The Upper Hunter Valley

The Upper Hunter Valley is scenically very beautiful with rich farmland, rolling pasture, rocky outcrops, sandstone cliffs, small hills rising abruptly from the vineyards and rugged scrub-covered mountains.

Known for its magnificent horse studs and historic homesteads, the Upper Hunter is also Australia's best kept wine secret, producing some of the finest wines in the world.

About a one hour drive from Pokolbin, the wineries, mostly small and family owned, are centred around the township of Denman.

Away from the tourist hurly-burly, this beautiful area offers visitors a relaxed and peaceful stay and a view of rural Australia that visitors often don't see.

The area is well served by the wide range of motels, B&B's, country cottages and farm-stays, good budget priced hotels and popular caravan parks. These are complemented by a variety of restaurants to satisfy all tastes.

Wine making started back in 1860 when a young German settler named Carl Brecht planted vines at the junction of the Wybong Creek and the Goulburn River. From these vines he made wines which won gold medals at international wine shows during the 1870's.

The fledgling wine industry languished in the Upper Hunter until the early 1960's when Penfolds moved their "Dalwood" operation to 'Wybong Park' to become the first of many substantial commercial plantings in the area.

Grape growing in the Upper Hunter has been recognised in recent years as being more viable than in many other Hunter Valley areas. Yields per hectare are significantly higher than in the Lower Hunter due mainly to reliable supplies of water.

This has led to the acquisition of major vineyards by leading winemakers and the development of other large vineyards in the area.

Although there are many vineyards, it is the wineries, both large and small, that provide an authentic taste of the Upper Hunter.

All of the wineries cater for visitors with picnic, barbecue or restaurant facilities.