Stay the night at these Hunter Valley wineries

Emma’s Cottage

Set around the edges of Alter Wines (a small, boutique vineyard run by the Bimbadgen team) these Emma's Cottage are humble, cute stays in the heart of the Hunter region. The modern cottages come with fully equipped kitchens, access to a pool and outdoor areas set up for eating away an afternoon with a few cheeses and a drop or two. The nearby cellar door serves a range of wines, all grown in the vines you can see out your cottage window. 

Emma’s Cottage Vineyard, Hunter Valley

Tinonee Vineyard Estate

Verdelho, muscat, chambourcin, shiraz and fiano grapes are all grown across Tinonee’s 16 acres of vines, providing a fairytale backdrop for a stay at the estate’s two homes: The Residence and The Cottage. Both are a picture of understated country luxury, the former with space to sleep 12 and the latter with two bedrooms to host four visitors. Stay at The Residence and you can lounge by the open fire with a glass of the estate’s 1813-branded wine, take a dip in the lagoon-style pool or challenge your friends to a game of chess on the oversized alfresco board. Admire the views of the vines from The Cottage, a charming former dairy farm milking station with a beautiful courtyard. Whichever you choose, take time to stroll the grounds and visit the cellar door to taste The Governor – a reserve Shiraz that’s a flagship of the 1813 range. 

Tinonee Vineyard Estate, Broke - Credit: Tinonee Vineyard Estate

Audrey Wilkinson

As one of the oldest wineries in the Hunter Valley – dating back to 1866 – Audrey Wilkinson is well known for its cellar door, which sits on the crest of a hill and enjoys 360-degree vistas of vines and the surrounding region. Less people know about the trio of nearby cottages, which boast the same views. Pick either a two-bedroom converted dairy with a private garden, a three-bedroom cottage with a wraparound verandah or a spacious four-bedroom (all with ensuites) country house. All up, 18 guests can be accommodated across the houses – ideal for families and group getaways. 

Audrey Wilkinson Wines, Pokolbin

Leogate Estate Villas

Linger over a dry-aged steak in Leogate’s upmarket bistro The Gates Restaurant, then wander a few metres beside neat rows of vines to the property’s cosy one- or two-bedroom stays, or the more luxe three-bedroom Gate House. Take a bottle of Leogate chardonnay or shiraz back with you – the vines have been cultivated on these grounds since the 1960s – to enjoy on your verandah overlooking the grapes, the Brokenback Range and a miniature mirror-like dam. There are kitchenettes, so you can prepare the goodies in your hand-delivered breakfast hamper, as well as complimentary minibar snacks.  

Leogate Estate, Pokolbin

Winmark Wines

Between Winmark’s art gallery, sculpture park and cellar door lie four distinct, characterful properties. The Residence offers poolside luxury and open-plan country comfort across four bedrooms with ensuites as well as tennis courts, a rose garden and an outdoor dining area. Rock View is a humble, spacious five-bedroom home with a private pool just next to Winmark’s vegetable garden (help yourself). Villa Vino is a cosy couples’ retreat decked out with a fire pit and open-air kitchen overlooking the mountains. Meanwhile, the grandest property, Mio Monte, is a sunny, art-filled 14-person manor, with its own pool, outdoor dining area, and loft bedrooms making it a great choice for large groups wanting space.  

Villa Vino at Winmark Wines, Broke - Credit: Justin Aveling

Spicers Vineyard Estate

Imagine the typical Hunter Valley weekend – luxurious dining, local wines sipped while looking out at their provenance and a room that combines Australian bushland scenery with a bit of European elegance. That’s exactly the Spicers’ experience. Nestled between eight acres of vineyard and native bushland, the 12 stylish guestrooms are quiet country luxury. Step outside of your room to indulge in a massage, facial or full-body treatment at the on-site Spa Anise; lounge by the pool, make use of the free rental bikes to explore the grounds and beyond; and enjoy a lunch or dinner of fine dining overlooking the grapes at Restaurant Botanica. 

Spicers Vineyard Estate, Hunter Valley - Credit: Spicers Vineyard Estate

Hermitage Lodge

Sitting on 25 picturesque acres of vineyards, the award-winning Hermitage Lodge offers boutique-style accommodation in the heart of the Hunter. Although not home to a cellar door of its own, its location just 10km from Cessnock meaning the lodge is walking distance to some of the area's most popular wineries. Choose from 20 studios and suites, all with verandahs overlooking the lodge's shiraz grapes. After a big day of wine tasting, designated drivers can take it easy by booking into dinner at the on-site restaurant, Pescara, where head chef Kelvin Foster dishes up a seasonal menu of fresh and simple Italian. 

Hermitage Lodge, Pokolbin - Credit: Hermitage Lodge

Krinklewood Vineyard Farm Stay 

While the Hunter Valley is full of country charm and European dreams, Krinklewood offers a vision of the future: an innovative, sustainable cabin designed by energy-conscious architecture firm Dimensions X. For you that means a cosy timber stay that will make your social media following adequately jealous of your ethical-luxury lifestyle. The cellar door is run on a similar ethos, featuring organic and biodynamic wines and, in a twist away from  Krinklewood’s crisp aesthetic, surprise visits from the farm’s roaming peacocks.  

Krinklewood Vineyard Farm Stay, Hunter Valley

Talits Estate  

This is your chance to live out your European vineyard fantasies just a few hours from Sydney. The family-run winery is centred by a magnificent, vine-covered French-designed replica of a chateau in Aix-en-Provence. Inside, the ten-person-capacity manor is all about rural elegance (check the antique copper bathtub and farmhouse-style kitchen), and outside, there’s a pristine garden on one side, traditional pétanque court and rows of vines on the other. Spend your days exploring the area, lounging by the pool and enjoying a Talits Estate single estate merlot (any cellar door visit also has the option of tasting their craft beer Broke Brewing).  

Talits Estate, Hunter Valley

The Lane Retreat 

Set on one of the Bimbadgen vineyards, these studios provide a one-to-two-person rural getaway with a contemporary take. The studios are minimal but tasteful, all conceived with sustainability-forward principles (see the solar panels and rewilding program on the property). Before checking in, duck into The Lane Pantry to stock your studio with Hunter Valley wines, bites or gifts for those back home.  

The Lane Retreat, Hunter Valley

McCaffrey's Estate Self Contained Cottages 

The cottages of McCaffrey's suit the family-owned single-vineyard philosophy – unpretentious, connected to the area and relying on excellent, personal service that’s seen the Pokolbin accommodation win several awards. Both cottages include pool access, fully equipped kitchens, EV chargers, views of gardens rolling into the vines and a breakfast hamper that puts B&Bs to shame. While you sit out on the patio with a wine made just metres away, the only other beings you’ll be sharing your time with are the local kangaroos.  

McCaffrey's Estate Self Contained Cottages, Hunter Valley