The Wollombi Tavern, home of Dr Jurd's Jungle Juice (have a free taste and find out), makes a fine refreshment stop, sitting out on the wooden verandah looking over the creek to trees, fields and hills beyond. Wollombi was once a ceremonial meeting place, and there are Aboriginal rock carvings and cave paintings throughout the area, some of which can be visited on horseback with the Wollombi Horse Riding Centre (tel 4998 3221; 2hr including 30min lesson; $30), 4km past the tavern on the Singleton Road.
The Lower Hunter's main town, Cessnock, is uninteresting in itself, and surprisingly unsophisticated given the wine culture surrounding it; its big old country pubs are probably its best feature and staying in one provides a taste of Australian rural life.
To get to Cessnock, catch a train from Central Station to Newcastle and then a bus to Cessnock with Rover Motors (tel 4990 1699). By bus, Keans Travel Express (tel 9281 9366) goes direct from Sydney to the Hunter Valley once daily, taking just over two hours with stops including Kurri Kurri, Neath, Cessnock and Pokolbin. Otherwise there is no public transport in the valley. Instead of hiring a car in Sydney, you could pick one up in Newcastle: Ara (tel 4962 2488), or Thrifty (tel 4942 2266) do reasonable deals.
Wineries in the Lower Hunter Valley
- Allandale Winery Lovedale Rd, Pokolbin tel 4990 4526. Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm. Picturesque small winery with great views overlooking the vineyard, the Lower Hunter and the Brokenback Range. Allandale is a modern boutique winery on the hill looking over 17 acres of well ordered vines and enjoying a panoramic view of the Lower Hunter and Brokenback Range. Allandale Winery has a superb range of quality wines known for their full flavour, good structure and distinctive varietal character. The staff at Allandale Winery are ready to welcome you when you come to taste some of the Hunter Valley's best wines.
- Drayton's Family Wines Oakey Creek Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7513. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm. Friendly, down-to-earth family winery, established for over 140 years. In that time they've become well known for their ports: the lucky might get a taste of Old Decanter, aged 21 years.
- Hermitage Road Cellars and Winery Hunter Resort, Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7777. Daily 10am-5pm; tour 11am & 2pm. The largest commercial winery, lacking in atmosphere but offering informative wine tours: booking essential.
- Kevin Sobels Wines Cnr Broke and Halls roads, Pokolbin tel 4998 7766. Daily 9am-5pm. Set up in 1992, the welcome at this small, simple winery is wonderfully down to earth, and includes a greeting by Bacchus, the resident St Bernard.
- Lindemans Wines McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7684. Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4.30pm. One of the best-known names in the valley; Dr Lindeman first planted vines in the valley in 1842. Its museum has a collection of winemaking paraphernalia.
- Littles Wines In the great tradition of Hunter hospitality, the Little family will welcome you to their Pokolbin winery. The small scale of the winery enables wine- maker Ian Little to specialise - handcrafting a limited number of wines to a very high standard. Look for an oak fermented chardonnay, wood-aged semillon, a shiraz, a spicy gewurztraminer and one of the Hunter Valley's very few vintage ports. Palmers Lane, Pokolbin. Tasting/Sales: 10.00am-4.oopm daily.
- Rothbury Estate, with its spectacular architecture, superb tasting and sales facilities, stylish Rothbury Cafe, and fabled cask hall has become one of the showplaces of the Hunter. Now listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, Rothbury has never forgotten that its success was built on personal service. Broke Rd, Pokolbin.
- Scarborough Wine Co Gilliards Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7563. Daily 9am-5pm. Small, friendly winery specializing in Chardonnay. Relaxed tastings are held in a small cottage with prime valley views.
- Tamburlaine Wines McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7570. Daily 9.30am-5pm. The jasmine-scented garden outside gives a hint of the flowery elegant wines within. Tamburlaine has developed an enviable reputation as one of the most innovative and quality-conscious of the Hunter's boutique wineries. The range is too small even for the domestic market, so you can only buy it here.
- Tyrrell's Family Vineyard Broke Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7509. Mon-Sat 8am-5pm, with tour Mon-Fri 1.30pm. Oldest independent family vineyards, producing consistently good wines. The tiny slab hut, where Edward Tyrrell lived when he began the winery in 1858, is still on the grounds. Tyrrell's famed Vat 47 Chardonnay literally changed the face of winemaking in this country. A full range of varietal wines is available for tasting - including the Old Winery range, the Vat numbered series, fortified and sparkling wines. Picnic, barbecue and private tasting facilities.
- Verona Vineyard & The Small Winemakers Centre McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7668. Daily 10am-5pm. Sells wines produced by four other small vineyards; $2 tasting charge on some wines is refunded on purchases. Excellent café.
- Wandin Valley Estate Would you like to: Holiday among the vines? Spend a weekend sleeping next to the chardonnay? Indulge yourself with our multiple award winning wines. We have high quality, self-contained, self- catering accommodation for families or groups of friends. We have Gold Medal winning wines made from grapes grown on the property. We are close to fine restaurants and golf courses in the Lower Hunter Valley. Wilderness Rd, Rothbury
- Wyndaham Estate Enjoy our world famous wines and fine cuisine in historic surroundings. Dalwood via Branxton NSW 2335. Open 7 days from 10.00am - 5.00pm. Tours daily at 11.00am
Eating
- Amicos 138 Wollombi Rd, Cessnock tel 4991 1995. A popular cheap eat, this BYO restaurant serves Italian and Mexican food in a casual atmosphere; $5 pasta night Mon. Daily from 6pm.
- Blaxlands Restaurant Broke Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7550. More than a hundred wines from the Hunter Valley are available at this well-regarded restaurant in an 1829 sandstone cottage. You can eat outside on the verandah. Licensed. Expensive. Booking advised.
- Chez Pok Pepper's Guesthouse, Ekerts Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7596. Popular restaurant stylishly using local produce. The views overlooking vineyards are very pretty as is the antique-filled cottage interior. Daily breakfast to dinner. Licensed. Expensive.
- Hermitage Restaurant Hunter Estate, Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7777. Pleasant, rustic-style dining room with an imaginatively cooked menu focusing on NSW produce. Expensive. BYO & licensed.
- The Hoot Café 115 Vincent St, Cessnock tel 4991 2856. Sydney style and prices in this bright and airy café with soul music playing. Gourmet sandwiches, tasty cakes and delicious stuffed potatoes. Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-1pm.
- Il Cacciatore Hermitage Lodge, cnr of McDonalds and Gillards roads, Pokolbin tel 4998 7639. Excellent upmarket Italian restaurant with a wide choice, including fish dishes. Licensed & BYO.
- Roberts at Pepper Tree The Convent, Halls Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7330. The place to head for a treat in a beautiful old farmhouse filled with flowers. French rustic-style food emerges from wood-fired ovens. Expensive; licensed.
- Rothbury Café Rothbury Estate, Broke Rd, Pokolbin tel 4998 7363. A good, unpretentious lunch spot overlooking the vineyards of this winery. Well-priced pizza and pasta of the day plus interesting modern Australian dishes. Lunch daily.
Accommodation
- Belford Country Cabins 659 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin. Family-run, fully equipped wooden bungalows for up to eight people. Great bushland location, with lots of wildlife spotted, small pool and playground.
- Bellbird Hotel 388 Wollombi Rd, Cessnock. Great classic country pub, circa 1900, with wide iron-lace verandah, 5km southwest from the centre of Cessnock. The public bar is full of country characters. Eat inexpensive no-frills bistro food in the vine-covered and flower-filled beer garden. Rates include a generous cooked breakfast.
- The Convent Halls Rd, Pokolbin. The swankiest place to stay in the Hunter Valley, but at a price (from $290 per night). The guesthouse has heaps of cosy cachet, fireplaces and low beams and is part of the Pepper Tree winery. Attached is the fine restaurant, Robert's at Pepper Tree.
- Elfin Hill Motel Marrowbone Rd, Pokolbin. Friendly, family-run hilltop motel with extensive views. Comfortable units in timber cabins, all air-con. Facilities include a saltwater pool and barbecue area. Breakfast available.
- Neath Hotel Cessnock Rd, Neath. B&B in a nicely furnished listed pub, 6km east of Cessnock. Only packages are offered on weekends (one or two nights), including full cooked breakfasts and dinner in the antique-filled restaurant.
- Pokolbin Cabins Palmers Lane, Pokolbin. Extensive complex has two- and three-bedroom log cabins and five-bedroom homesteads, fully equipped with everything from linen to firewood. Swimming pool and tennis court in the shady grounds.
- Sussex Ridge Off Deaseys Rd, Pokolbin. Guesthouse in a classic two-storey, tin-roofed homestead among extensive bushland, with great views from the balcony. All rooms are en-suite and facilities include open fires, a BBQ area and a pool. Cooked breakfast included.
Events
- Vintage in the Hunter (February-April): Grape Harvesting, activities, tours and packages
- Lovedale Long Lunch (May): in Pokolbin, A weekend of great wines, food and music.
- Wollombi Village Fair (June)
- Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice Cup (July) in Cessnock
- Broke Village Fair (September)
- Spring Art Festival (September) Cessnock
- Wollombi Village Fair (October)
- Jazz in the Vines (October) in Pokolbin
- Greta Silky Oak Festival (November)
- Carols in the Vineyards (December) in Pokolbin