, Orange and the Southern Highlands representing the cool-climate regions, offering yields that are comparable to French styles grapes.
The warm Summer days followed by drops in temperature at night stretches out the grapes’ maturing process. The result is a longer growing season in which more desirable flavours and complexity can develop in the wines.
Canberra District
Named after Australia’s nearby capital, the Canberra District is a young and flourishing region. Check out Tallagandra Hill, a small, family-owned winery that offers tasting at the cellar door on weekends. Their award-winning single-vineyard wines include shiraz, tempranillo, vermentino, viognier, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.
Lake George Winery, the oldest winery in the Canberra District with award-winning wines was established in 1971. It opens its cellar doors from Thursday to Sunday and has an onsite restaurant, The Westering, offering a rustic menu. You could also enjoy some wine and cheese at the open seated tasting room, casual lounge or book a private tasting room at Shaw Wines, a beautiful, modern winery that has an art gallery, onsite restaurant and is open every day.
Orange
Orange is the largest high-altitude, cool-climate wine region in Australia, with rich volcanic soil from nearby Mount Canobolas and perfect conditions to produce cool-climate wines. Hop on a helicopter from Sydney to Orange for a glass of premium chardonnay or pinot noir at Swinging Bridge, a family-owned winery that was awarded Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine’s Best Cellar Door in the region.
Enjoy a range of wine and food tasting experiences surrounded by stunning gardens at Philip Shaw Wines, one of the pioneering winemaking families of Orange. Visit their beautiful cellar door in a 130 year old Bluestone barn surrounded by stunning gardens. Down the foothills of Mount Canobolas, don’t miss out on Rowlee Wines, who specialises in small-batch wines.
Making wines exclusively from a single vineyard in Orange, Rowlee Wines harvest their grapes by hand and craft their wine small batches to make absolutely delicious wine. Enjoy their Vine to Table experience, which includes an exhilarating tour on a luxury ATV through the home vineyard and gardens, followed by a Sensory Wine Experience at their Cellar Door and a leisurely lunch in the grounds of the estate.
Southern Highlands
Sign up for a masterclass at Centennial Vineyards to make your very own pinot, a favourite in the region. At an altitude of 760 metres, they are producers of award-winning cool-climate wines and are known for their stunning setting amongst the vines.
At the urban cellar door of Tractorless Vineyard & Bowral Brewing, you’ll get to experience the combination of traditional knowledge and skills with new-world techniques, all guided by biodynamic principles. Sheep feeding and grape stomping are some of the more unique and immersive activities offered here, on top of some of the great guided tours and tastings.
Let the charismatic guides lead you through the elegant PepperGreen Estate, where a former antique store currently stands as the brand’s cellar door. Interactive wine and food discovery sessions are available in the premium private room at the Cellar Door. If you’re lucky enough to drop by during picking times, you’ll even get to participate in the Limited Edition Olive Grove Picking Experience which includes a visit to PepperGreen Estate’s vineyard and olive groves in Canyonleigh.
3. Low-Alcohol Wine
NSW has ventured into the market for premium low-alcohol wine selections, with promising candidates hailing from the wine regions of Mudgee and the Hunter Valley.
The first commercial low-alcohol wine in Mudgee was the product of a three-year collaboration in 2015 between Lowe Wines and Charles Stuart University PhD candidate Rocco Longo. One of the first attempts in the world at making the variety, they have successfully launched the 2015 Lowe ‘Tinja’ low alcohol verdelho and 2015 Lowe ‘Tinja’ preservative-free and organic shiraz for wine lovers who are looking for a good time, minus the hangover.
The warm Hunter Valley in NSW isn’t quite the place you’d expect to find low-alcohol wines, but this distinctive style of semillon — picked early and designed for long ageing — is a clear exception. McWilliam’s Hunter Valley semillon ovedale 2005 (11.5%) is a 14 year old classic that has been unfairly forgotten. Bone-dry and naturally low in alcohol, its piercing, lemony acid is softened by the waxy mellowness of age.
4. Importance of Soil
Blessed with pleasant climate year-round and stunning ocean views, the Shoalhaven Coast is one of Australia’s only wine regions located by the coast and home to 18 vineyards with cellar doors. In the Shoalhaven Coast, the selection of well-exposed, well-drained and well-ventilated north-facing slopes is the key to obtaining the best results. The soil here varies in depth and consistency from the alluvial valleys to the hillsides, but most are red and brown earth, making them ideal for viticulture and good yields.
Cupitt’s Estate is a gorgeous winery tucked behind the hills of Milton and boasts a brewery, fromagerie, restaurant and cottage accommodation, with breath-taking views over the vineyard to Burrill Lake and the Budawang Ranges. Sign up for their Tour and Taste Experience to explore the winery grounds with Cupitt’s head winemaker, Wally Cupitt, as well as enjoy samples of wine, beer and cheese while learning about the making processes. They also offer other tours such as the Sunset Winery Tour and Meet the Maker Tour, as well as a range of masterclasses and workshops.
Come enjoy a lovely high tea of sweet and savoury delights paired with tea and sparkling wine, all while seated amongst the grapevines at Cambewarra Estate Winery.
5. Hunter Valley is the oldest wine region in Australia
Dating back to the early 1820s, the Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-growing region and has often been defined as the birthplace of Australian wine. World-renowned for producing semillon – one of Australia’s most distinctive and outstanding wines. Today this well-established region offers more than 150 wineries and cellar doors, dining at some of Australia’s best restaurants and an endless range of experiences.
Experience the rich Hunter Valley tradition at McGuigan Wines, where four generations of the McGuigan family have made wine their life and making a name that has become synonymous with Australian winemaking. If you love your wines and the stories behind every sip, sign up for the Winery & Produce Tour where you will get to immerse yourself in the McGuigan history and flavours.
Heritage lovers can also check out Tulloch Wines, where the ‘the good life’ of wine, food, family and friends is celebrated for 125 years now. Tyrells is another beloved family-owned wine brand since 1858 and is home to some of Australia’s most awarded wines, including the iconic Vat 1 semillon.
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