Escape the city to find charming cellar doors, pinot pioneers and plenty of inspiration worth bottling.

The region just 90 minutes south of Sydney is a relatively new cool-climate wine region best known for its chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris, pinot noir, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

The Southern Highlands has more than 60 vineyards tucked into its rolling hills and more than a dozen cellar doors that vary from modern to French provincial in style. Often, you’ll find fine food and sometimes antiques as well as the excuse to explore the charming towns and villages of the region and immerse yourself in its beautiful rural landscapes.

In short

It’s worth driving to the under-the-radar Southern Highlands Winery Sondara Estate simply for the experience of being met by Nello, the friendly cellar door dog. Add bonus points for the cheese, salami and chocolate on offer as part of an intimate wine tasting with the owner or winemaker.

Sondara Estate

Those interested in visiting Southern Highlands wineries should seek out Sondara Estate. The family-run winery offers much more than exceptional cool-climate wines. It offers the chance to sit down in a rustic working shed alongside one of the owners or winemakers who like to spin a few yarns while you sip. Enjoy a tasting of estate wines like pinot noir and rosé thoughtfully paired with with artisan cheeses, salami and chocolates. The soaring cellar door, which doubles as a warehouse, is decked out in vintage furniture and divided into cosy spaces that have been curated with love and attention by owner Sandra Kiceek.

Address: 352 Woodlands Rd, Woodlands NSW 2575

Dawning Day Estate

Dawning Day Estate is one of the dreamiest cellar doors to visit when looping along the Southern Highlands wineries trail. This boutique family-run vineyard offers a clear expression of terroir at its micro vineyard located in Exeter planted with chardonnay, pinot noir and gamay (my personal favourite). Dawning Day Estate is also a huge draw for visitors to the Southern Highlands who a searching for an escape to the country. Enjoy a private tasting with the winemaker, Mike Archer, before bunkering down in the boutique designer barn.

Address: 25 Rockleigh Rd, Exeter NSW 2579

Centennial Vineyards

Centennial Vineyards is a gracious estate celebrating cool-climate wines. Vines such as chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris, pinot noir, gewürztraminer and tempranillo are planted here over 30 hectares with some grapes sourced from a small vineyard in Orange. Start in the Barrel Room with a flight of pinot noir, the cool-climate star of Southern Highlands wineries. Enjoy the wines over lunch of grilled pork cutlets with pumpkin puree, caramelised apples and pork puff at Centennial Restaurant or at a high tea with vineyard views. Make plans to return for next year’s Horizontal Festival.

Address: 252 Centennial Rd, Bowral NSW 2575

Joadja Estate

The first vines were planted on this old dairy farm in 1983, making Joadja Estate the oldest continuous Southern Highlands winery. The family-run estate in the hills above Berrima produces pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. And the bottles make great souvenirs, with each illustrated label paying tribute to a local town. Visit the cellar door to enjoy live music at free chill-out sessions over summer, along with wood-fired pizzas and local cheeseboards. The estate stocks wares from Sutton Forest Olives and Joadja Distillery. Private tours of the nearby ghost town are available.

Address: 110 Joadja Rd, Berrima NSW 2577

Artemis Wines

Brothers Anton and Mark Balog are known as pinot pioneers in these parts, making Artemis Wines a must-visit along the Southern Highlands wineries trail. The small family-run winery just five minutes from Mittagong was the third to be established in the region but first to plant pinot noir grapes. The rustic cellar door, clad in river red gum, packs a big punch and offers plenty of atmosphere. Pull your beanie down tight and cosy up by the fire in winter with a glass of Graciano, cheese and charcuterie (Friday–Sunday). On Sundays in summer, the cellar door spills onto the lawn where you can enjoy a beer and slice of pizza.

Address: 46 Sir Charles Moses Ln, Mittagong NSW 2575

Tractorless Vineyard

Tractorless Vineyard produces sustainable wines with minimum intervention using a combination of old-world knowledge with new-world winemaking skills. Winemaker Jeff Aston is guided by biodynamic principles and, instead of using tractors, has recruited a flock of Hampshire Down sheep to mow the vineyard. Visit the Berrima site to take a vineyard tour in the back of Jeff’s ute to meet these woolly workers over a wine tasting and gourmet grazing board. Alternatively, you can book a tutored tasting with the winemaker to chat about the Tractorless Vineyard wines.

Address: 132 Compton Park Rd, Berrima NSW 2577

Bendooley Estate

Bendooley Estate is just outside the historic town of Berrima. And it’s one of the most picturesque Southern Highlands wineries to visit. The estate lays claim to a vineyard with a show-stopping cellar door and tasting room. Book a stay at the Book Barn Cottage at Bendooley Estate so you can really lean into the experience. Open a bottle of your drop of choice and clink glasses while enjoying a few light bites alongside rolling Southern Highlands views.

Address: 3020 Old Hume Hwy, Berrima NSW 2577

PepperGreen Estate

PepperGreen Estate is both a vineyard and olive grove set on the slopes of Canyonleigh. Sample pinot noir, shiraz, riesling, chardonnay and sparkling in the cellar door and tasting room housed in a former antiques store. You can also taste test the olive oils and sample the Olive Leaf Gin. The Wine & Canapés Experience hosted by the PepperGreen sommelier is well worth doing. As is the wine-paired lunch curated by chef Mark Chance in the Tasting Room, which includes dishes such as leek risotto (paired with a 2023 PepperGreen Riesling) or chicken liver parfait with a glass of 2021 Peppergreen Pinot Noir.

Address: 13 Market Pl, Berrima NSW 2577

Mount Ashby Estate

Mount Ashby Estate in the charming town of Moss Vale combines a boutique vineyard and cellar door with a charming Italian-inspired restaurant (Sant’ Alba) that would be right at home in Tuscany. Sit around rustic farmhouse tables in the cellar door and cafe to enjoy wines such as a deep cherry red merlot, beautifully balanced shiraz and blushing pink rosé over saffron seafood bucatini or pork cutlet Milanese. Want to secure the venue for your upcoming wedding? The charming circa 1918 Bowral Produce Store is now an events space replete with fields dotted with grazing cattle.

Address: 128 Nowra Rd, Moss Vale NSW 2577

Sutton Forest Wines

Head to Sutton Forest Wines for another winery experience with an Italian twist. It’s another Southern Highlands Winery that burns brightly for its bucolic surrounds, with vines embroidered to the lacquered-green hills. The Lo Russo family has been associated with the Southern Highlands winery for about three decades and is best known for its Chianti-style red, which blends pinot noir with sangiovese. The cellar door and cafe are open Friday to Sunday and serve antipasto platters to pair with the wine.

Address: 21 Black Horse Lane, Sutton Forest NSW 2577

Eling Forest Estate

The cellar door and cafe at Eling Forest Estate are housed within a beautifully maintained heritage-listed homestead (circa 1834), making this idyllic rural setting well placed for a wine tasting. The cool-climate wines available to try at the cellar door include a sparkling wine, chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet shiraz. The Tour Taste and Lunch package establishes Eling Forest Estate as a standout among Southern Highlands wineries when it comes to educating budding oenophiles.

Address: 12587 Hume Hwy, Sutton Forest NSW 2577

Cherry Tree Hill Wines

Winemaker Gabi Lorentz says his passion for winemaking began in childhood when he would ride around his grandfather’s revered vineyard in Hungary in a horse and cart. While Gabi planted the first vines on the family-run estate in 2000, the Southern Highlands winery is now run by Gabi’s son, David. The riesling produced by award-winning vigneron Ian Evans is revered as one of the best in NSW, winning medals at several prestigious shows. The gourmet pies and tasting boards knit together the cellar door experience.

Address: 12324 Hume Hwy, Sutton Forest NSW 2577

St. Maur Wines

Head to St. Maur Wines in the very English-feeling village of Exeter for another taste of northern Italy in the Southern Highlands. Here, Treviso-born Nerio Panizzutti and his son Marco make small-batch, single-estate wines from their plantings of pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and merlot vines. Sample these hand-crafted wines and some good old-fashioned hospitality at the cellar door set within a rustic dairy farm where estate dog Sienna is on hand to welcome you. St. Maur’s oak-matured Lot 41 estate range is all about taking it slow while its SAINT series celebrates family, friends and time-honoured traditions.

Address: 238 Old Argyle Rd, Exeter NSW 2579 

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