Hunter Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night

The best part of a Hunter Valley day is usually the last hour of it, when the light drops behind the Brokenback Range and nobody wants to drive. Twenty-five cellar doors in the valley solve that problem by letting you sleep where you have been tasting. Some are a single studio behind the winery. One is twenty villas. Every bed below is on a working vineyard, and every stay is described in the words of the venue or the business that lets its rooms.

The Short Version

• Twenty-five Hunter Valley wineries have somewhere to sleep on the property, from Gartelmann's single studio to Leogate's twenty villas and three-bedroom Gatehouse.
• Pokolbin has twelve of them, Lovedale six, Broke three, with four more out at Mount View, Wollombi, Cedar Creek and Denman.
• Four say your dog can stay the night as well, and one of those has a single pet-friendly cottage out of seven.

Fifteen of the twenty-five offer more than one place to stay, so a couple, a family and a group of twelve can all be accommodated without leaving the vineyard. Here they are by area, starting where the most choice is.

Pokolbin

All 25 are in the free Jedhi app. Mapped, and you can filter for Accommodation anywhere in the country, so the next weekend away starts with a map instead of 25 open tabs. Free on iPhone and Android.

1) Audrey Wilkinson (Pokolbin), three cottages on the valley's best-known hill

Why it works:

• Their own words: the vineyard is "home to three guest cottages, Mulberry Cottage, The Dairy and Oakdale Cottage", sleeping eight, four and six.
• The cellar door is open daily, 10am to 5pm, closed only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• The view is the reason people come. Audrey Wilkinson calls the position "unsurpassed 360 degree views of the Hunter Valley and the magnificent Brokenback Ranges".

One caution worth knowing before you book: the estate's own site also links to accommodation at a sister property elsewhere in the region. The three cottages above are the ones on this hill.

2) Bimbadgen (Pokolbin), a homestead and a cottage on McDonalds Road

Bimbadgen publishes a stay on the estate road itself, described as "Bimbadgen's Homestead or Cottage", where "The spacious Homestead sleeps up to 8 guests and features a pool, BBQ, and billiard table, while the cosy Cottage sleeps up to 4 and offers stunning vineyard views." A bottle of wine on arrival and breakfast on the first morning come with it. The cellar door, which now shares its room with the Night Merchant distillery, runs Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Bimbadgen also sells stays at two sister properties on other roads, so check the address if sleeping at the cellar door is the point.

3) Bonvilla Estate (Pokolbin), one villa, two to twelve people

A recently rebuilt estate on a hundred acres off Oakey Creek Road, with a single villa that stretches a long way. In their words it is "Perched atop a hillside, the Villa boasts sweeping views across the valley, and is conveniently located next to our cellar door, able to sleep 2 to 12 guests". The cellar door is open seven days, 10am to 5pm, which is not something every winery in this list can say.

4) Calais Estate Winery (Pokolbin), a six-bedroom house on the hill

Book this one through the agent rather than the winery. Calais House is let by Hunter Valley Stays, who describe it as "Calais Estates' private residence", "offered for the first time in the property's history", with six bedrooms for up to 13 guests on 110 acres "atop Calais' vine-clad hills", looking across Pokolbin to the Brokenback Ranges. There is a pool, a wood fire and wraparound verandahs, and a walk down the hill to the cellar door, which now opens seven days. It is not pet friendly.

5) De Iuliis Wines (Pokolbin), thirty metres from the cellar door

The Winemakers House is about as close as this gets. De Iuliis put it "just 30 metres from our busy cellar door" on Broke Road, sleeping up to seven across four bedrooms, and it is one of the few stays in the valley that is explicitly pet friendly: "This is a pet-friendly zone, so bring your furry friends along too". The cellar door is open seven days, 10am to 5pm. The family also runs a second cottage at a separate Pokolbin address, so ask which one you are booking.

6) Hanging Tree Wines (Pokolbin), a homestead and a cellar door in an old cow shed

Hanging Tree's homestead is straightforward: "Our Homestead comfortably sleeps 8 in its 4 bedroom / 4 bathroom". What makes the visit is the rest of the property, which they built out of what was already standing, including a cellar door "housed within an old cow shed". Open daily, 10am to 5pm, and the cellar door is pet friendly, though the homestead itself does not say either way.

7) Harkham (Pokolbin), a duplex and a six-room lodge

Harkham offers what it calls "beautiful accommodation options right in the heart of our winery": Harkham House, "a 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom duplex accommodation in a contemporary, yet country style" adjacent to the cellar door, and Harkham Lodge, "6 individual rooms, 4 one bedrooms, 1 deluxe room and 1 family room" on the vineyard. The cellar door runs Thursday 11am to 4pm and Friday to Sunday 11am to 4.30pm, and there is a restaurant and wine bar on site, which is rarer than it sounds when you are not driving anywhere.

8) Latitude 32 Wines (Pokolbin), a winemaker's residence on their own vineyard

The stay here is "Vineyard Escape", which Latitude 32 describe as "a luxurious 5-bedroom winemaker's residence located on our 50-acre Duck Hollow vineyard". Read that carefully, because it is on their vineyard rather than at their cellar door: the residence is on Deasys Road and the cellar door is on Hermitage Road. The cellar door is open seven days, 10am to 5pm, and says plainly, "Everyone is welcome at our Cellar Door, we are dog-friendly and family-friendly."

9) Leogate Estate Wines (Pokolbin), the biggest choice in the valley

Twenty villas, in "a choice of one-bed studio, two-bed and an accessible option", each with a private balcony looking at the vineyards and the Brokenback Range, plus The Gatehouse, "Leogate's luxurious three-bedroom residence", which they describe as "the only one of its scale within the Estate". If you are trying to put a large group on one property without splitting them across cottages, this is the one with the room. Cellar door Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

10) Peter Drayton Wines (Pokolbin), a homestead, six villas, or the whole vineyard

The most flexible entry on the list. Their own description: "Our stunning vineyard at 694 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin is home to the five-bedroom IronBark Hill Homestead and six architecturally designed Vineyard Villas." The homestead sleeps ten and has a pool and a tennis court; the villas come in one and two bedroom versions. They also sell the site outright as "Exclusive use of the whole vineyard: the Homestead and all six villas together, plus the Cellar Door, Beer Garden and Wedding Chapel." There is a brewery and a distillery on the property too. Cellar door Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday to Sunday 10am to 5pm, and "Four-legged friends are welcome in our outdoor areas."

11) Vinden Wines (Pokolbin), a six-bedroom homestead and free-ranging peacocks

Vinden state the thing most of this list leaves you to work out: "Our cellar door & homestead are both located at 138 Gillards Road, Pokolbin". The homestead takes twelve across six bedrooms, with a pool overlooking the vineyard. The cellar door runs seven days, 10am to 5pm, with tastings on the hour. Dogs are welcome in the cellar door gardens on a lead, and they ask that you keep them there, because there are "free-ranging peacocks onsite".

12) 4 Pines at the Farm (Pokolbin), a brewery taproom with the resort next door

The one entry where the beds belong to a different business, so it is worth being clear about. 4 Pines describes its taproom as "located next to the family owned and operated Hunter Valley Resort". The resort runs "a 35 room lodge or country inn, nestled on 100 acres of wide-open spaces, complete with our own vineyards", with king rooms, family rooms, spa cottage rooms and a two-bedroom cottage, on the same land as the taproom, so you can walk from your room to the bar. The taproom itself is a 600 square metre space with a bistro and a cellar door pouring Hunter Farm wines alongside the beer, open seven days from 7.30am. Pets are not permitted in the guest rooms.

Lovedale

13) Adina Vineyard and Olive Grove (Lovedale), three villas and an olive grove

Adina publish "three fully self-contained villas nestled among picturesque vines", each with three bedrooms and ensuites, taking four to six people, with a pool on site. The cellar door pours wine and olive oil, Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday and Monday 10am to 4pm, which is seven days in total. There is also a room of classic cars attached to the tasting offer, which is either the best or the worst news depending on who you are travelling with.

14) Emma's Cottage (Lovedale), the one to book if the dog is coming

One of only two venues in the valley that say yes to dogs at both ends of the day, Stonehurst being the other. On the accommodation: "These cottages are also dog friendly, so you're welcome to bring along your four-legged friend." On the cellar door: a "Pawcuterie Board (For your pooch!)". The stays run from two-bedroom cottages sleeping four, to a four-bedroom cottage sleeping eight, to a five-bedroom guesthouse. Worth knowing that the cellar door on the property trades under a different name, Alter Wines, so do not go looking for an Emma's Cottage sign on the tasting room. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm.

15) Gartelmann Wines (Lovedale), one studio, twenty acres

The smallest stay here and a good one for two people who do not want a house. Gartelmann describe the Gartelmann Studio as "a charming property set on 20 acres, alongside the Gartelmann Cellar Door and renowned Deck Cafe Lovedale", and note that "The Studio is also pet friendly." The cellar door keeps the longest hours in this guide, Monday to Friday from 9am, Saturday and Sunday from 10am, with a cafe and an animal farm on the same site.

16) Molly Morgan Wines (Lovedale), three villas, one king bed each

A cellar door that reopened recently under new owners, with "three boutique one-bedroom vineyard villas" named for the grapes, each sleeping two, or all three together as the Breakaway Villas for six. Cellar door Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment. It is proudly pet friendly at the cellar door, with dogs on lead "to keep them safe from wildlife and the open dams", though the villas themselves do not say.

17) Tatler Wines (Lovedale), sleep above the cellar door

The Tatler Loft is exactly what it sounds like: "Located above the winery's cafe and cellar door, everything you need is right on your doorstep", with up to three king bedrooms and ensuites. For a bigger group there is The Tatler Lodge, "6 bedrooms and can comfortably accommodate up to 12 people", on the working vineyard. Cellar door Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm.

18) Wandin Valley Estate (Lovedale), six different stays on 120 acres

The widest range of shapes on one property. Wandin publish six separate stays, from Hannah's Loft, a "perfect stay for 2 adults", through Alasdair's Place for four, to Oliver's Cottage, "a secluded retreat set in a private bushland area, featuring four individual suites, each with its own ensuite and private balcony", and three four-bedroom villas. The cellar door is weekends only, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm, so plan the tasting for the right two days.

Broke

19) Krinklewood Estate (Broke), three stays and a biodynamic vineyard

Krinklewood offer "three distinct stays": two architect-designed farmstay cabins for two and four guests, and the Krinklewood Residence, "A French-inspired farmhouse for up to 8 guests, with sprawling gardens, a pool, a tennis court, and an award-winning biodynamic vineyard at your doorstep". The cellar door is Friday to Sunday only, 10am to 5pm, closed Monday to Thursday, and it is dog friendly on a lead, with a resident Maremma on the payroll. There is a trattoria on the property as well.

20) Whispering Brook (Broke), a country house for eight to eighteen

Whispering Brook is set up for the group trip: "Whispering Brook Guesthouse is a private, 5-bedroom country house set across 27 acres of vineyard and olive grove in Broke Fordwich, sleeping 8 to 18 guests", with a two-night minimum. The cellar door is walkable from the house and opens Thursday to Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm, and at other times by appointment. The guesthouse is pet friendly in the outdoor areas and the covered carport.

21) Winmark Wines (Broke), three houses and a sculpture park

Winmark run three separate houses on the vineyard: Villa Vino for two, Rock View for ten, and Mio Monte for fourteen, which is twenty-six beds across the property if you take the lot. The estate is built around chardonnay, art and a sculpture park, with a gallery beside the tasting room. Cellar door Sunday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm.

Further out

22) Mount View Estate (Mount View), four stays on a hillside

Mount View Estate publish four options, from a one-bedroom studio up to Mount View House, "a private, two-storey retreat for up to 10 guests", all of them "Nestled among the estate's vineyards" on the hill above Cessnock. The cellar door takes bookings through its own site rather than publishing set hours, so book the tasting rather than turning up.

23) Stonehurst Cedar Creek (Cedar Creek), seven cottages and the Wollombi road

The largest spread of separate cottages in this guide: "Cedar Creek's seven private, self-contained vineyard cottages offer ideal Wollombi accommodation for couples and larger groups alike", twenty-eight guests in total across three Settler's Cottages, three Farm Cottages and Grove Cottage. Dogs are part of the offer here, with a caveat worth reading: "We are a pet friendly venue and would love to welcome your dogs to be a part of the day! We have 1 pet friendly cottage which they can stay in if supervised." Cellar door Thursday to Monday 10am to 5pm, Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment.

24) Two Rivers Wines (Denman), four bedrooms above the Hunter River

The Upper Hunter entry, and a long way from the Pokolbin traffic. Their guest cottage "has four bedrooms and is fully self-contained with all the comforts of home", sitting "amongst the vines" with a deck over the Hunter River and a wood fire for the cold months. The cellar door is open daily; the venue does not publish set times, so call ahead if you are arriving late in the day.

25) Undercliff Winery, Gallery & Settlers Cottage (Wollombi), the 1847 homestead

The oldest bed in this guide and the most characterful. Undercliff was "proclaimed and settled as a farm in 1846 and still retains the original timber slab sheds and homestead, the latter is now unique accommodation for guests named Settlers Cottage". The cottage is fully self-contained with an open fireplace, sleeping up to six, set on a hillside above the vineyard and olive grove. The cellar door doubles as a gallery and is open daily, 10am to 5pm, a kilometre and a half from Wollombi village.

The Cheat Code: How to Plan a Hunter Valley Stay Without Driving Twice

The whole point of sleeping at a winery is that you stop moving. The mistake is booking the bed first and the tastings second, then discovering that the cellar door you most wanted is shut on the day you arrive.

Book in this order:

• Pick the two days you are there, then check which cellar doors actually open on them. Wandin Valley is weekends only. Krinklewood is Friday to Sunday. Leogate is closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Choose the stay that matches the group. One or two people are better served by Gartelmann's studio, Molly Morgan's villas or Latitude 32. Eight or more should look at Whispering Brook, Calais House, Winmark's Mio Monte, Peter Drayton's homestead or Leogate's Gatehouse.
• Put the venue you are sleeping at last on the tasting list, so the final stop is the one you can walk home from.

Two things people get wrong:

• Assuming the bed is at the cellar door. At Latitude 32 the residence is on a different road from the tasting room, Bimbadgen and De Iuliis both sell stays at separate addresses as well as on the estate, and at 4 Pines the rooms belong to the resort next door.
• Assuming a dog-friendly cellar door means a dog-friendly room. Most of the valley welcomes dogs at the tasting bench and says nothing at all about the bedrooms. Only four say yes to the room: Emma's Cottage, De Iuliis, Gartelmann and one cottage at Stonehurst.

Pick the region, pick the stay, and let the app line up everything between the two. Jedhi has the Hunter Valley mapped, cellar door by cellar door, so you can see which ones are open on the day you are actually there.

More Hunter Valley guides: Family-Friendly Wineries in the Hunter Valley With Playgrounds, Family-Friendly Wineries in the Hunter Valley With Lawn Games, Dog-Friendly Wineries in NSW and the ACT and NSW Wineries With Caravan Camping.

More wine-country stays: Margaret River Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Orange Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Granite Belt Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Yarra Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Mornington Peninsula Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Mudgee Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night and Rutherglen Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, and Barossa Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night.

Bringing the dog? See Dog-Friendly Winery Stays in Australia.