EXPAND YOUR MIND AT THE FARM
Hunter Valley Wine School · Pokolbin
Don't just taste Hunter Valley wine. Understand it.
Spend two hours exploring wine from the vineyard through to the glass at Hunter Valley Wine School, a wine education experience at Hunter Valley Resort + Farm in Pokolbin.
Walk amongst our estate vineyard, learn how grapevines grow, explore grape varieties and wine styles, then discover how colour, aroma, flavour and blending help us understand what is in the glass.
Hunter Valley Wine School is relaxed, informative and designed for people who simply want to know more about wine. You do not need to arrive knowing the difference between a Semillon and a Shiraz. That's why you're here.
Wine Education in Pokolbin
What is Hunter Valley Wine School?
Hunter Valley Wine School is the next step beyond a normal cellar-door tasting.
Instead of simply tasting several wines and moving on, you have two hours to explore why wines look, smell and taste the way they do.
The experience starts with the grapevine itself. Walk through our Pokolbin vineyard and learn how vines grow, how vineyard conditions influence grapes and why grape varieties behave differently.
From there, the focus moves to wine: how it is made, how different varieties develop their character, what to look for when tasting and why blending can change the finished wine.
Two Hours of Wine
From the vine to what is happening in your glass.
Hunter Valley Wine School connects the vineyard, winemaking and tasting rather than treating them as separate subjects.
Walk the Vineyard
Start amongst the vines and learn how and why grapevines grow, including the influence of variety and vineyard conditions.
Understand Wine
Explore how grapes become wine and how different winemaking decisions influence the finished result.
Learn to Taste
Look beyond whether you simply like a wine and start thinking about colour, aroma, flavour, balance and style.
Explore Blending
Discover why wines are blended and what changes when different varieties or components are brought together.
What Will I Learn?
The questions you always wanted to ask about wine.
Hunter Valley Wine School is about making wine easier to understand, not making it more complicated.
- How does a grapevine grow?
- How does vineyard location influence grapes?
- How is wine made?
- What are the major grape varieties?
- How and why are grape varieties different?
- What should you look for in a wine's colour?
- How do you think about aroma and bouquet?
- What should you look for when tasting wine?
- Why are wines blended?
- How can blending change aroma, flavour and balance?
Estate-Grown · Hunter Valley
Before there is wine, there is a vineyard.
Hunter Valley Wine School takes place on the same Pokolbin property where our estate grapes are grown, giving the discussion about vines, varieties and vintage a real connection to the place around you.
Our grapes are grown here on the property. Our wines are made locally in the Hunter Valley, allowing you to experience the vineyard where the story begins.
Who Is Wine School For?
Curious is the only qualification you need.
Wine Beginners
If you enjoy wine but feel unsure about the language around it, Hunter Valley Wine School gives you a practical foundation.
Wine Lovers
Go further than a normal tasting and spend time exploring vineyards, varieties, winemaking, tasting and blending.
Hunter Valley Visitors
Add some context to a day of cellar-door visits by learning what you are actually looking for when you taste.
Couples + Friends
Share a structured wine experience together before continuing your day around Pokolbin.
Corporate Groups
Hunter Valley Wine School can become a distinctly Hunter Valley component of a conference, incentive or corporate program.
Special Interest Groups
An educational experience for groups looking for something deeper than another standard wine tasting.
Take Something Home
More than another bottle of wine.
Finish Hunter Valley Wine School with a personalised Hunter Valley Wine Appreciation Certificate.
The certificate is a reminder of the experience. The more useful souvenir is the knowledge you take into the next cellar door: a better understanding of grape varieties, winemaking and what to look for when you taste.
Groups · Conferences · Incentives
Bringing a group to the Hunter Valley?
Hunter Valley Wine School can be incorporated into a wider Hunter Valley group, conference or incentive program.
For larger groups, wine experiences can also form part of a structured rotation alongside vineyard experiences, Wine Theatre, grape stomping, barrel rolling and other activities across the Farm.
That allows groups to experience wine country together without every delegate needing to participate in the same activity at the same time.
One Farm · More Wine Experiences
Wine School doesn't have to be the end of the lesson.
Taste our estate-grown wines at Hunter Farm Cellars, explore the vineyard, experience the Wine Theatre or simply stay a little longer in Hunter Valley wine country.
Hunter Valley Wine School FAQ
Before you go back to school.
What is Hunter Valley Wine School?
Hunter Valley Wine School is a two-hour wine education experience in Pokolbin that explores grape growing, grape varieties, winemaking, tasting and blending.
Where is Hunter Valley Wine School?
Hunter Valley Wine School is at Hunter Valley Resort + Farm, 917 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country.
How long is Hunter Valley Wine School?
Allow approximately two hours for the complete Hunter Valley Wine School experience.
What time does Hunter Valley Wine School start?
Hunter Valley Wine School currently runs from 9am to 11am daily. Advance booking is recommended.
Do I need to know anything about wine before attending?
No. Hunter Valley Wine School is designed to help people understand wine, so previous wine knowledge is not required.
Does Hunter Valley Wine School include a vineyard experience?
Yes. The experience includes time exploring the vineyard and learning how grapevines grow before moving into wine education and tasting.
What will I learn at Hunter Valley Wine School?
Topics include grape growing, the history and process of wine, grape varieties, differences between wine styles, tasting, aroma, colour and the purpose of blending.
Is wine made at Hunter Valley Resort + Farm?
Our estate grapes are grown here on the property. The wines are made locally in the Hunter Valley; there is no winery production facility onsite.
Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. Participants receive a personalised Hunter Valley Wine Appreciation Certificate following the Hunter Valley Wine School experience.
Is Hunter Valley Wine School suitable for corporate and incentive groups?
Yes. Hunter Valley Wine School can be incorporated into corporate, conference and incentive programs, including larger programs using rotating activities across the Farm.
Can I combine Hunter Valley Wine School with a wine tasting?
Yes. Hunter Farm Cellars is onsite, allowing visitors to combine Hunter Valley Wine School with a cellar-door tasting and other Hunter Valley wine experiences.
What other wine experiences are available onsite?
Other experiences include Hunter Farm Cellars, Wine Theatre, vineyard experiences, grape stomping and barrel rolling.
Can I stay onsite after Hunter Valley Wine School?
Yes. Hunter Valley Resort + Farm has 35 rooms across five accommodation styles on the 100-acre property in Pokolbin.
Hunter Valley Wine School · Pokolbin · Hunter Valley
Ready to know a little more about what's in your glass?
Spend two hours going beyond the tasting at Hunter Valley Wine School at Hunter Valley Resort + Farm in Pokolbin.