Bimbadgen's two Pokolbin vineyards, Palmers Lane and McDonalds Road, sit less than two kilometres apart yet ripen a fortnight apart, which is why the Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz poured at the cellar door taste like two different places. The Lee family has owned the estate since 1997, and there is a small-batch spirits range, Night Merchant, tasted at its own door alongside the wine.
The Vineyard to Table morning walks the McDonalds Road blocks with a glass in hand, tasting a single-vineyard wine at each parcel, then moves upstairs to Esca for a four-course lunch, at $260 a head on Friday and Saturday. If you want the view without the commitment, book a $140 picnic hamper for the hillside amphitheatre or take a table at the woodfire pizzeria, which runs live music on Friday evenings. Esca serves lunch Thursday to Sunday and dinner Thursday to Saturday, and the estate has villas, a homestead and cottages if you decide to stay. A 15% surcharge applies on Sundays and public holidays.
At this cellar door
- Tasting
- Cellar-door tastingBooking requiredBuy on site
- On site
- Dining on site (Esca Restaurant)Picnic / grazingStay on siteGuided toursVineyard walkLive musicEvents programme
- Getting there
- On shuttle route (Bimbadgen Estate)Views
Photos
Tasting experiences
- Guided wine tasting$15pp
A hosted tasting of the flagship varietals, Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz.
Per person; book through the cellar door.
- Night Merchant spirit tasting$18pp
A curated tasting of the small-batch Night Merchant spirits.
Per person; book through the distillery door.
- Vineyard to Table$260pp
A one-hour guided walk through the McDonalds Road vineyard with a single vineyard wine tasted at each block, followed by a shared four-course chef's table lunch at Esca with matched wines. Mostly unpaved roads with gentle inclines.
Runs Fridays and Saturdays from 11am only. $260 per person.
- Bimbadgen picnic hamper$140pp
A wine tasting in the cellar door, a bottle of Growers Range wine chosen during tasting, local cheddar, crackers, deli meats, antipasto, nuts, fruit, chicken caesar wraps, condiments and a sweet treat, plus two branded tumblers and bio cutlery.
Per hamper, curated for two people. Pre-book at least 48 hours ahead; payment is non-refundable. $140 per hamper (two people).
How does this compare? See the Hunter Valley Cellar Door Price Index
Food & stay
Esca Restaurant
| Mon – Tue | Closed |
|---|---|
| Wed – Sun | 12pm – 11:59pm |
Perched above the winery with vineyard and golf course views. Lunch Thursday to Sunday from midday, dinner Thursday to Saturday from 6pm. Bimbadgen Woodfire Pizzeria is the casual alternative, open Monday to Thursday 11am to 3.30pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 7.30pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm, with happy hour and live music on Friday evenings.
Stay on site
The Lane Retreat offers self-contained studios with a pool and transfers to the estate. The McDonalds Road Homestead sleeps up to eight and the Cottage up to four. Emma's Cottage at Lovedale has five self-contained cottages sleeping four to ten.
Bimbadgen Wine Club
Join ↗Two tiers: a free Wine Society with twice-yearly case deliveries, or a paid Social Club with no automatic deliveries.
- Wine SocietyFree to join
Twice a year (March and September) · 12 bottles a release
30% off club case selections · 20% off other wines year-round · Complimentary tastings for 4 · First access to new and museum releases
- Social Club$40 a year
10% off all wine · A complimentary sparkling each year · Early event invitations
The estate
- Ownership
- Owned by the Lee family since 1997
Getting here & good to know
Bimbadgen is at 790 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley wine country. It sits on the iHop Hunter Valley hop-on wine shuttle (Bimbadgen Estate stop), so you can visit without driving.
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Nearby places to visit
Details last checked 2026-09-12.