Tinklers

The Tinklers have farmed at Pokolbin for more than a century, and the cellar door is a hardwood shed under century-old peppercorn trees at the foot of the Pokolbin Mountains. The wines are single vineyard and named for the blocks they come off: School Block Semillon from vines planted in 1974, Lucerne Paddock Verdelho, and the U and I Shiraz from the original plantings. Usher John Tinkler makes them.

Tinklers does not publish a tasting price, so confirm it at the door; a group of six or more should contact the winery ahead, while smaller groups can walk in. The farm still sells its own seasonal produce, from table grapes and figs to jams and relishes, so the stop is not only about wine. There is a wine-show record behind it too, including a trophy for the U and I Shiraz and Ian Tinkler named Hunter Valley Viticulturist of the Year in 2009. The cellar door opens seven days, 10am to 5pm.