Upper Hunter Wine Region

Stretching north-west from the better-known Lower Hunter, the Upper Hunter Wine Region is a quieter, sunbaked landscape of rolling hills, horse studs and family-run wineries. It’s a place where the pace slows and the Semillon and Shiraz are just as serious as the mountain views. For travellers who want to escape the crowds and taste authentic Hunter hospitality, this is your spot.

Highlights & What to See

• Wine tasting at small producers – Seek out cellar doors like De Iuliis Wines for its elegant Semillon, Mistletoe Wines for a relaxed garden tasting, and Pepper Tree Wines for a historic homestead setting.
• Horse country – The Upper Hunter is the heart of Australia’s thoroughbred breeding industry. Drive past sprawling studs like Coolmore and Arrowfield, and if you’re lucky, catch a glimpse of champion stallions.
• Mount Royal National Park – A rugged wilderness of rainforest and granite outcrops, perfect for a bushwalk or picnic with views over the valley.
• Muswellbrook & Scone – Muswellbrook offers a heritage main street and the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre; Scone is the “Horse Capital of Australia” with a charming country vibe and the Australian Stock Horse Society museum.
• Lake Glenbawn – A peaceful spot for swimming, kayaking, or simply watching the sun set over the water.

Suggested Time to Spend

Give yourself at least two full days to explore the Upper Hunter. Spend one day visiting cellar doors and soaking up the rural scenery, and another day for a walk in Mount Royal National Park or a drive to Scone and its horse studs. If you can stretch to three days, you’ll have time to relax at a vineyard lunch and maybe squeeze in a round of golf at one of the local courses.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Lower Hunter Valley – The more famous wine region with hundreds of cellar doors, restaurants and accommodation, just an hour south.
• Barrington Tops National Park – A World Heritage-listed wilderness of ancient forests and alpine meadows, about 90 minutes east.
• Wollemi National Park – Home to the prehistoric Wollemi Pine and dramatic sandstone canyons, a two-hour drive south-west.
• New England Highway – Continue north to the historic towns of Armidale and Glen Innes for a classic country road trip.

Please check official sources for current details.