Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley was first planted to vines by James Busby in the 1820s, making it the oldest wine region in Australia by several decades. The Pokolbin sub-region, around the towns of Cessnock and Pokolbin, is the heart of cellar door tourism. There are around 150 wineries in the broader Hunter and Upper Hunter regions, ranging from major brands like Tyrrell's and McGuigan to dozens of small family producers.

The regional white is unfermented Semillon, picked early at low alcohol and aged in bottle for five to ten years before release. It's a wine style that is essentially unique to the Hunter, partly because of the climate and partly because nobody else has the patience. The local reds are mostly Shiraz, often blended with smaller percentages of Cabernet or Merlot. Several wineries also produce Verdelho, an obscure Portuguese variety that does well in the Hunter's climate.

The drive from Sydney takes around two hours via the M1 and the Hunter Expressway. The region is busy on weekends but quiet midweek. The best months for visiting are autumn (March and April, around vintage) and spring.