It goes without saying that NSW is home to some of Australia’s best wine regions, from the award-winning cellar doors in the Hunter Valley to the state’s largest high-altitude, cool climate wine region Orange. Yet, a visit to Country NSW would not be complete without pairing these world-class wines with delicious food, which is in abundance throughout the region. Taste the terroir of the region in the form of award-winning food, wine and artisanal produce, and meet the talented chefs, producers, winemakers and growers behind it. You can’t go wrong when it comes to wining and dining in the gourmand’s paradise of the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, the Shoalhaven Coast, the Southern Highlands, and the Canberra District.
1. Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-growing region, dating back to the early 1820s. Today, this well-established region just two hours north of Sydney offers more than 150 wineries and cellar doors, acclaimed restaurants, stunning scenery and an endless amount of experiences.
For foodies and wine lovers seeking something special, the Hunter Valley has a range of exceptional eateries, distilleries and breweries. One of the area’s crown jewels is Muse Restaurant. Located at the entrance to Pokolbin in the iconic Hungerford Hill Winery, Muse Restaurant aims to be a showcase of Hunter Valley produce with an emphasis on seasonality and quality. Highlights include the slow-cooked Wagyu tri-tip with borlotti bean, Morpeth green beans, tomato, sea blite, and yuzu dressing, or the wood-fired Murray cod with eggplant, sage, macadamia and sunrose. Pair the Wagyu with the 2008 Sweetwater Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the cod with 2018 Dalwood Chardonnay. Bistro Molines combines fine French food with country-chic decor and beautiful vineyard views. The menu reflects a commitment to locally-sourced, in-season produce but keeps the long-time favourites.
Pioneers of agri-dining, Margan Restaurant are committed to their ‘estate grown, estate made’ ethos, basing their menus around what they harvest from their kitchen garden and orchard to maintain a truly seasonal focus. Opt for the steamed bass grouper paired with the Margan Timbervines Chardonnay 2019 or the Wagyu sirloin paired with Margan Fordwich Hill Shiraz 2018. Piggs Peake is a winery that doesn’t take itself too seriously – except when it comes to food and wine. Its restaurant Yellow Billy specialises in fire-cooked food such as suckling pig.
For something a bit different, head to EXP. Restaurant, which At EXP. offers a dining experience that is delicious, entertaining and interactive. Guests can sit along the bar and peer directly into the kitchen while interacting with Chef Frank Fawkner and his team. Another stand-out option is eRemo Restaurant, which showcases the best of local produce through Italian flavours, perfectly paired with Hunter Valley wine.
2. Mudgee
An easy three-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Sydney through the Blue Mountains, the Mudgee wine region is a favourite among nature and food and wine lovers for its beauty, heritage and world-class produce. Visit the Mudgee region of NSW, and you’ll be rewarded with fine restaurants, farm-fresh produce and more than 40 elegant wineries that produce complex reds and golden chardonnays. Enjoy gourmet treats, delicious festivals, and fun food and wine tours surrounded by rolling hills and farmland.
Pipeclay Pumphouse is a contemporary restaurant at the Robert Stein Vineyard & Winery, which takes pride in grow much of its produce, as well as sourcing from local suppliers. Part of the Lowe Family Wine Co, The Zin House is an organic and biodynamic restaurant featuring extensive kitchen gardens, orchards and surrounded by farmland. This award-winning restaurant offers special dining experiences and events. Must-try’s include the fettucine, smoked eel, roasted bone sauce, fennel pangrattato paired with 2019 Lowe 'Headstone' Rose Mudgee and the Zin Garden Brassicas Gooree pork Wagyu, spinach puree, red wine jus paired with 2016 Lowe 'Block 5' Shiraz from Mudgee.
For something a bit more low-key, head to Roth’s Wine Bar, the oldest licenced wine bar in NSW which offers visitors a large range of local wines, wood-fired pizzas and live music, or Alby & Esthers, a delightful bistro set in an 1873 stone terrace in the Mudgee town centre. Its pretty cobblestone courtyard is an ideal spot for you to sip on coffee, cocktails or kombucha and enjoy a delicious sharing platter.
3. Orange
The majestic dormant volcano, Mount Canobolas, has provided Orange with soil rich in minerals. Combine this with the region’s high altitude and you have perfect conditions for the production of delectable cool climate wines and exceptional local produce. All of which you can get a taste of world-class restaurants and cool cafes around the region.
Located in Millthorpe, a short 15-minute drive from Orange, Tonic is a fine-dining restaurant that sources seasonal, local produce including Mandagery Creek venison and Cowra lamb. For beautiful food and views, Sister’s Rock Restaurant is located at the top of Borrodell Vineyard and serves dishes featuring produce grown onsite, including cherries, black truffles, plums, quince and heritage apples. Pair the dishes with the delightful Borrodell wines including the 2015 Borrodell Vineyard Gewürztraminer and the 2009 Borrodell Vineyard chardonnay.
Charred Kitchen & Bar serves premium local cuisine, the large purpose-built wood and charcoal oven that gives the restaurant its name imparts the restaurant’s unique flavour to many of its dishes. Charred also has an award-winning wine list that showcases the skill and artistry of many local producers. Try their kombu poached prawns or the Charred ‘dirty’ lamb rump.
4. The Shoalhaven Coast
The Shoalhaven Coast is one of Australia’s only wine regions located by the coast and is home to 18 vineyards with cellar doors. From sustainable seafood and fresh produce to elegant wineries and acclaimed restaurants, situated alongside pristine beaches and spectacular national parks, the beautiful Shoalhaven region on the NSW South Coast is a feast for your senses.
The iconic Bannisters by the Sea in Mollymook is home to chef Rick Stein’s restaurant, which specialises in locally caught seafood. Freshly shucked oysters, Hervey Bay scallops and lobster thermidor are just some of the highlights on the menu. If you’re missing Asian flavours, try the steamed whole snapper with ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, crispy garlic and shallots, where the locally-sourced seafood flavours shine through. Bangalay Dining offers formal dining and an alfresco area and is nestled between Bangalay sand forest on Seven Mile Beach and the Shoalhaven Heads Golf Course. The modern Australian menu features local and native ingredients, with much of the produce sourced sustainably from local producers.
Tucked away in a side street of Berry, South on Albany is a small restaurant passionate about sharing their love of the region with locals and visitors alike. Your hosts John and Sonia craft a set weekly seasonal menu that highlights the best of the South Coast with a contemporary, relaxed and honest vibe. Try their fish of the day with Johnny’s mash, green beans, carrot, radish and tomato & chive sauce, paired with 2019 Briar Ridge Stockhausen chardonnay from the Hunter Valley.
5. The Southern Highlands
The Southern Highlands is located just 90 minutes south of Sydney and is a cool-climate wine region with 17 cellar doors, ranging from elegant French provincial to contemporary architectural statements. Food and wine lovers can live out their epicurean fantasies amongst the rolling green hills and quiet hamlets of NSW’s Southern Highlands. Discover acclaimed restaurants, cool-climate wines, classic country pubs and an abundance of local produce in one of Australia’s highest regarded gourmet regions.
The Loch is a working farm, garden and guest house, just minutes from the historic town
of Berrima, and serves relaxing long lunches on Sundays. One of the newest restaurants in the Southern Highlands, Birch blends contemporary, modern Australian food with warm hospitality. The innovative and contemporary modern Australian menu is created and crafted to reflect time and place to deliver dishes that utilise what is premium right now. Some past highlights include the freshly harvested spring vegetable Tarte Tatin, caramelised eschalot and garlic scape butter and the trio of lamb, featuring rolled and roasted loin, braised shoulder, confit leg with regional baby vegetable and minted jus.
Set inside a stunning heritage building in Berrima, Eschalot is a fine-dining establishment offering fresh produce grown on-site in the restaurant’s gardens and greenhouses. Housed within The Book Barn, Bendooley Estate’s fabulous restaurant is open daily. Dine inside next to the fire with a divine backdrop of revered books or enjoy an alfresco meal surrounded by the Estate’s heavenly gardens and vineyard. Savour flavoursome cuisine inspired by the seasons of the Southern Highlands.
6. The Canberra District
The picturesque towns in the Canberra District include Murrumbateman, Gundaroo, Yass and Bungendore, which are perfect for food and wine lovers to explore. Taste your way around the beautiful Yass Valley, where you will find acclaimed wines, prized truffles and locally grown produce such as cured and smoked meats, apples and olives.
Poachers Pantry is one of the finest smokehouses in Australia, located on a working farm. You can explore the vineyards, visit the cellar door and enjoy a meal at Smokehouse Restaurant. Try the ash-coated grass-fed eye fillet, pea purée, leek, radishes, cipollini onions, wasabi, paired deliciously with Wily Trout shiraz 2017.
Another must-try in the region is the Olleyville Restaurant at Shaw Wines, helmed by Head Chef Anthony Davis. Those just wanting a light bite can share a charcuterie board or small plates. Those wanting a full wine and dine experience can pair the Angus sirloin with potato puree, roasted baby carrots, and Shaw shiraz jus with the 2017 Shaw Wines Estate cabernet shiraz or the wild barramundi with white bean ratatouille, coastal herbs, and baby sorrel with the 2019 Shaw Wines Estate Riesling.
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