Petersons Armidale Winery and GuesthouseCredit: Destination NSW
Explore one of New South Wales’s lesser known wine regions.
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If you love great food and wine, you may have ticked off trips to some of New South Wales’s better known wine regions, such as the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange or the Southern Highlands — all of which have earned excellent reputations as epicurean hubs. If you’re thinking about where to go next, look a little further afield to the lesser known New England wine region.
Stretching from Tenterfield south to the Armidale area and out west to Inverell, the New England High Country has been winning international prizes for its wines since the 1870s. This cool-climate region produces an array of elegant wine styles, and innovative winemakers continue to experiment with styles that thrive in the cooler temperatures in a variety of soils.
Some of Australia’s finest fresh produce is grown here, and it’s showcased on menus throughout the region. Here’s where to wine and dine your way around the New England High Country.
Sip tannat in Tenterfield
Soak up the superb countryside views on a self-guided tour of Tenterfield’s wineries, starting at Zappa Wines. This is a family operation that grows nine varietals on its mixed farming property in the Dumaresq Valley just under an hour west of town. At its cellar door, you can taste less common wines, including barbera and tannat, along with chardonnay, shiraz and more. Nearby Reedy Creek Estate also has a cellar door where you can taste your way through its whites, reds and digestifs, or simply grab a bottle of the prosecco to enjoy later.
Back in Tenterfield, you can sample more wines (and craft beers) from the New England region and beyond at Our Place Wine and Espresso Bar, which is open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays and Friday night dinners. A recently renovated 1940s pub with eight heritage-style rooms upstairs and classic pub fare downstairs, The Commercial Boutique Hotel is a great place to stay.
Pick strawberries in Glen Innes
Between Tenterfield and the historic town of Glen Innes, make a detour off the New England Highway to visit 2 Wild Souls in Torrington, which makes sparkling honey mead, using a traditional natural fermentation process that helps retain the qualities of the honey blossom. In Glen Innes, kids will love visiting The Super Strawberry strawberry farm for old-fashioned milkshakes and scones with jam and cream — don’t forget to take a jar of jam home with you. An hour’s drive west, learn how olive oil is made and taste locally made spice blends at Olives of Beaulieu, near Inverell.
Commercial Boutique Hotel, Tenterfield Credit: Destination NSW
Men enjoying hot beverages at the Commercial Boutique Hotel in Tenterfield.
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Commercial Boutique Hotel, Tenterfield Credit: Destination NSW
Men enjoying hot beverages at the Commercial Boutique Hotel in Tenterfield.
The Super Strawberry, Glen Innes Credit: Destination NSW
The Super Strawberry farm in Glen Innes.
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The Super Strawberry, Glen Innes Credit: Destination NSW
The Super Strawberry farm in Glen Innes.
Get hoppy in Armidale
If you’re headed from Glen Innes to Armidale, don’t miss Deano’s Springwater Smoked Trout, just off the New England Highway at Black Mountain. Here you can try your hand at fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon in the recreational dam, with rod and lure hire available. You can also pick up some of their award-winning smoked trout dip here, or at the Armidale Farmers’ Market, typically held on the second Sunday of every month.
In Armidale, the refurbished Art Deco Tattersalls Hotel isn’t just a smart place to stay. Following stints at The Savoy in London and the Shangri-La in Doha, French chef Jean-Luc Morcellet now heads up Tattersalls’s kitchen.
Less than 10 minutes’ drive south of the city, you’ll find established winery Petersons Armidale Winery. At its cellar door, which operates out of the original homestead stables, you can taste semillon, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Enjoy lunch on the lawn on weekends, and stay a night in the traditionally furnished guesthouse.
If you’re thirsting for craft beer, Great Hops Brewing Co. and The Welder's Dog have you covered. Or if a good cup of tea is more your thing, head to Daily Ritual, where the collection of 200 leaf teas includes the New England Breakfast, which won bronze at the 2017 International Tea Expo.
Venture further afield for vodka
A 45-minute drive west of Armidale, Merilba Estate produces a range of white, red and sparkling wines; try the range in the 150-year-old building that houses the cellar door and follow it with lunch (book ahead). Head 30 minutes south of Armidale, and you’ll find Eastview Estate, a unique distillery, brewery and restaurant, producing award-winning gin, vodka, beer and whisky. And its speakeasy-style bar is the perfect place to sample the offerings.
Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale Credit: Destination NSW
The historical facade of the Tattersalls Hotel in Armidale.
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Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale Credit: Destination NSW
The historical facade of the Tattersalls Hotel in Armidale.
Merilba Estate Wines, Uralla Credit: Destination NSW
Sunset at Merilba Estate Wines, Uralla.
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Merilba Estate Wines, Uralla Credit: Destination NSW
Sunset at Merilba Estate Wines, Uralla.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.