Spring has well and truly arrived in Pokolbin. The vines are pushing out fresh green leaves, the paddocks are full of life, and there's no better time to gather the family and head to Hunter Valley Resort + Farm. Spread across 100 acres on the corner of Hermitage Road and Mistletoe Lane, this is the kind of place where everyone finds their own way to fall for Wine Country.

Savannah Peterson grew up surrounded by some of the Hunter's most traditional wines. At Savannah Estate, she pours the ones that surprise people.

At Molly Morgan Wines in Lovedale, history is quite literally part of the tasting. Look across the 12 acres of vines towards the Brokenback Range, and you are standing in a landscape that carries the name of a woman whose extraordinary story is woven into the history of the Hunter Valley.

The Hunter Valley is about to become home to Australia's largest integrated resort wellness precinct, with Avani Cypress Lakes Resort set to launch in a staged rollout from October 2026.

Looking for a Hunter Valley experience that goes beyond the usual wine tasting? Savannah Estate has paired two of life's greatest pleasures, premium wine and handcrafted gourmet pies, to create something truly memorable.

You're standing in the middle of Australia's most visited wine region, with more cellar doors per square kilometre than anywhere else in the country. The only question is where to start. That's exactly what Wine & Dine Hunter Valley is built for.

There are wineries that make good wine, and then there are wineries that make a place feel like home. Gartelmann Wines and The Deck Café Lovedale, huddled side by side along Lovedale Road in the heart of the Hunter Valley, have always been both, and as Gartelmann marks its 30th anniversary in 2026, the estate is doing so with the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from decades of doing things right.

There's something about a craft beer that tastes even better when there's a chill in the air. As the Hunter Valley settles into its cooler months, the vines stripped bare and the mornings sharp with frost, The Valley Brewhouse comes into its own as one of the region's most welcoming and characterful places to pull up a chair and linger a little longer.

When the craving for something a little different hits, Ocha Japanese & Thai Restaurant at Cessnock's historic Railway Hotel has become the Hunter Valley's go-to for authentic Asian dining. As the sister venue to Oishii Japanese & Thai Restaurant, Ocha has quickly carved out its own devoted following, and it's easy to see why.

Few names in the Hunter carry the weight of Ben Ean.