Wine tasting & winery tours

Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley comes in two shapes: one winery with one host, or a guided day across several cellar doors. Tyrrell's, Tulloch, Audrey Wilkinson, Brokenwood and Pooles Rock all take bookings for single-winery sessions, and guided tours handle the driving. For the food-led side, see Hunter Valley food and drink experiences.

Tastings at Tyrrell's Wines

Tyrrell's was established in 1858, and its sessions run from one hour to three. The VIP Premium Tasting is a one-hour tutored tasting of current vintages and aged releases. The Vat 1 Semillon Vertical Tasting takes two hours across six vintages of the flagship semillon, with cheese and a behind-the-scenes tour of the working winery. The Sacred Sites experience is a private three-hour tour for two to six people, with barrel tasting and exclusive use of the Dan Room in the historic homestead.

Audrey Wilkinson, Tulloch, Pooles Rock and Brokenwood

Audrey Wilkinson pairs its wines with food: the fortified wine and cheese tasting runs for an hour in a heritage-listed museum, and the dessert wine and chocolate pairing matches six dessert wines to six chocolates. The Picnic Among the Vines adds a museum visit and wine masterclass to a hamper you eat in the vineyard.

Tulloch Wines runs a 45-minute wine and chocolate pairing and the Hunter Heroes Tasting and Grazing Board, an hour-long tasting of six wines with a charcuterie board. At Pooles Rock, the Premier Tasting Experience covers seven wines in one hour. Brokenwood's VIP Soil to Cellar Winery Tour stretches to four hours, with Graveyard Shiraz, oysters and a degustation lunch.

Wine tours that include the driving

Most single-winery sessions are self-drive. For a day with transport, the Boutique Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour takes a small group to three or four wineries from central Sydney, the Hunter Valley Wine and Chocolate Tasting Tour adds chocolate, cheese and jam tastings, and the Horse and Carriage Wine Tasting Tour covers three tasting venues in a covered carriage over 3 hours.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a wine tasting in the Hunter Valley take?

A single-winery wine tasting in the Hunter Valley takes 45 minutes to 3 hours, from the 45-minute Tulloch Wines chocolate pairing to the 3-hour Tyrrell's Sacred Sites experience. Guided wine tours run from about 3 hours to a full day.

Do you need to drive between Hunter Valley wineries?

Single-winery tastings at Tyrrell's and Audrey Wilkinson are self-drive. The Boutique Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour and the Sightseeing Tours Australia wine and chocolate tour include transport from Sydney.

How much does wine tasting cost in the Hunter Valley?

Prices differ by winery and by what is included, such as cheese, chocolate, a charcuterie board or lunch. Each Hunter Valley wine tasting listing shows its current price.

What age do you need to be for Hunter Valley wine tasting?

Guests must be 18 or over to taste wine at Hunter Valley wineries such as Tulloch Wines, Audrey Wilkinson and Pooles Rock, and photo ID may be required. Tulloch Wines has a Junior Tasting for kids and a Kombucha Tasting for teenagers alongside an adult tasting.

Can you do Hunter Valley wine tasting in the rain?

Yes. The Pooles Rock Premier Tasting Experience and the Audrey Wilkinson Picnic Among the Vines run in all weather, and the Tulloch Wines wine and chocolate pairing is an indoor session.

Local tip: Tyrrell's Vat 1 and Sacred Sites sessions run on weekdays, while Tulloch Wines tastings run seven days, so pick your winery by the day you are visiting.

Choose one winery and give it the afternoon, or hand the driving to a tour. All good days are waiting.