Wine Region

The Port Macquarie wine region is a delightful surprise, where cool ocean breezes and rich volcanic soils produce elegant cool-climate wines. This compact area is home to a handful of boutique wineries, most within a 20-minute drive of the town centre, offering intimate cellar-door tastings, vineyard views, and a relaxed pace that invites you to linger.

Highlights & What to See

• Cassegrain Wines – The region’s flagship winery, set amid manicured gardens with a French-inspired restaurant. Taste their acclaimed Verdelho and Semillon, then stay for a long lunch overlooking the vines.
• Bago Maze & Wines – A family-run vineyard with a twist: a giant hedge maze on site. Sample their shiraz and chambourcin, then test your navigation skills among the hedges.
• Lake Innes Nature Reserve – Not a winery, but the perfect picnic spot after a morning of tastings. Walk or cycle the lakeside trails and spot wallabies and waterbirds.
• Port Macquarie Hastings River Wine Trail – Self-drive route linking several cellar doors, including the historic Little Fish Cafe & Vineyard and the quirky Burning Mountain Wines (named for a nearby underground coal seam fire).
• Local Produce Markets – On Saturdays at the Port Macquarie Town Green, you’ll find artisan cheeses, olives, and breads to pair with your wine purchases.

Suggested Time to Spend

Devote a full day to exploring the wine region. Start mid-morning at Cassegrain for a tasting, then work your way along the wine trail, stopping for lunch at one of the vineyard cafés. Allow 30–45 minutes per cellar door, plus extra time for the maze at Bago. If you’re short on time, a half-day (three wineries) is doable – prioritise Cassegrain and Bago. The region is best enjoyed as part of a longer stay in Port Macquarie, perhaps combining with a coastal walk or dolphin cruise on another day.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Port Macquarie – The coastal hub itself, with its historic settlement, beautiful beaches, and the Koala Hospital.
• Crescent Head – A laid-back surf village 40 minutes south, famous for its long right-hand point break.
• Hat Head National Park – Spectacular coastal walking tracks and secluded beaches, ideal for a morning hike before wine tasting.
• Wauchope – A historic timber town on the Hastings River, home to the award-winning Timbertown heritage park.

Please check official sources for current details.