Wine regions across the state are challenging the idea that wineries are just for adults. Discover the best family-friendly wineries to visit in New South Wales.
Parents eager to embark on a weekend winery trip no longer have to worry about leaving the kids and furry family members behind. Across the wine country of New South Wales, cellar doors welcome families with playgrounds, farm animals and kid-friendly tastings for mini connoisseurs. From the rolling hills of Australia’s oldest wine region to Shoalhaven’s sprawling coastal vineyards, there’s no shortage of family-friendly wineries that cater to the young and the young at heart.
This family-owned winery produces a high-quality drop in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine region, welcoming both kids and dogs with open arms. Revel in the beauty of scenic vineyard views on a family picnic at Pepper Tree Wines as your little ones play at the dedicated Kids Club Area and explore the spacious grounds.
There are no more stuffy tastings and restless kids at one of the most family-friendly wineries in the Hunter Valley. Tulloch Wines encourages little ones to run amok in the outdoor areas and engage in activities like Giant Jenga, Connect 4 and 10-pin bowling. Young gourmands who want to join their parents in a tasting can book a curated Junior Experience, which pairs different soft drinks with matching snacks. This proudly inclusive winery ensures older kids aren’t left out either, offering an alternative Teen Kombucha Tasting experience.
If you’re searching for a quintessential Hunter Valley tasting experience, look no further than Gartelmann Wines. Kids can enjoy a menu tailored to little tummies at the cafe while parents enjoy tastings and tapas overlooking the lush gardens. You can’t miss a stop at the animal farm, where families can interact with goats, geese, ducks and alpacas. Budding chefs can also join a kids’ cooking class hosted at the winery on select dates.
At Brokenwood Wines, parents who want a quality wine–tasting experience don’t have to compromise on family time. Indulge in local produce, soak up stunning natural scenery and sip on homegrown wines at the Terrace Wine Bar while the kids enjoy their own non-alcoholic drinks and wood-fired pizza. Younger guests are also welcome to join the whole family on guided wine tours throughout the property.
Encompassed by sprawling vineyards and eucalyptus trees, Peter Drayton Wines is a kid and pet-friendly establishment with ample outdoor space. While this winery specialises in viticulture, they also produce gins, spirits and craft beer for those with alternative tastes. It’s the ideal property to do a tasting, snack on gourmet pizzas from the outdoor oven and unwind amidst the picturesque Australian landscape.
Located in Pokolbin, Scarborough Wine Co. is one of the top family-friendly wineries in the state. Mums and dads can sample award-winning wines and their mini-mes are kept occupied with individual activity packs with colouring and puzzles. Hula hoops, quoits and skipping ropes are also supplied to ensure a fun-filled visit.
Set in the region that offers some of Australia’s best wineries and cellar doors, Hanging Tree Wines welcomes all members of the family, including the furry ones. The Cellar Door is overflowing with rustic charm, providing a variety of wines and estate-grown olives that pair well with local cheese platters. For the kids, there are treasure hunts, farm animals, games like ring toss and croquet, and activity books to keep them entertained before winding down with a picnic overlooking the duck pond.
What is more family-friendly than a playground and a trampoline? A menagerie of adorable farm animals. Meet friendly sheep, pigs, chickens, resident dogs and a pony at Elbourne Wines, a boutique vineyard that is a top family-friendly winery in the region. If your little ones want even more time with their new furry friends, the property also offers accommodation with enough space for the whole family.
Centennial Vineyards is both a kid and pet-friendly establishment with manicured gardens and spacious green space for little ones to run wild. Catering to little tummies, the restaurant serves a Children’s High Tea menu with pastries, sandwiches and scones. The winery also hosts regular family-friendly workshop events throughout the year, such as wreath-making during the festive season and terrarium building.
Bookworms and wine connoisseurs alike, Bendooley Estate is your paradise and one of the top family-friendly wineries in the region. This cellar door is a century-old barn converted into a grand property that offers gourmet dining, wine tasting, luxury accommodation and is home to the popular Berkelouw Book Barn. At the estate where Leo Berkelouw built the now thriving family business, families can explore a slice of history and experience a wine tasting before settling in with a good book.
Situated in the tranquil hills north of Berrima, the Joadja Estate is the oldest winery and vineyard in the Southern Highlands. The boutique estate is family owned and operated, welcoming visitors with children by providing a large outdoor play space with a cubby house and giant chess set. While the kids are occupied, parents can soak up the rustic atmosphere while sipping on homegrown wines.
Bring your own picnic rug, purchase provisions from the cellar door and set up on the grass overlooking the picturesque grounds at Lowe Family Wine Co. Upon arrival, guests can pick up an illustrated map of the Tinja Farm. Using the map, kids can navigate through the gardens to discover where the produce is grown and walk the farm trail to spot donkeys, chickens, ducks and peacocks.
Experience a French-style wine tasting inside a beautifully preserved sandstone building whilst overlooking the expansive vineyards. Bring the kids and four-legged family members along to De Beaurepaire Wines to feast on grazing platters and seasonal food menus, with Kids Snack Packs available to satisfy tiny tummies. Hop around to the vineyards at Easter for an egg hunt, book a family photoshoot with Santa during the festive season or join flower-arranging classes – there’s a plethora of annual events to look forward to at this winery.
A rustic gem tucked amongst the gum trees, Lazy Oak Wines is one of the most family-friendly wineries in New South Wales. While the adults sip on delicious wines with a side of tapas, the kids will be busy with hula hoops, swings and Connect 4 at the play area. Quality tastings pair particularly well with a decadent grazing box full of local cheese, seasonal fruits, relishes and more.
10’s Estate is one of the best wineries for a memorable family experience. After sampling some of their fragrant wines, families can head to the onsite orchard to pick ripe fruit such as figs, cherries and citrus. The organic farm also creates products from the harvested fruit that the kids will love, including their specialty Cherry Popsicles. Fruit picking is available seasonally, with cherry picking open between November and December and figs from January to March.
A trip to Mudgee isn’t complete without a visit to the spectacular Logan Wines Cellar Door and Tasting Room. Located high on the hill overlooking the vineyards below, the winery boasts incredible panoramas of Apple Tree Flat as the backdrop for tasting some of Australia’s best cool-climate wines. While there are no dedicated kids’ features available, there is plenty of grassy space for the kids to run around.
Skimstone Wines is one of the best family-friendly wineries in the area for those with energetic tots in tow. Parents can appreciate the breathtaking Mudgee countryside with a cheeseboard while the kids have a ball playing in the giant sandpit. For youngsters who want to participate in the Cellar Door experience, Skimstone Wines provides a Sip, Snack & Play package that includes cordial, chips and a play area with board games and puzzles.
Tucked in the loam and clay hills of Mudgee, Slowfox Wines provides a relaxed and inviting environment for families. Guests and pets are welcome to explore the winery, where parents can sample the award-winning Malbec and children can entertain themselves at the designated play area.
Once Orange’s largest cattle station, the Heifer Station is a well-known vineyard spanning over 26 hectares and one of the top family-friendly wineries in the region. Adjacent to the tasting room, the Funny Farm petting zoo is sure to be a hit with the youngsters. Kids can get up close with the animals by feeding chickens and goats and visiting the popular miniature Shetland pony. Dogs are also welcome.
Patina Wines is a family-owned estate located amongst the rich volcanic slopes of Mt Canobolas. This boutique winery has magnificently landscaped gardens where children can wander, play and set up a picnic. Their signature chardonnay is highly recommended for parents to sip on while admiring the winery’s rustic cellar door and charming countryside.
Housed within the lovingly restored, heritage-listed March Schoolhouse, the Cellar Door at Mortimers Wines offers a unique wine-tasting experience. Savour delicious wines and cheeseboards within a building more than 150 years old while younger family members have fun at the playground. On certain afternoons, the venue will host local artists who perform live music to accompany wine tastings.
Read more: The 27 best things to do in Orange with kids
Featuring one of the world’s largest hedge mazes to explore, Bago Maze and Wine is one of the best family-friendly wineries in Port Macquarie. This family-run farm encourages the young and the young at heart to embark on outdoor adventures within an intricately designed lilly pilly hedge maze. When the kids aren’t busy discovering hidden pathways or joining seasonal treasure hunts, they can sample chocolate truffles made onsite while their parents sip coastal wines and taste local produce.
For those who enjoy their viticulture with a slice of history, Douglas Vale Historic Homestead & Vineyard is the perfect family-friendly winery. Holding the title of the oldest timber homestead in the Hastings region, the property has a historic museum and an enchanting heritage-listed bamboo grove to explore. The restored cellar door is open for adults to enjoy a free wine tasting, while kids roam the orchard in search of pineapples and enjoy colouring activities.
Cassegrain Wines welcomes guests with kids to visit their winery, providing a play area and a dedicated kids’ menu with non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice so they don’t feel left out of the wine-tasting experience. A highlight for families is the horse rides that can be booked onsite – an activity that makes this one of the most family-friendly wineries in the region.
Little art enthusiasts and older wine lovers alike can’t miss Long Point Vineyard & Art Gallery. Browse the art gallery with a glass of estate-grown wine in hand, admiring works from talented local artists as the tots investigate the outdoor sculptural installation. End the experience with a cheese platter on the outdoor deck as your family looks out at the serene, native bushland.
If you’re looking for a more out-of-the-ordinary activity to accompany your next wine-tasting experience, the Coolangatta Estate certainly delivers. Hop on Bigfoot, a 4WD monster truck that drives families through the vineyards and up the mountain at the back of the property. From the vantage point, you’ll have panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and nearby beaches – the perfect family photo op. Round off a unique day with a bistro-style lunch paired with the estate’s premium wines.
At Crooked River Estate, parents can soak up vineyard views accompanied by live music while nibbling on a grazing plate. This venue provides a lively outdoor setting for dining on the hill, where little ones can run on spacious lawns and families can bring picnic blankets to sample Cellar Door food and beverages.
Family Fridays at Cupitt’s Estate make it one of the best family-friendly wineries in Shoalhaven. Expect firepits with marshmallows, a disco, face-painting, a Family Meal Deal and many other exciting activities for the kids. Can’t make it on Friday? The winery always offers kids’ menus, a farm with resident chickens and guinea pigs and kid-friendly tours of the estate alongside their parents.
For those who prefer a different kind of alcoholic beverage and don’t want to compromise on the family-friendly features, there are plenty of breweries and cideries that cater to kids across New South Wales.
A family day trip to the Blue Mountains isn’t complete without a stop in Bilpin, a popular destination for locally crafted cider. The Hillbilly Cider Shed pours crisp, crushed cider with mountain-grown apples, offering non-alcoholic options to ensure the kids don’t miss out. Families can bring the tots and dogs to this cidery to run around on the grassy area and feast on wood-fired pizzas.
Crown your family’s cornhole or croquet champion, take the kids and the fur babies for a stroll through the orchard, and sip on authentic ciders at Bilpin Cider. There’s also a farm with resident goats, chickens, sheep, miniature donkeys and alpacas, like the spotlight-seeking diva, Princess. Whether you choose to admire the mountain vistas with a picnic, indulge in seasonal menu items harvested fresh from the onsite garden or play family games, this cidery has it all. You can’t miss a slice of their deliciously fresh and homemade apple pie.
Welcoming kiddos and doggos, Jervis Bay Brewing Co. is an energetic taproom and beer garden with a modern jukebox, a food truck, regular trivia and live music. Equally lively munchkins can burn energy on the playground or settle in for a family board game.
Families can head to Flamin Galah Brewing Co for live music, quality brews and delightful bites like bao buns and sliders from the food truck. Parents should note that the brewery is family-friendly until 8pm.
The producers of Cedar Creek Cider welcome families to their orchard just outside of Picton to join Pick Your Own fruit sessions and farm tours. A variety of fruits like apples, peaches, nectarines and persimmons are available seasonally for families to pick, and the onsite shed sells both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders to quench your thirst.
Pokolbin Cider House is a boutique venue in the Hunter Valley that serves a range of tasty apple, pear and grape ciders, crafted with a winemaking twist. It’s a picturesque spot in the region for families to tuck into a cheeseboard or pizza alongside a kid-friendly juice-tasting paddle.
Feast on kid-friendly meals at the bistro, take a tour of the brewery and let the youngsters and four-legged family members run wild on vast open lawns at The Valley Brewhouse. There’s also a kids’ playground to keep the little ones occupied while parents sample quality brews at a tasting.
This state-of-the-art, sustainability–focused brewery is a popular local venue for families that has an array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft beers on tap and a Mexican-inspired menu. After burning their energy at the dedicated playground, little ones with big appetites can scarf down bites from the kids’ menu.
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