First Creek, Hunter Valley cellar door

Tasting	from $10
Cellar door	Open daily
Bookings	Booking required
Established	1998

First Creek was founded by Greg and Jenny Silkman in 1998 and is now run by Shaun and Liz Silkman, with Liz making the wine. The cellar door on McDonalds Road opens seven days from 10am, with a viewing window into the working winery and a verandah where kangaroos graze the paddock. The range runs well beyond the staples, with Fiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese and Pinot Noir alongside Semillon, Shiraz and Chardonnay.

The Classic Tasting is $10 for about half an hour across the Hunter staples plus the Botanica sparkling. Pay $20 for the Flex Tasting and you choose any six wines yourself, which suits a table where some want only reds or only whites. Above those, a $65 wine and cheese experience pairs the top wines with a cheese selection, booked online. It is family-owned and an easy, unfussy stop on McDonalds Road, within a short drive of several other Pokolbin cellar doors.

At this cellar door

Tasting: Cellar-door tastingBooking requiredBuy on site
Getting there: On shuttle route (First Creek Wines)

Photos

Tasting experiences

Cellar Door Tasting$10pp
30 min
Botanica sparkling plus the five Hunter Valley 'Classics' (Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Rose, Shiraz)
Flex Tasting$20pp
45 min
Self-selected 6 wines from all ranges except Winemaker's Reserve and Museum wines
Wine and Cheese Pairing$25pp
30 min
Three curated 40ml wine pours paired with locally sourced artisan cheeses
Wines of Provenance Flight$45pp
60 min
Three 75ml pours of aged/current Semillon or Chardonnay paired with local handmade cheese
Member for a Day$40pp
60 min
Comprehensive tasting from Classic to Single Vineyard and Winemaker's Reserve wines (excludes Museum Release)
Halliday Top Picks Wine and Cheese Experience$65pp
60 min
Highly rated wines including Winemaker's Reserve selections, served with a shared cheese and salumi platter
60-90 minutes

How does this compare? See the Hunter Valley Cellar Door Price Index

First Creek Wine Club

Join ↗

Two paid tiers with flexible delivery frequency and a free loyalty tier (Friends First); no join fee.

First Flex
Monthly, quarterly or biannual · 15% off wine · $24 minimum
6 or 12 bottle deliveries · Free shipping on 12+ bottles ($15 flat rate on 6-bottle orders, or free cellar door pickup)
First Reserve
Monthly, quarterly, biannual or annual · 20% off wine · $24 minimum
6, 12, 18 or 24 bottle deliveries · Free shipping on 6+ bottles always · Exclusive access to Winemaker's Reserve, Single Vineyard and Museum wines
Friends First
Non-paid loyalty tier · Event notifications · Special offers · Loyalty points on purchases

Every membership includes

Priority event invitations · Complimentary cellar door tastings for member plus 5 guests · First access to limited releases · Flexible delivery customisation and skip options · Special pricing on additional purchases

The estate

1998Established

Winemaker: Liz Silkman
Ownership: Family owned and operated

Getting here & good to know

First Creek is at 600 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley wine country. It sits on the iHop Hunter Valley hop-on wine shuttle (First Creek Wines stop), so you can visit without driving.

Do I need to book a tasting at First Creek?

Yes, First Creek takes bookings ahead of a tasting. Reserve through its website rather than relying on a walk-in.

How much is a tasting at First Creek?

Tastings at First Creek start from $10 per person. Premium and seated experiences cost more; see the experiences listed on this page.

When is First Creek open?

First Creek's cellar door is open seven days a week. See the full opening hours in the visit panel on this page.

What can I taste at First Creek?

First Creek pours Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Fiano and Merlot among its wines. See the range and cellar-door prices on this page.

How far is First Creek from the centre of the Hunter Valley?

First Creek is about 3.5 km from the centre of the Hunter Valley, in Pokolbin. It sits on the local hop-on wine shuttle route, so you can visit without driving.

What can I pair with a visit to First Creek?

Close to First Creek you can add Pescara Restaurant for lunch, Hope Distillery for another tasting and Hermitage Lodge to stay nearby. Build them into a day on the trip planner.