Wine Tasting Pokolbin
If you’ve never been wine tasting in the Hunter Valley before, Pokolbin is where most people start. It’s the heart of the region, home to the highest concentration of cellar doors anywhere in the Hunter, and it’s where Tintilla Estate has been growing, making and pouring wine since 1994.
A lot of first-time visitors turn up without much of a plan, then wonder why the day felt rushed rather than relaxing. A little planning goes a long way, so here’s what to expect when you visit Tintilla Estate, and a few things worth knowing before you set off for a day of wine tasting in Pokolbin.
What Makes Pokolbin Different
Pokolbin sits within walking or short driving distance of dozens of cellar doors, which is part of why it’s the most visited pocket of the Hunter Valley. That density can work against you if you don’t plan your stops. Rather than trying to see everything in one day, pick three or four wineries you’re genuinely curious about and give each one proper time.
At Tintilla Estate, we’re a single vineyard estate, so every wine poured at our cellar door comes from grapes grown right here on our own site, not blended in from other regions. We’re also one of the few properties in the Hunter Valley with our own olive grove alongside the vines, so a visit here usually means tasting wine and estate-grown olives side by side, in the same sitting.
What to Expect at Tintilla Estate
What’s Poured in a Tasting
A typical tasting works through a flight of several wines, usually moving from lighter whites through to the fuller reds, so each pour builds on the last. Your host will talk you through what’s in the glass as you go, so you don’t need to arrive knowing anything about wine at all.
Questions are welcome, and if there’s a style you love or one you can’t stand, say so. It helps us pour the rest of the flight to suit you. Olive and olive oil tasting runs alongside our wine tasting, so a visit here usually covers both in the one sitting.
Planning Your Visit
Our cellar door is open six days a week, from 10:30am to 5:30pm, with extended hours until 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays. We’re closed on Wednesdays.
Group bookings are essential, and we’d recommend booking ahead even for smaller groups, particularly on weekends when the region gets busy. A proper tasting takes twenty to thirty minutes if you’re asking questions and taking your time, so two or three cellar doors makes a full day, not five or six.
Making the Most of Your Day
Book your first stop before you arrive. Turning up without a booking on a Saturday can mean a long wait, or missing out altogether.
Pace yourself. Two or three cellar doors makes a full and satisfying day, not five or six, if you want time to properly enjoy each tasting.
Arrange transport between cellar doors and back to your accommodation, so everyone in the group can enjoy the tasting rather than counting sips.
Pair Your Tasting
A wine and olive tasting sits well alongside a proper lunch or platter. Ask your cellar door host for a nearby recommendation, or ask us to build a platter around whatever you’re tasting that day.
Our own estate produce, tapenade, jams and relish, makes a natural pairing with the wines poured at the cellar door, since it all comes from the same property.
Ready to Visit
If this is your first time tasting wine in Pokolbin, we’d love to show you around. Our cellar door is open six days a week, from 10:30am to 5:30pm, with extended hours until 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays. We’re closed on Wednesdays. Group bookings are essential, so get in touch and we’ll take care of the rest.