THE HUNTER VALLEY HAS NO SHORTAGE OF VISITOR ATTRACTIONS, from stately stopovers to paddock-to-plate eateries and a vibrant year-round events calendar. Leaving is the hardest part of any trip here. Two hours can get you from Sydney’s CBD to Australia’s oldest wine-growing region, where a host of talented winemakers use the warm and humid conditions to their full advantage. This subtropical climate benefits from the Pacific Ocean and flanking gradients part of the Great Dividing Range, creating a wind funnel effect pulling cooler sea air and cloud cover inland. Without this, vineyard management would be challenging. If semillon is king here, then chardonnay is queen. The former holds iconic status, yielding enigmatic, internationally revered wines. Verdelho shows well in the prevailing heat, as does shiraz, sometimes contributing to a unique blend with pinot noir, first incepted in the mid-1900s. Expect warm welcomes, excellent dining options, and contemporary tasting experiences: the original gourmet getaway.

WINMARK WINES 229 Wollombi Road, Broke

When old winery buildings transform into graceful cellar doors, there’s a visceral feeling of antiquity you cannot deny. And this former Pooles Rock storage shed is a prime example. Chardonnay is taken to pearly heights, and Winmark Wines’ mindset is, luckily, to never keep secrets. The Art Gallery and Sculpture Park are other impressive reasons to visit.