Finding the right private group wine tour in the Hunter Valley can be challenging. Decision-fatigue, hello! Luckily, we know the Hunter Valley like the back of our hand! To say that we love this region is a hell of an understatement. Boutique wineries, cheese platters full of locally-made produce and even a cheeky cocktail or craft beer, the Hunter Valley really has it all. And then we haven’t even mentioned the sweeping views, breathtaking sunsets, or the oh-so-cute farm animals!
Choosing the perfect private group Hunter Valley tour for you and your friends or family can make all of the difference for your perfect day tour or overnight tour! Here are a few things to pay attention to when picking your tour.
Even large groups can go on epic private group wine tours in the Hunter Valley!
Should you Choose Large Wineries or Boutique Wineries?
The Hunter Valley is unique in its variety of wineries of all sizes. With a wine-making history dating back to the early 19th century, these wineries have been able to become real institutions of the regions. Wineries such as Ben Ean Winery, Tempus Two, Tyrrell’s, and Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard are a staple in the region for good reason! Their wine tasting rooms are often architectural features showcasing how long they’ve been present in the area. You can often find them dotted around Pokolbin, the main hub of the Hunter Valley. If you’re interested in visiting these well-known brands, ask your tour company about it. These destinations are often built into standard tours.
Alternatively, your private Hunter Valley tour can be built completely around visiting small boutique wineries that you may have never heard of (or a mix of both). Small boutique wineries, that are often found outside of this main hub, serve some of the finest wines in the region. We have learned that they love to spoil visitors with the most special tasting experiences. Often small, family-run businesses, they serve on a limited-production, high-quality and hand-crafted product. Due to the close relationship between the winemaker and its customers, you will learn more about what it takes to produce a boutique wine. At Urban Legends Tour Co. we specialise in taking guests to the best boutique wineries in the Hunter Valley, so make sure to ask about our private group wine tour packages. Want to visit larger wineries or a mix of both? Our team can help you out!
Read more about 15 Reasons to visit a boutique winery in Australia and how to find them.
The Private Group Tasting Experience
Because there are so many different types of wineries in the Hunter Valley, it will come as no surprise that tasting experiences on your private group wine tour can vary greatly. We generally see the larger wineries provide standing tastings and the smaller venues provide a beautiful seated wine tasting. This, however, can vary depending on the individual wineries. With seated wine tastings, craftsmen often take the time to let you taste their finest wines, hoping you will love and take home a few. These seated tastings also tend to allow visitors to taste wines that are more aligned with your own personal taste preferences.
You can expect standing tastings to be done by a cellar door staff member who gives you a quick recap of each wine in 15- 30 mins while boutique wineries will take more time to explain each wine. This results in a longer tasting time of around one hour to one hour and a half. Because these tastings are so much more customisable, we recommend to include fewer rather than more locations. If your focus is on visiting as many wineries as possible, ask your private tour operator to take you to these shorter, standing tastings.
When choosing a private group wine tour in the Hunter Valley, some can take you on only standing tastings and others focus more on seated boutique wine tastings. Ask your private tour operator about their options and tell them what you prefer. Here, at Urban Legends Tour Co., we cater to both, but we do have a sneaky preference to spoil our guests with beautiful seated tastings!
A private wine tasting amidst the vineyards, why not!
Taste Artisan Cheeses and Chocolates
The Hunter Valley isn’t only a wine destination, it is also home to many fine produce artisans! When choosing your private group wine tour in the Hunter Valley, it’s important to remember that some will provide you with complimentary artisan cheese platters, some offer them as an add-on while others don’t offer these delicious treats at all.
Many operators do offer the option of a cheese tasting on their tour. However, you should always ask whether this includes a gourmet cheese platter or whether this is just a stop at the local cheese shop, such as the Smelly Cheese Shop. While you still get to taste some local cheeses, the experience of visiting a shop that’s chokka full versus enjoying a gourmet platter during a wine tasting is a massive difference. Let alone rushing to include another location into your day.
In our humble opinion, a private wine tour in the Hunter Valley really isn’t complete without tasting all that the region has to offer. Cheese is life, amirite! Feasting on different compotes, cheeses, chocolates, or even a wood fire pizza really completes this special day. We love including gourmet cheese platters with amazing local cheeses during your wine tasting in our Hunter Valley Private Group Wine Tours as you can see by browsing through our packages.
Read more about What to expect on a NSW wine tour: All your questions answered here
Are Your Tasting Fees Included in a Private Group Wine Tour?
A pro-tip when selecting your private wine tour is to make sure that your tasting fees are included. Most Hunter Valley vineyards require you to pay a tasting fee. Tasting fees in both boutique wineries and larger scale wineries vary between $0 and $20. These tasting fees cover part of the cost of tasting the wines, but even with a small tasting fee, the wineries invest money into these tastings to allow visitors to find their favourite wine. This means that even though you pay a tasting fee, many of these wineries depend on the sale of bottles. Purchasing a bottle, or even some condiments, after your wine tasting is a gesture much appreciated by these local legends!
Many wineries also require an advance booking, especially if you are looking for a private group tour. Likewise, if you have an interest in visiting smaller boutique wineries, you will need to book an appointment in advance in addition to paying a tasting fee. Even if you are travelling with only two or four people! The perk of booking a private wine tour is that these bookings and tasting fees should all be sorted for you.
Discover Craft Breweries, Cocktail Bars or Distilleries
Want something different? The Hunter Valley has something for everyone! Private wine tours are perfect to organise something special for each member of your group. A visit to a craft brewery? Sure thing! Taste some special locally-made vodkas, gin, schnapps, or liquors? Jump on board! Want to chill and have a picnic with some epic views? Coming right up!
So, if you would like to organise a private wine tour to visit small boutique wineries with a small or large group, trust us! We take care of making sure you have a spot (some wineries we visit don’t even normally accept groups), that you get to taste some epic, often 5 Star James Halliday-rated wines, and get to experience a premium seated tasting experience in hand-picked boutique wineries. Head here to browse through our selection of packages.