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Six Of The Best: An Agent's Guide To NSW’s Food And Wine Regions

What says 'treat your clients on holiday' more than mouthwatering cuisine, beautiful scenery, and fantastic wine? The good news is you'll find some of the best food and wine regions, right on your doorstep, in New South Wales.

What says ‘treat your clients on holiday’ more than mouthwatering cuisine, beautiful scenery, and fantastic wine? The good news is you’ll find some of the best food and wine regions, right on your doorstep, in New South Wales.

Are your clients fine-dining aficionados, wine connoisseurs, or people who simply love experiencing the authentic tastes and aromas of a destination?

Let’s face it, who doesn’t love wine?

New South Wales is a global culinary destination blessed with a fusion of flavours, cultures, fresh, local, produce, and stunning scenery.

With a range of incredible regions to travel to and treat the senses with food and wine, galore, the state offers some of the best and most diverse food and wine tourism experiences in the whole of Australia.

The local and seasonal produce is in abundance here and includes renowned oysters and freshly caught seafood, award-winning cheese and dairy, fresh seasonal fruit, and locally farmed meat.

“People come to NSW from all over the world in search of the awe-inspiring adventures that are available to us right now in NSW.”

Steve Cox, Chief Executive Officer, Destination NSW

So whether your clients fancy sipping Australia’s most awarded Semillon, taking part in a cheese-making workshop, or enjoying freshly shucked Sydney Rock oysters straight from the farm gate, the state’s 14 food and wine regions each offer something unique, for everyone to enjoy.

To get started, we’re going to inspire you with 6 of those 14 regions – so get comfy and maybe grab a glass of vino, you know, just to get you in the mood.

1. Get sipping in the Hunter Valley

Food Wine NSW
Group enjoying a guided horseback tour at Hanging Tree Wines, Pokolbin with Murchessons Horse Wine & Dine Tours

Just a two-hour drive from Sydney, The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-producing region with some of the vines first planted in the area back in the early 1820s.

Food lovers, get excited! Handcrafted cheeses, marinated olives, succulent aged beef, slow-roasted suckling pig, fresh scallops, homegrown vegetables – is your mouth watering yet?

Choose to immerse yourself in the area and trawl from vineyard to vineyard by car, bus, bike, foot, or even on horseback! The choice is yours.

2. Enjoy a gastronomic adventure in Mudgee

Food Wine NSW
Burnbrae Wines cellar door in Mudgee

Mudgee is a quintessential Australian country town with a reputation for amazing wines, and memorable food and dining experiences.

Winemaking in the region here dates back to the 1850s, with the temperate climate allowing for the slow ripening of grapes, producing robust wines. You can visit cellar doors directly, or join a wine tour.

Gastronomes can enjoy an assortment of dining options, from cafes and pubs to high-end restaurants.

Best of all, its just a three and a half-hour scenic drive from Sydney.

3. Feel fresh in Orange

Copy of Orange Farmers Market. Credit DNSW
Fresh pears available for purchase at the Orange Farmers Market

The majestic dormant volcano, Mount Canobolas, has provided Orange with soil rich in minerals. Combine this with the region’s high altitude and you have perfect conditions for the production of delectable cool climate wines and exceptional fresh produce.

Intrepid taste lovers can sample it all at first-class restaurants, cool cafes and bustling markets. Orange is closer than you think and only a three and a half-hour drive from Sydney.

4. Wine and dine in the Southern Highlands

Food Wine NSW
An elegant dish made from the freshest and highest quality ingredients at Eschalot restaurant, Berrima.

The Southern Highlands is a foodie’s paradise, populated by acclaimed restaurants, large estates, artisan farms, more than 60 vineyards, classic country pubs, and an abundance of local produce.

Throw in picture-perfect villages set amongst green rolling hills and forest reserves and you’ll be pinching yourself because this is not a dream.

Set off on a road trip from Sydney and pass through gorgeous scenery and villages with a cruisy drive time of only one and a half hours.

5. From the beach to the vino in Shoalhaven

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Cupitt’s Winery, Ulladulla.

If the beach and good wine are two of your favourite things, Shoalhaven is going to be your new destination crush.

Here, you can step off a deserted beach and into a cellar door within minutes. The region is best known for its production of Chambourcin, a French red-wine hybrid variety with vibrant red colour and fresh plummy aromas.

And the drive time? Comfortably under three hours…

Mmmmmm. See you there!

6. Embrace it all in the Canberra District

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Shaw Wines, Murrumbateman.

The Canberra District, named after Australia’s nearby capital, it’s one of the State’s best-kept secrets. This is a place where travellers will find acclaimed wines, prized truffles, and locally grown produce, all in a beautiful country setting.

Did you know, wine has been made in the Canberra District for 160 years, but it has only just captured the attention of the public these past ten years?

Now, the region has a quality mark on the wine map, with a reputation for world-class Shiraz Viognier blends, as well as Shiraz that is on par with that of France’s Rhone Valley.

The tranquil rural NSW countryside around the ACT is home to 140 vineyards with more than 30 boutique cellar doors and is just a three-hour drive from Sydney.

Ready to start inspiring your clients?

NSW Love

Click here to access the Wine Region of NSW Trade Toolkit that’ll give you all the tools you need to position you as the NSW Food and Wine expert.

Oh and by the way, if you’re heading there yourself, don’t forget to share your favourite NSW holiday experiences and snaps on social media using the hashtag #LoveNSW

Maybe you could ask your clients to share their snaps and experiences with you too to help you spread the word and inspire others to visit also.

For the full range of NSW adventures, check out visitnsw.com

READ: 5 Fantastic NSW Getaways And Stays To Reboot Your Wanderlust

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