A foodie retreat, staying amid the vines, is just so palatable

My friend and I are the first customers in the world to try an effervescent new drop at this cellar door and the sheer delight goes to our heads before a drop has passed our lips.

Our Bimbadgen tasting guide, Jesse, tells us that the Sparkling Blanc De Blancs 2023 has only been brought up from the warehouse this morning.

As I raise the glass to the light,  carefully swirl the precious 100 per cent chardonnay liquid on its side and  inhale the fresh citrus aromas, I have a rush of memories of New Year’s Eves past and every ‘champagne’ celebration involving bubbles.

I’m not a frequent sparkling imbiber,  so this Blanc De Blancs – made in the methode champenoise style – certainly wakes up the palate.

Yet it also delivers the ‘elegant finish’ promised in the tasting notes on the back of the bottle. It could just be me, but it seems to get better with every sip.

The Signature Experience at the Pokolbin winery (bimbadgen.com.au) not only offers insight into single-vineyard heroes of the Bimbadgen label but also showcases the grapes that are the hallmark of Hunter Valley winemaking.

We are part-way through the curated journey – covering nine semillon, chardonnay and shiraz vintages – when the wine tasting takes this unexpected but delightful turn toward the new Blanc De Blancs (‘white of whites’).

The celebrated shiraz (not to mention the wood-fired Mortadella pizza I want to order in the nearby Tuscan-inspired courtyard) will just have to wait.

Bimbadgen is custodian of two 50-year-old vineyards – Palmers Lane and McDonalds Road in Pokolbin – that epitomise the region’s wine and the unique terroir the grapes are grown in.

We become very familiar with Bimbadgen – its charming hospitality and relaxing facilities – during a five-day getaway to the Hunter Valley: Australia’s oldest wine-growing region and a staunch paddock-to-plate produce champion.

Hunter Valley Wine Country – part of the Lower Hunter Region – has more than 2600ha under vine and in excess of 150 cellar doors.

It takes in the areas of Pokolbin, Lovedale, Mount View, Broke, Wollombi and Cessnock  and can be reached in about a two-hour drive north-west of Sydney’s CBD or an hour’s drive west of Newcastle-Port Stephens Airport.

We arrive after a 75-minute, early-morning flight from Brisbane, with a mission to sample some of the most drinkable wines on offer, to stay within view of the vines, and to indulge in local artisan products and lip-smacking menus.

The Deck Café Lovedale’s (deckcafelovedale.com.au) Sunday brunch of eggs benedict with smoked salmon served on sourdough with a side of avocado smash, in a setting embracing its bushland location, certainly fits that bill.

So does Hunter Valley Chocolate’s (hvchocolate.com.au) scones and hot chocolate, chocolate-coated pretzels, fudge and gelato at the Broke Road factory café and showroom.

And if you dare, nearby Sabor in the Hunter Dessert Bar (sabordessertbar.com.au) has more than 50 treats, including traditional cheesecakes, flavoured macarons and multi award-winning Portuguese Chocolate Mousse.

But it’s hard to beat the elevated dining experience offered by Esca Bimbadgen, where every table, inside and out, has a jaw-dropping view as far as the  Barrington Ranges. Executive chef Rafael Martinez has created The Signature Experience: a five-course degustation menu of simple and elegant dishes, paired with six wines of distinction from Bimbadgen’s famed Hunter Valley sites.

The attention to detail is noteworthy – from the housemade butter and Bimbadgen shiraz salt to the crisp basil on the lightly fried potato gnocchi with creamy cheese, pea puree and pecorino.

Roast beetroots (hummus, goats feta, candied pecan and balsamic), whiting (fennel escabeche, shishito peppers and shiso), duck breast (chicken and thyme saucisson, sweet potato and bordelaise sauce) and dark chocolate cremeux (caramel, peanut praline and nougat  gelato) combine for the most memorable  of lunches.

We visit several other cellar doors during our stay, with Audrey Wilkinson, Harkham and De Bortoli among our favourites, and only short drives away.

But it is our visit to Emma’s Cottage on Wilderness Road at Lovedale that proves that while we are in the birthplace of Australian wine, the region does not stand still in its vinification.

Emma’s Cottage Vineyard was established in 1985, producing its first vintage just four years later.

Mulpha Group, owners of Bimbadgen winery, bought the property in 2021 and added the cellar door the next year.

The Alter Wines label – the ‘alter-ego’ and sister to Bimbadgen – began in 2022, allowing a new generation of daring winemakers, under the mentorship of head winemaker Richard Done, to create modern takes on classic varietals.

One of the smallest vineyards in the region, the premium boutique wines are made from the seven different varieties of grapes grown and handpicked onsite.

Across eight offerings from the Alter Wines label in our cellar door tasting, we are introduced to a parade of quaffable, affordable drops – through NV Sparkling Blanc and Blanc De Blanc 2022 to the corked Semillon 2019 and Chardonnay 2021, into the Rarebirds Rose 2022, Shiraz Pinot Noir 2021 and corked Shiraz 2019, and the new-release Late Harvest Semillon 2023 (citrus-driven, with its honeyed character at the finish) for dessert.

The unrushed tasting ends with the fragrant Makers Gin, made in the still of the night (literally!), from the new Night Merchant Distillery (built on site at the McDonalds Road complex).

It’s smooth enough to be enjoyed neat or over ice, but I can highly recommend the Bimbadgen Signature Cocktail using the Makers Gin, soda water and grapefruit juice – complementing the juniper and 12 native botanicals, including blood orange, mountain pepperberry and fingerlime.

The tasting soon turns into a long lunch with the help of a grazing platter (the Binnorie Dairy’s Duetto creamy blend of mascarpone and gorgonzola is a stand-out), followed by a glass of the 2021 Chardonnay on the patio, sitting at a wine barrel table overlooking the lawns and bushland, spotting ’roos.

Holiday mission accomplished.

CONNECTING WITH NATURE

FROM pale cornflour blue and lilacs to searing burnt orange and fairyfloss pinks, the twilight sky above the mountains reflects into the still waters and demands a flurry of camera snaps.

The cloudy afternoon threatened a downpour that didn’t eventuate.

But you couldn’t fool the wildlife. The white-faced heron, great egret, black swan and coots knew it would be a ‘perfect’ afternoon. So did the mobs of kangaroos jumping past us towards the long grass  and grapevines.

We easily lose hours, sitting on  the patio of The Lane Retreat Villa 23 by the dam.

If you need a little warm hospitality and easy-going serenity, this is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in  Hunter Valley Wine Country and connect with nature.

A total of 60 premium studio retreats, each designed in harmony with the natural surroundings, make up the resort that is located on one of Bimbadgen’s award-winning vineyards on Palmers Lane in Pokolbin.

The property – the Hunter Valley’s newest accommodation destination – boasts 15 hectares of secluded vineyard and natural bushland, as well as a relaxing swimming pool and outdoor deck area.

Breakfast provisions are supplied for your stay. The Lane Pantry (open 8am-6pm) is a short stroll past the vines for a tea or coffee break, with a selection of local wines, gourmet treats and gifts including homewares and décor found in the villas.

Guests staying at The Lane Retreat can book free return transfers to Bimbadgen Cellar Door, Esca Restaurant, the Pizzeria or Emma’s Cottage so they can enjoy that extra glass of wine, guilt-free.

* The writer was a guest of Bimbadgen.

 Visit thelaneretreat.com.au

GETTING there: Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas fly between Brisbane and Newcastle-Port Stephens Airport daily. The flying time is about an hour and  15 minutes.

PLAY: Harrigan’s Hunter Valley (Irish pub): 2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin, harriganshuntervalley.com.au

Hunter Valley Gardens:  2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin, huntervalleygardens.com.au