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MayTastingWorth the trip

Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival: Trip Planning Guide

Pokolbin, Australia

May
When
$20–$200
Entry
6 days
Suggested trip
Sydney
Nearest airport

Going to Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival?

A month-long celebration of Hunter Valley wine and food throughout May and June. Events range from opera in the vines and long-table lunches to blending workshops and cheese-and-wine pairings. As Australia's oldest wine region (since 1828), the Hunter offers a unique mix of tradition and modern wine tourism.

Your trip blueprint

1
Arrive a day early
Settle in and visit a local producer before the crowds arrive — fly into Sydney Airport (SYD).
2
Festival (3 days)
Throughout May and into June. Best for wine-enthusiasts and foodies.
3
Extend into the region (2 days)
Hunter Valley has 150 mapped wineries — add 2 days to explore at your own pace.
Insider tip

Enroll in the blending workshops with Tyrrell's and Mount Pleasant—the month-long format means you can attend multiple sessions and track vineyard activity from véraison through harvest. Book opera-in-the-vines events early; they're held at heritage vineyards with access to 1950s-vintage Semillons unavailable commercially.

About Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region, with vineyards dating to the 1820s on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales. Just two hours north of Sydney, it produces two wines of global significance: Hunter Semillon — arguably the world's greatest expression of the variety, capable of ageing 20 years or more — and Hunter Shiraz, a savoury, earthy style quite unlike the power of Barossa.

Read the full Hunter Valley wine region guide →

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Festival info: www.winecountry.com.au