15 of the best cellar doors in NSW

Nominate a designated driver and jump in the car. There's more to discover among the vines than just great wine. Here are some of the state's best cellar doors.

PET AND CHILD-FRIENDLY

Artemis Wines, Southern Highlands

Rolling lawns surround this recycled river redgum-clad cellar door, where pets on leash are welcome in the outdoor areas. Cheese and charcuterie boards, and wood-fired pizzas at weekends are a few of the drawcards to this Mittagong gem. Live local music on Sunday afternoons and Laughter in the Vines yoga broaden smiles further. The high-altitude, cool-climate Southern Highlands region is dotted with boutique family-run wineries who did it tough during extreme rain events last year, so make a weekend of it and support the close-knit community. artemiswines.com.au

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Bendooley Estate, Southern Highlands

Bendooley Estate's Berkelouw Book Barn, home to a bookstore, restaurant and bar, is quite the spectacle; it's like something out of Harry Potter. Settle in to dine on Southern Highlands produce, explore the 19th century-style gardens or taste winemaker Jonathan Holgate's creations. He encourages visitors to try new things. "Customers should keep an open mind to what they are trying, especially varieties they've never heard of or even preconceived ideas about what wines were like in the past," Holgate says. "For example, we have riesling that is dry, not sweet like it was in the past. Our chardonnay is beautifully balanced, not oak-dominant." Open daily. bendooleyestate.com.au

SMALL BUSINESS, BROAD RANGE

Comyns & Co, Hunter Valley

Expect a warm welcome from cellar door manager Missy Comyns (aka the "positive vibes manager") when you turn up to taste the wines her hubby Scott Comyns produces. Scott works with a wide range of varieties, including old faves such as shiraz, semillon, riesling and chardonnay, and an off-dry fiano, a sparkling gruner veltliner, and tempranillo. comynsandco.com.au

THE WHOLE SHEBANG

Cupitt's Estate, Ulladulla

A one-stop shop that is not only a boutique winery but also a brewery, fromagerie, luxury accommodation and restaurant – all the good things in life. Find the family-owned winery near Milton and Mollymook on the NSW South Coast. Tastings are available seven days a week and the team is also fond of hosting live music events. cupittsestate.com.au

JAW-DROPPING VIEWS

Dryridge Estate, Megalong Valley

Who doesn't love a ploughman's platter? The team at Dryridge serve them every weekend, alongside their range of wines and jaw-dropping Blue Mountains views. The Narrow Neck escarpment rises like a phoenix from the valley floor and sandstone cliffs shimmer bright orange and yellow in the afternoon light. Find it a 20-minute drive through rainforest from Blackheath. If you're the adventurous type, come equipped to walk the Six Foot Track, which traverses Dryridge Estate and is one of Australia's most beautiful scenic walks. dryridge.com.au

A MUDGEE HIGHLIGHT

Gilbert Family Wines, Mudgee

This elegant tasting space is housed in a charming sandstone building. The wines are made by father and son winemakers Simon and Will Gilbert, the fifth and six generations to ply their trades in the winery. A spot under the grapevine in the courtyard is also a nice place to enjoy grazing platters and small bites made with locally sourced and home-grown produce. gilbertfamilywines.com.au

LIVE MUSIC VIBES

Glandore Estate Wines, Hunter Valley

Cellar door dogs Nutmeg, Oreo, Sunny, Phoebe, Maggie and new recruit Albert greet visitors to this beautiful part of the world. The Glandore team pride themselves on delivering informal and informed tasting experiences ranging from the standard wine tasting (featuring classic and emerging varieties – made by the small team of three), to a chocolate and wine pairing (featuring Adora Handmade Chocolates). The Vine to Glass experience also takes you into the vineyard and winery (often led by a winemaker). They also love music and have hosted local artists every Saturday for the past 12 months. glandorewines.com

LAID BACK

Harkham, Hunter Valley

Winemaker Richie Harkham is all about laidback tastings and warm welcomes. He encourages visitors to bring pals. "Tasting with friends can be a lot of fun," he says. "And it's a great way to share the experience with others. Be open to trying new things and experiencing different flavours. This can make the tasting more exciting and memorable." Walk-ins are welcome but bookings are preferred. Harkham also makes chocolate liqueur – it's worth a try. harkhamwine.com.au

SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL

Johansen Wines, Tumbarumba

This cool-climate wine region has a smattering of delightful, wholesome cellar doors, including Johansen Wines, which hosts tastings in a rustic shed on the family farm. It is pure joy; from the roaring fire in winter to the stunning range of sparklings, riesling, chardonnay, gamay, pinot noir and more. The banter is great, too. "I love it when customers let me guide them through our journey into farming and our wines," says family member Tom Southwell. "Wine should tell three stories: the season, the farm and style. A truly special wine is when all three are in harmony with each other." johansenwines.com.au

WHOLESOME, BIODYNAMIC FAMILY VIBES

Krinklewood, Hunter Valley

Krinklewood has been certified organic and biodynamic for more than 15 years. The secluded, French-inspired winery and cellar door is surrounded by tranquil countryside, including the spectacular Brokenback Range and Wollombi Brook. Think Provencale-style gardens, fountains, sculpted sandstone, a labyrinth, cheese platters served in the courtyard and resident peacocks watching on. The Taste at your Pace option is fun; organic and biodynamic wines are served in mini bottles for you to pour at will. krinklewood.com

CHARACTER-PACKED

Mortimers Family Wines, Orange

As cellar doors go, this one's all charm. The Old March School House (a public school established in 1866) is the backdrop to Peter and Julie Mortimer and Sons' creations. There's plenty of history to soak up. "Take time to listen to the wine steward serving the wine," Daniel Mortimer says. "The stories and history behind the winery are often fascinating." The cellar door hosts intimate tastings but also welcomes buses by appointment. mortimerswines.com.au

THE ART OF IT

Obsession Wines, Tumbarumba

Tumbarumba is home to the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, a series of sculptures in local towns, plus a number of cellar doors. Obsession Wines' is one of them. It is open daily but winemaker Adrian Brayne recommends calling ahead to book a tasting as he is a busy chap and chances are he'll be making wine – especially during harvest. obsessionwines.com.au

CHOCOLATE AND WINE

Scarborough Wine Co, Hunter Valley

Scarborough has arranged three new tastings in time for Easter, including a chocolate and shiraz seated tasting and Keepers of the Flame Premium seated tasting, which also takes visitors into the vineyard and explores the sustainability measures the family-run wine brand has introduced. Guests at the one-hour tastings each receive their own 100ml mini bottles, an innovation that came out of COVID restrictions. scarboroughwine.com.au

ONE TO WATCH

Usher Tinkler, Hunter Valley

One word: salumi. The focus at this cellar door is on wine tasting but the platter game is strong here, too. Usher Tinkler is an exciting new-guard winemaker, and if you opt for a 90-minute tasting alongside cheese and salumi, his creations are served with smallgoods sourced from a local providore. The meat is cut to order on the in-house Berkel meat slicer. Seek out the Tinkler's Death by Semillon, a natural wine made from fruit from 40-year-old semillon vines with no additions, no fining or filtration. It's a ripper. ushertinklerwines.com

MEET THE CREW

Vinden Wines, Hunter Valley

When you taste winemaker Angus Vinden's wines at his family's stunning homestead and estate, chances are you'll meet the rest of the team. "It makes such a huge difference to the tasting experiences when your crew are so hands-on," says co-owner Hannah Vinden. "They literally work on the wines from the ground up, so they can easily nerd out in the cellar door and discuss the different soil profiles across our two vineyards if someone is so inclined." The cellar door is open daily and there's accommodation available, with a pool and vineyard and Brokenback Ranges views. vindenwines.com.au