If there’s one thing I love more than exploring the countryside on a sunny day, it’s wine. And if you find yourself spending some time in Sydney, a day trip to the nearby Hunter Valley to combine the two and taste some of the finest grapes in Australia is an absolute must.
Zepher Tours runs a wine and organic vodka tour every Sunday and, if that’s not enough to entice you, it includes the chance to try some great cheeses, chocolates and ice cream.
Our day began with an early 8am meet up outside the YHA near Central Station. While this is very handy for backpackers staying in the CBD, note that you will have to set your alarm for the early hours and potentially get three buses if you live somewhere further afield like the Northern Beaches. Check the transport options in advance too, as we actually had to postpone our trip once due to the Sydney Marathon messing up public transport.
Once on the coach, the guide will provide you with a wealth of information about the local area. It’s about a 2 hour drive until you arrive at the first winery. After a brief introduction, you will be supplied with a wide variety of whites, reds, bubbles and sweet dessert wines. You could do the sophisticated thing and empty each taster into a container, but I can say from experience that they won’t openly judge you if you swig each sample before the next one arrives…
Feeling a little light headed and happy, we re-boarded the coach and headed to a nearby lunch spot. You have the option of a $35 three-course meal, or you can grab a salad, pizza or sandwich at the cafe. The meal deal is great value for money.
With time to explore, my friend and I crossed over the road in search of ice cream and cheese tasting. Believe me when I say it was the best ice cream I’ve had since Italy – and that is really saying something!
The highlight of the day came as a bit of a surprise given that I’m such a wine lover. Mixing things up a bit, we stopped at a vodka distillery. The place had only just celebrated its first anniversary, but business was booming. Operating out of one surprisingly small warehouse, the Hunter Distillery produces 100% organic vodkas in a mind-blowing array of flavours.
First, we were given a presentation on the production process. Afterwards, I felt like I was back in my old university’s student union as they handed out each sample in a test tube. The rich chocolate and caramel flavours were surprisingly good, and those mixed with chili had a kick that left our mouths burning – in a good way – for some minutes after.
Heading back outside, we noticed some commotion in the bush. Suddenly, a pair of wild kangaroos burst out of the trees and raced towards a nearby lake for a quick dip. What transpired was like something from David Attenborough’s recent Mating Game series. The male repeatedly chased after the female, gave her a 2-second back rub and then attempted to get lucky. Eventually, he got his way, to the delight of a big crowd of slightly tipsy onlookers who had now gathered outside the distillery.
Mildly disturbed, we all hopped back on the tour bus for the second winery of the day. This time, we sat around large tables and had the chance to get to know other members of the tour group as we sipped on more delicious wines.
Our final stop was at a chocolatiers where we were handed mixed samples in a paper cone. I drew myself away before I’d managed to convince myself that half a kilo of fudge would be a reasonable afternoon snack. Across the road, there was a champagne tasting house, but my friend and I decided to lie down in the grass and enjoy the last rays of afternoon sunshine instead.
On the journey back to Sydney, it was clear that afternoon drinking and too much sun had got the better of most of us, as we all fell into a deep sleep. Despite waking up with a cranky neck back at the YHA, I felt rejuvenated and relaxed. It had been the perfect way to unwind.
If you fancy a taster of what you could experience on this tour, check out my video:
COMPARE ACCOMMODATION DEALS
HotelsCombined aggregates the results of hotel searches from over 40 travel sites to bring you the best deals in the quickest time.
I’d love to do a wine tour. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Mig recently posted..Bike Tour To Panama City: Crossing The Finish Line… The Bridge of the Americas
You’re welcome! I really enjoyed it. I did a wine tour in Mendoza, Argentina, last year too. It will never get old. I love wine too much!
OH MY GAWD. I just left another comment on your Highlights of New Zealand post about drinking wine then came to this! That is spooky. Caramel flavored vodka? That’s twisted but yes I will take a shot (ok, maybe two) please! Cheese, ice cream, pizza? Argh…stop! Yummilicous overload. Hang on, kangaroo porn? And all of these years I thought flowers were a way to a girl’s heart. Little did I know it was a mere 2 second back rub :)
Mike recently posted..$200 Giveaway Contest!
That is spooky! It was definitely a day of indulgence! That poor female kangaroo was not enjoying the experience. He just wouldn’t leave her alone! I contemplated including the entire scene in my video but decided it probably wouldn’t be appropriate!
I love the video! You are so talented! The wine tour sounds like fun – can we find more wines to taste when I come to visit?
Thanks! I really enjoy editing videos! I will do another when you’re here! I am definitely down with tasting more wine when you’re here. It might be purchased from the local Liquorland store though! And if I haven’t got a job by then, it might come in a plastic bag…!
I can’t believe I missed this out on my Australia trip, oh well definitely a good excuse to go back! :-)
Oh no! Yes, that’s a very good reason to return. Until then, just pop out and buy yourself a nice bottle of Australian’s finest! :)
Gosh, this brings back memories of a tasting we did in Cape Town (well, except for the entertainment). We tasted several wines and brandies, cheeses and chocolate. No one was walking straight by the time we finished. It was so much fun!
Australia produces so much wine, it must have been amazing to visit Hunter Valley. Thanks for the tour.
Marcia recently posted..Mike’s Having a Contest!
I’d love to do a wine tasting tour in South Africa. It seems I’ve been inadvertently making my way through some of the world’s biggest wine-producing regions this past year, and so perhaps Cape Town should be my next destination!
I haven’t been wine tasting in quite awhile so I’m probably overdue. I’m mainly a fan of reds though. While I’m not a big drinker, the organic vodka sounds like it’s more my scene especially with all of the different flavors. Sounds like a great day trip!
Dana Carmel @ Time Travel Plans recently posted..Virginia: All Signs Point to Hampton Roads
It was fantastic! I’m definitely a red wine drinker too, but the white’s were very welcome, especially in the warm weather. The vodkas were all really good. They had some really unusual flavours, but they worked well!
This sounds like so much fun! I love wine tastings, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since Dan proposed at a winery and we got married at a vineyard haha ;) This is definitely going on my Australia bucket list. Normally I’m not much of a liquor person, but that vodka sounds pretty interesting too!
Casey @ A Cruising Couple recently posted..The Gift of Gods: Learning How To Make Chocolate in Costa Rica
Wow! Dan sounds like my kind of guy! You are a lucky lady! Yes, the vodka was also really good. I loved that they included that for a bit of variety.
mmmm wine
Hogga recently posted..Seeing Montreal with Le St. Martin
Yep, exactly! :)
Wine, vodka, cheese, chocolate and ice cream? I’m pretty sure this is the most perfect tour on earth. I definitely need to find an excuse to visit Australia.
Oh yes!! It was pretty special! Those are basically my favourite things all in one day!
Just joined a wine tour in Lopburi, Thailand. Hope to join the one in Hunter Valley during our next year’s visit:)
Simon Lee
Simon Lee recently posted..Hiking Trip to Bukit Tabur, Kuala Lumpur (Trip Report)
Oooh! I hope you get a chance to go on a wine tour over here! I wouldn’t have considered Thailand an obvious place for wine making. I remember drinking chilled red wine from a can when I was there! I hope you have a great time!
The photos, video and your recounting of the day brought back many good memories of various visits to the Hunter Valley over the years I lived in Sydney. Very enjoyable, then.
Andrew Graeme Gould recently posted..Santiago street scenes today
Glad to have reignited some fond memories for you!
What a perfect place to spend a vacation, you give me an idea on where to go next. With all the wine tasting, surely I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.
I think you will! Have a great day!