Day 123

31/10/2009

Explored the Hunter Valley today starting next door to a winery at a cheese maker while we waited for a tour of the winery.

Some really tasty cheese and very nice bread was purchased (at a price) for a second breakfast. The winery tour was informative and the wine tasting afterwards was good with several bottles of shiraz and chardonnay being purchased.

A drive around the area with stops at several places followed, with the highlight for me being a tour of a microbrewery with some tastings. Shame I was driving as I could have spent the afternoon there, but we did leave with a magnum of their pale ale and a 750ml bottle of hefeweizen (German style with a similar hop to a pale ale, but more banana than grapefruit taste).

Overall the Hunter Valley is OK for vineyard visits but all the other shops (cheese, chocolate, gifts etc) are hugely overpriced.

Town Cessnock