Emma's Cottage

Emma's Cottage is one of the smallest vineyards in the Hunter, planted at Lovedale in 1985 and still hand-picking seven varieties off its own 1980s and 1990s blocks. Since the Mulpha Group, which owns Bimbadgen, bought it in 2021, the cellar door has poured Alter Wines, the second label made by the Bimbadgen team, so a tasting here is the cheaper, looser sibling of the estate up the road. Richard Done makes the wine.

The room is small, which is why groups are capped and booked ahead. A group tasting is $10 a head, an individual tasting $30, and a charcuterie and wine pairing $48 with a build-your-own cheese and grazing board. Bring the dog: there is a wheat-free treat add-on for them, and two of the four-star cottages on site take dogs overnight. Beyond the cottages there is a four-bedroom house by the pool and a five-bedroom guesthouse for larger groups.