The Best Sydney Wine Tours: Where To Go and How To Choose!
Sydney is home to world-class beaches, gorgeous bars and restaurants, a world-famous harbour, bridge, opera house, and so much more. We love being based in Sydney because life is, frankly put, pretty epic. Whether you enjoy being in the outdoors or whether you want to dress up and hit the town, Sydney has it all. And for the weekend? There are too many options to choose from. A day trip to the Blue Mountains, exploring the local craft breweries, or one of our favourites, going on a Sydney Wine Tour.
We know a thing or two about Sydney Wine tours, -wink, wink- we run one of Sydney's favourite wine tours! And while we're tempted to tell you all about our Sydney wine tours, this article focuses on all the best wine regions you can visit from Sydney. We won't go into specific tour companies, but we'll tell you all about where to go and what to pay attention to when booking a tour!
The Wine Regions Near Sydney
Nestled between two of NSW’s best wine regions, Sydney is the perfect starting point for a wine tour. While you might not be able to do an actual Sydney wine tour as there are no Sydney vineyards, you can start various wine tours from the NSW capital. You have two options for starting a Sydney wine tour, which is either a trip to the Hunter Valley or to the Southern Highlands. So which one should you choose if you really want the best Sydney wine tour? Well, that depends on a few factors.
Which factors matter? We won't leave you hanging, we're delving deep into the pros and cons of both wine regions and why to choose one or the other!
Hunter Valley Wine Tours: The Pros and Cons
We’re not going to claim that the Hunter Valley is a hidden gem amongst the Australian wine regions. Nope, the Hunter Valley is one of the oldest and most famous wine regions in the country. In fact, we love the region so much that we organise a few Sydney Wine Tours to taste the Hunter Valley Semillons, Shiraz, Chardonnays, and more, almost every weekend!
Why you should visit the Hunter Valley Wine Region on your Sydney Wine Tour
The Hunter Valley is one of the most famous wine regions in Australia, alongside the Barossa Valley in South Australia, the Yarra Valley in Victoria, and Margaret River in Western Australia, due to its rich history. Settlers have been working the land for wine for over 200 years and the region is now home to a few of the country's most famous wines such as Lindeman's Wines, Tyrrell's Wines, Audrey Wilkinson, and more. Due to their legacy, these wineries, and others, have been able to build grand estates and beautifully designed tasting rooms and cellar doors. These big, famous wineries have built up their brand to a point where they can charge a significant amount for their, often standing, tastings and cater to high volumes of guests each day. Many of these Hunter Valley wines are even sold in the mainstream stores in Sydney and around the country.
But the Hunter Valley is not only home to these big-scale wineries, there are still small, often family-owned boutique wineries located in the area. Most tour groups don't even make it here as these wineries are located off the tourist trail. Luckily our Hunter Valley wine tours love visiting small boutique wineries off the beaten track. With tasting fees varying from free to $15, these wineries are true hidden gems. A few of our favourite wines are located in this region, wines that you probably have never heard of! And this makes the Hunter Valley one of the most abundant regions to visit with over 150 wineries to choose from. Between the big and small wineries, one thing is for sure, you won't be going home empty-handed.
One of our goo-looking tour groups exploring boutique wineries in the Hunter Valley
Why You Should Skip the Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley is Sydney's most famous wine region, but it is actually not the closest. Located about a 2-2,5h drive from the city, the Hunter Valley is perfect if you have the time to spend a weekend away. Due to the driving distance, the Hunter Valley is not perfect for a day tour, unless your heart is really set on visiting this specific wine region and you're comfortable spending some time in the car or tour bus. We recommend making a weekend of it and spending the night in this gorgeous area.
Southern Highlands Wine Tours: The Pros and Cons
The Southern Highlands is a well-known wedding destination due to its beautiful landscapes and estates. But it is also known for its fantastic cold-weather wine selection. The colder climate and high elevation above sea level make for a beautiful Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
Why you should visit the Southern Highlands wine region on your Sydney Wine Tour
Being the closest wine destination to Sydney, at only 1,5-hour drive, the Southern Highlands is a fantastic destination, and our recommendation, for a day tour or half-day tour from Sydney. Our Southern Highlands Wine Tour is fast becoming one of our most popular tours, next to the Hunter Valley Wine Tours of course, for big and small groups, office parties and more. People adore the region in all seasons due to the beautiful changing landscapes and because of the delicious wines that the area has to offer.
Why You Should Skip the Southern Highlands
With over 60 vineyards and 15 cellar doors to choose from, the wine region has a beautiful selection of wines to choose from. However, compared to Hunter Valley's 150 wineries, if you want more choice, the Southern Highlands might not be for you. Other than that, we can honestly not think of any reason not to head to this gorgeous wine region!
One of the many delicious cheese boards you can taste on Sydney wine tours, here pictured The Southern Highlands
How to choose the best Sydney Wine Tour?
As we already said, the best Sydney wine tour for you will depend on a few factors, after all, we can't make that choice for you! To make choosing even easier for you, we've shortlisted the most important factors here!
How much time do you have? Do you have the time for a day tour, a weekend trip, or would a half-day tour suit you better?
Do you want to taste famous wines or do you prefer discovering hidden gems?
What type of landscapes do you want to see?
Do you prefer quick tastings or would you like to learn more about the wines you're tasting?
Do you like stocking up with wines you can't find in the shops or do you just want to enjoy a few glasses of wine?
And more! Read more on what to expect on a NSW winery tour here!
We hope this article has been helpful to allow you to choose your own best Sydney Wine Tour. But we won't leave you without one last important message, which is a kind reminder to not forget to buy a few bottles if you are planning to visit any boutique wineries. We believe this is incredibly important as this is what keeps these wonderful businesses alive. Read more about why buying wine is key here!
Are you keen to go exploring? Check out our Hunter Valley Wine Tours or our Southern Highland Wine Tours! We look forward to taking you legends out on an unforgettable day!