In Part Four of our Best Winery Experiences around the country, we head to New South Wales' Hunter Valley and Tasmania to visit Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard, Josef Chromy Winery and Moorilla. Creative, indulgent and revealing, one of these winery experiences could be the highlight of your next long weekend away.
Hunter Valley, NSW
Semillion, Chardonnay, Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon
The Hunter Valley requires little introduction for lovers of award-winning Semillion. It was here, in the nation's oldest continuous grape growing region, that Audrey Wilkinson planted the first vines in Pokolbin circa 1866. His legacy of 'It's all about the taste' lives on with Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard's Seafood & Semillon experience. Enjoy a VIP museum tour, followed by a master class and premium tasting. Collect your locally sourced seafood platter and handpicked Semillon, then make for your private table on the verandah overlooking the vines.
Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard in the Hunter Valley – the nation's oldest continual grape growing region. Image courtesy of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
Being just two hour's drive from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is also Australia's most visited wine region. However, Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard's Picnic Escape is proof you can still find an experience ripe for romance. Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight over wine country before landing at the vineyard. Taste at the Cellar Door before picking up a gourmet lunch hamper of salads, cold cuts, cheese, desserts and a bottle of fine wine. A scenic flight, tasting and picnic in Mediterranean climes? Je t'aime.
Picnic Escape at Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard, Hunter Valley. Image courtesy of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
Close to Launceston, Tasmania
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc
Where else but Tasmania could you learn the art of fly casting, taste exciting cool climate wines, and indulge in fresh produce – all in one experience? Find yourself lakeside among the rolling hills of Josef Chromy Winery with one of Tasmania’s leading fly fishing guides to learn the basics. Your Fly Fishing At Josef Chromy experience continues with a tasting at the Cellar Door, before a 2-course lunch of fine Tasmanian produce paired with wines in the Restaurant.
Rolling hills of Josef Chromy Winery, 10 minutes from Launceston. Image courtesy of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
Josef Chromy, the vineyard's founder and namesake, has a remarkable life story. Fleeing his war-torn Czech village in 1950 as a penniless 19-year-old, he immigrated to Australia five months later. At Josef Chromy Wines, the culmination of his winemaking experience in the Tamar Valley, Go Behind The Label to explore the winemaking process from grape to glass. Taste some wines in their unfinished state before enjoying a 2-course lunch matched with the finished product.
Go Behind The Label at Josef Chromy Winery. Image courtesy of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
Close to Hobart, Tasmania
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc
If you'd prefer your Pinot Noir and charcuterie plate came with a side of funerary objects and moderist masterpieces – may we introduce the Moorilla Wine Meets MONA Art Day Tour. Head up the River Derwent from Hobart on board MONA's MR-1 to the picturesque Museum of Old and New Art site. After your art fix, enjoy a plate and matched wine in the Wine Bar before your behind-the-scenes tour and tasting starts in Tasmania's second oldest vineyard.
Visit the underground barrel room on Moorilla's Posh As Day At MONA. Image courtesy of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
The Pick of the Cellar?
Take the previous experience, inject heavy amounts of rock-star treatment, and you get Moorilla's Posh As Day At MONA. Bunker down in the super exclusive Posh Pit on board MONA's MR-1 with complimentary wine, Moo Brew beer and snacks. This version of the tour includes a tailored tasting of Moorilla’s Praxis and Muse Series in the fancy underground Barrel Room. Save your complimentary bottle of Muse Pinot Noir, as your 3-course lunch at The Source Restaurant is matched with wines from the benchmark Cloth Label and Muse Series. Prices vary per winery experience. These wineries in New South Wales and Tasmania are part of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia – a hand-picked collection of premium wineries where tasting great wine is only part of the experience.
