The scenic Hunter Valley, also known as the "Wine Country", is one of Australia's premier wine making regions.
What once was a satellite penal colony where all the worst convicts were sent to do hard labour in the mines and timber camps, the area we now know as Hunter Valley was transformed by free settlers who arrived with grapes in the early 1820s.
The grapes flourished in this fertile region bounded by the hills of the Brokenback Range and by the 1840s, there were already more than 500 acres of registered vineyards through the region. Within less than two hours drive from Sydney, the region is a wine lover's heaven and the home to more than 80 wineries ranging from large, internationally-renowned labels such as Wyndham and Rothbury Estates to smaller multi-award winning wine growers.
Besides the lovely wine on offer, Hunter Valley also offers plenty of gourmet produce and fine dining from chocolate to cheese as well as old villages to explore and other outdoor activities such as canoeing, golfing, horse riding and hot air ballooning and more.
The region offers a plethora of accommodation to choose from such as resorts, self-contained cottages and boutique guesthouses.
Popular vineyards to visit: Bimbadgen Estate, Pepper Tree Wines, Scarborough Wines, Margan Family Winegrowers, Rothbury Estate and Wyndham Estate.
