Sample local food and wines at this picturesque winery with cellar door tasting sessions and an open-air restaurant.

At the base of Mount View sits Briar Ridge Wines, a boutique winery with over 40 years of history. Briar Ridge operates a cellar door and an on-site café, and conducts winery tours for small groups. Guests can also spend the night at the vineyard in Briar Cottage.

Briar Ridge has been producing some of the most respected wines from the Hunter Valley since the 1970s. The fruit comes from the Hunter Valley as well as the elevated fertile grounds in Orange, further inland in New South Wales, and the rich soils of the limestone coast of South Australia.

Visit the cellar door for wine tastings, enjoy a relaxing dining experience, or meet some of the most knowledgeable winemakers in the Hunter Valley.

At the cellar door, the well-informed staff will guide you through the tasting experience. Try signature wines from the Hunter Valley, including the rare Karl Stockhausen Semillon, known for its refreshing citrus tones. Briar Ridge operates vineyards in a number of wine regions around Australia, and wines from these regions are available for tasting too.

After you’ve found a wine you like, enjoy a glass or bottle at the Briar Grillade Café, with its outdoor tables made from oak vats. Order coffee, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea, and sample local cheeses, vegetables and meats. Admire the views across the Hunter Valley while you sip on a Briar Ridge wine. Each menu item is coupled with a specific wine to fully enhance the flavours of the local produce.

Briar Ridge offers on-site accommodation at the Briar Cottage. The three-bedroom cottage nestled amongst gum trees sleeps up to six people.

Briar Ridge Wines is located just minutes from the town of Pokolbin, at the heart of the Hunter Valley. If you arrive by car you can park for free on site. There is a bus service, Rover Coaches, that runs through Pokolbin. Briar Ridge Wines, with cellar door, is open daily. The café is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.