The name suggests an area that oozes charm and Lovedale most certainly lives up to it. While love is no doubt in the air, it’s wine that infuses your senses here. Nestled between Pokolbin and Cessnock in the renowned Hunter Valley wine region, Lovedale virtually sings with pretty-as-a-picture boutique cellar doors. And there’s certainly singing on Lovedale wine tours, too.  

Fall in love with Lovedale

While Pokolbin’s star shines bright with famous cellar doors, Lovedale is the home of hidden gems off the beaten path. It’s also a destination in its own right, even outside the enchanting properties decorated with vines and filled with the warmth of friendly local wine makers.

Settlement history started before 1825 with land grants along Black Creek. As for the romantic name, it’s thought to be a combination of an early family’s surname of Love and their connection with the dales of Yorkshire. Wine production also commenced in the early 1800s when wheat farmers turned their attention to grape growing. As you walk in the grape-cloaked footsteps of history, there’s plenty to do.

Of course, there’s the fabulous Lovedale Long Lunch each May, a decadent festival of scrumptious chef creations paired with wines as you hop from vineyard to vineyard. At any time of year, play a round on the 18-hole championship course at Hunter Valley Golf at Crowne Plaza. Get a bird’s eye view of the vineyards from a hot air balloon and buy foodie souvenirs at gourmet delis.

You’ll relax with spa treatments and views of kangaroos at luxury cottages and resorts if you choose, while dreaming of enchanting vineyards.  

Gartelmann Wines

Take selfies with the giant magpie that decorates the exterior of the cellar door and get ready for your first sip of cherry-rich cabernet at Gartelmann Wines. The boutique winery was founded by Jan and Jorg Gartelmann in 1996, but celebrated chef Matt Dillow is now at the helm of a venue that’s ideal for Lovedale wine tours of up to 16 people.

Whether you’re a group of wine connoisseurs or just venturing into what’s likely to become a passion, there’s something for you in the diverse range. Spoil your sweet tooth with the toffee and honey burst of NV Gartelmann Ronnie’s Muscat or savour the spicy blackcurrant flavours of Gartelmann Georg Petit Verdot.

My all time favourite red wine is to be found here … the Phillip Alexander Rylstone Cabernet Merlot. It is smooth, chocolatey and fruity (think blackberries) but at the same time, it still packs a punch at 14.2% alcohol. In the hot Aussie summers, this wine can still find a place on my table and I love it chilled and straight from the fridge.

Framed by bushland scenes and a dam, the Deck Cafe serves up scones with Chantilly cream and tasty tapas bites.

Emma’s Cottage Vineyard

A flower-lined pathway, a quaint footbridge and a gazebo greet you at Emma’s Cottage Vineyard, one of the Hunter Valley’s smallest with oodles of charm. Established in 1985, the vineyard uses seven varieties of grapes to produce boutique wines and it’s home to Alter Wines. Both small and large groups of up to 20 guests are welcome at the cellar door, where charcuterie boards pair with tempting drops such as fresh, lemony Alter Semillon. If you want to take a bottle home, consider Rarebirds Rosé with white fruit and red berry flavours to pair perfectly with their suggestion of Thai beef salad.

Allandale Winery

If you love sweet wines, you’ll fall in love with the chilled berry burst of Allandale’s Lombardo. Sip and stare at sweeping views of the vineyards across to the Brokenback Mountain Range, rinse and repeat. First opened in 1978, Allandale Winery is renowned for state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, along with award-winning chardonnay and semillon.

Look forward to your first sip of Reserve Chardonnay to taste hints of lemon and lime. Please your nose with the nectarine and ripe peach notes of the Aged Semillon. Prefer shiraz? You’re in for a treat with Allandale’s full-bodied version with Christmas cake characters.

Allandale winery has a classic wine range to impress dedicated wine drinkers but we love to visit this venue as they also have several wines that beginner wine drinkers (or sweet wine fans) will love in their “Easy Drinking” range.

The previously mentioned sweet chilled red Lombardo is always a hit and its combination of sweetness but muscat-like complexity (in a table wine!) make it quite unique in the Hunter. You won’t find anything else like it. I’m not a huge fan of super sweet wines … the wine needs to be more than “just sweet” to hold my interest, but the Allandale Lombardo has notes of spice and hints of smoothness that may convert even the most dedicated of wine drinkers. Sometimes we’re all looking for something easy to drink that works with the summer hot weather and the sweet chilled Lombardo from Allandale winery is just perfect for this.

If you truly are a sweet connoisseur and you’re looking for a dedicated dessert wine then the Botrytis Viognier will capture your interest. It is a sweet wine but multi-dimensionally sweet (otherwise I won’t like it as I look for more than just sweetness!). You’ll taste honey with mangoes and almonds and a little spice thanks to the botrytis elements present.

If you like bubbles (who doesn’t?!) then you’ll love their sparkling Gewurztraminer as well. It’s a little on the sweet side but the carbonation reduces the sweetness to make it more of a table wine than a dessert wine. I love pairing it with turkey dishes or a Thai salad. It’s a super approachable wine that has the potential to please anyone in your group who is perhaps wine curious and not a regular wine drinker.

Finally their Sauvignon Blanc is always a crowd pleaser. I get asked for recommendations for Sav Blanc in the Hunter all the time and most guests are disappointed as the region doesn’t produce a lot of this wine. The Hunter Valley is a “hot climate” growing area and Sauvignon Blanc only grows well in colder climates, hence you see a lot of New Zealand and Tasmanian Sav Blanc in your local bottleshop or on the wine list at your local pub.

Some Hunter wineries do make their own version and the bursting melon and fruit salad characters of the Allandale Sauvignon Blanc make this one of my favourite Hunter wines and it has a regular home in my fridge! You’ll notice more acidity in this Sav Blanc than the New Zealand counterparts that you are used to trying but if you also love Semillon Sauvignon Blanc then the slight acidity won’t bother you at all. This wine is well worth a 2^nd look (or a 2^nd glass!) if you’re a Sav Blanc fan!

Stomp! Wines

A husband-and-wife team ‘stomp to the sound of their own drum’ at Stomp! Wines, where fun is on the contemporary menu at a delightful blue and white cellar door. Celebrate with Sparkling Chambourcin, which is sure to put you in a bubbly mood with sweet red berry and liquorice flavours.

Stomp! Sparkling Moscato is equally fun-loving with Turkish delight and rose petals to tickle your taste buds. Easy-drinking merlot and zesty verdelho join a gourmet pantry of treats to go with big sips. The Create Your Own Platter experience includes cheeses, olives, wines pastes and fudge for sweet cravings.