Must see Hunter Valley wineries

[Redwine&Rum]

Good morning everyone

Planning a trip to the Hunter Valley around late January / early February. We have 2 days and would like to visit around 5 wineries each day (if possible).

Outside of Tyrrell's and Mount Pleasant, which other wineries in the Hunter and producing really good wine at the moment that is worth checking out?

Any recommendations around good places to have lunch/dinner are also welcomed.

Look forward to your suggestions.
Cheers

[rooman]

Lakes Folly

[Redwine&Rum]

Thanks. On my to do list are:
Brokenwood
Mount Pleasant
Pepper Tree
Pokolbin Estate

Any breweries/distilleries that are worth a look also?

[Andrew Jordan]

Small Winemakers Centre - Silkman and Thomas wines

[TiggerK]

Gundog Estate well worth a look.

De Iuliis as well.

[winetastic]

Wineries other than Tyrrell's and Mount Pleasant:
Lakes Folly
Tinklers
De Iuliis
Keith Tulloch
Meerea Park
Chateau Francois

Lunch:
Its around 25min drive out of Pokolbin, however Margan has a great (and affordable) wine list, great food, great service, moderate pricing by Hunter standards.

Dinner:
If you want to go all out, Muse for white table cloth / degustation menu.

[tarija]

Wouldn't bother with Brokenwood unless you are one of the "special" members - unlikely to have Graveyard or any of the good stuff on tasting. Mostly lower end and non-Hunter stuff.

Tyrrell's probably the best, almost everything is available to taste.

Lake's Folly good for a quick 1-2 taste combo and good cellar door prices.

Mount Pleasant - mixed feelings, mostly just the lower end stuff a while back.

If you have the time, have a meal at the Margan Estate restaurant - very interesting wine list, lots of older Hunter wines.

[Polymer]

Mistletoe has some interesting wines.
Harkham is a natural wine maker and has some interesting stuff
Chateau Pato - I haven't had their wines in awhile but they used to be pretty good and still had some Hunter brett..
McLeish
If you like big wines and don't care if it is from the Hunter
Piggs Peake. Great for visitors that just want to try wine...most of the grapes are from Orange...big alcohol but don't show it as much...If you want true Hunter, don't go here...but if your palate tends to be more South Australian like..then this might not be a bad place to try out...especially if you have friends that like wine but aren't into wine..

[Hacker]

To eat, Restaurant Botanica is very very good, especially for dinner. can't praise it highly enough.

We tried both Tyrrells and Scarborough wineries when up there a few weeks ago.

[Loztralia]

Meerea Park for sure - good range, very very good wine.
Tulloch is pretty good - some duds but worth persevering.
Tyrrells is often overcrowded and doesn’t have its best stuff open for tasting.

[Cactus]

Thomas Allen - my favourite boutique, u wont see their wine in shops. More a mailing list place. Great vantage outdoor tasting area.
Keith Tulloch - great tasting on an outdoor wrap around verandah. Has to be my fav quaffing semillon
Andrew Thomas - now has his own cellar door now. Unfortunately alot of the 2014 shiraz will be gone, but Braemore semillon is a fav.
Gundog - very fun friendly guys.
Lakes Folly, Tyrrells and Mount Pleasant - the icons/famous/benchmark wines for region.

[Benchmark]

Agree with Keith Tulloch.

If they have a Kester open even better. Holds its own with any Hunter red.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Piggs Peake ... especially if you have friends that like wine but aren't into wine.

Ouch!

[Polymer]

Piggs Peake ... especially if you have friends that like wine but aren't into wine.

Ouch!

It's true though..

Whenever I take out of towners to the Hunter and they're non wine geeks, this is a MUST stop and it is always the most popular place..by far..

It is just that the style is far more appealing for the general public..bigger fruit that doesn't get too raisin like...and big alcohol...crowd pleasing wines...then they hit you up at the end with some chocolate and their red dessert wine...They don't care that it isn't from the Hunter..and for a lot of them, after having had some wines with slight funk, some leather, dirt, etc...then they hit these clean fruit driven wines...it just works for them...

[thomashouseman]

+1 to Margan. Fav. last Hunter visit.