With a winemaking history stretching back to the 1800s, the Hunter Valley remains Australia's most visited wine region, and for good reason. While destinations trend and fade, this is where Australian wine found its soul, and where it continues to deliver experiences impossible to replicate anywhere else.

What sets the Hunter Valley apart? Density and discovery. With more Cellar Doors per square kilometre than any other Australian wine region, you'll spend less time on the road and more time in the glass. From the internationally acclaimed Semillon and Shiraz that built the region's reputation to exciting new varieties championed by a new generation of winemakers, there's a depth here that only decades can create.

It may be ‘Wine Country’, but the beverage scene extends well beyond wine, with craft breweries and distilleries producing exceptional beers, ciders, gins, vodka, and liqueurs. Dedicated trails inside will help you explore them.

Then there's the food. Years of wine tourism have cultivated a dining scene that spans award-winning restaurants, relaxed vineyard eateries, classic country pubs, and produce-driven cafes. The infrastructure, the variety, the sheer breadth of choice... this is what a mature, confident region looks like.

Whether you're visiting to taste, to dine, or to load up the car with local produce, you've made a very good call. The six Wine & Food Trail Maps and specialty Tasting Trails within these pages will help you make many more. Rugged up and ready to explore?

Cheers!