The best approach for the perfect Hunter Valley Getaway

It's often hard to decide where to start when planning a visit to Wine Country, there's so many places to see, wines to sip, restaurants to dine in and gorgeous scenery to absorb.

So how do you make the most of your visit in our new (COVID safe) world?

Whilst restaurants and Cellar Doors are now back to full capacity, Easter is a busy time in the Valley. Most Cellar Doors have new offerings and experiences, and bookings are the best way to tick off the bucket list.

So what's the best approach?

• Our local wine and tourism association website www.winecountry.com.au is a great place to start. It lists many of the businesses with their contact details and a summary of their offerings. 
• Create a list of must-do's; include a few staples and add a few places that you haven't been before
• Think logistically, it can be quite a distance between venues, so allow travel time. A great approach is to carve the Valley up and target one "sub-region" or area per day. You might target the Lovedale area on day one, Around Hermitage on day two and Central Pokolbin on day three.
• If you're looking to avoid the crowds, head to the roads less travelled, think Broke Fordwich, Mount View, Around Hermitage or Wollombi.
• There's some great wine experiences on offer; cheese and wine pairing; vineyard walks, behind the scenes tours, picnic tastings or a deep dive into specific varietals. And then theres breweries, distilleries, local produce.....
• Allow time to relax and enjoy yourselves, after all you're on holidays. So many people try to fit too much in in resulting in frustrations; missing out on their final booking (due delays along the way), the ability to stop and take in a specvial view or time to spot a kangaroo
• Restaurants - defintely book your restaurants. We have so many visitors in Cellar Door frustrated & hungry because they didn't book ahead
• What about the kids? Book some time at the Hunter Valley Zoo, Hunter Valley Gardens, Aqua Golf and to run and explore
• And your furry friends? Many of our Cellar Doors welcome your pets, you'll find pet friendly accomodation and lists on the wine country website

If you love the Hunter Valley's signature varieties, or would like to learn more about them, add Thomas Wines to the list. We've curated two seated experiences, one to give you an overview and one that takes a deep dive into individual vineyard wines. Book in advance and we;ll have your table ready and waiting for you on your arrival and we'll include a couple of back vinatge wines in your tasting.

So what are you waiting for? Do all the hard (but fun) work now. Plan and book your visit before your holiday, then all you have to do when you get here is relax and enjoy.