Bimbadgen Estate has for many years been a premier destination for wine lovers and anyone visiting Hunter Valley.
With vineyards over 50 years old, this winery produces some of the most flavorful and unique small batch wines in the area. The expansive cellar door at Bimbadgen Estate offers a spacious and inviting atmosphere, featuring a modern tasting area and various dining options, making it a central attraction for visitors.
Bimbadgen Estate is popular for both its selection of award-winning wines and its flagship restaurant, Esca Bimbadgen, where you can find some of the finest dining in the area.
This Bimbadgen Estate guide will provide you with all the information you need about wine tastings, the restaurant, events, accommodations, and more.
Table of Contents
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Wine Tasting Experiences at Bimbadgen Estate
- Grower’s Experience
- Signature Experience
- Sparkling Experience
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Dining at Bimbadgen Estate
- Esca Bimbadgen
- Bimbadgen Wood Fire Pizza
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Accommodation at Bimbadgen Estate
- Homestead Cottages
- Emma’s Cottage
- The Lane Retreat
- Hosting an Event at Bimbadgen Estate
- How to Get to Bimbadgen Estate
- Bimbadgen Estate: Origins and Awards
- Booking a Wine Tasting at Bimbadgen Estate
Address: 790 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Australia
Website: Bimbadgen Winery
Contact Details:
Phone: +61 2 4998 4600
Email: office@bimbadgen.com.au
For further inquiries, you can also visit their Contact Us page on their website.
Wine Tasting Experiences at Bimbadgen Estate - Hunter Valley Wine Country
Seeing as Bimbadgen Estate is a winery, the first thing we’ll cover are the wine tasting options available at Bimbadgen Estate. However, before we do that, it’s important to mention that this winery is well known for its selection of Semillon, Shiraz, and Chardonnay.
Thanks to the distinctive soil profiles of its vineyards, it’s able to produce some of the highest quality grapes that can be used for making wines.
Let’s find out what the wine tasting experiences at Bimbadgen Estate are like.
There are three primary wine tasting experiences available at Bimbadgen Estate, including an informative wine tasting that explores the winemaking process and offers an educational aspect along with the enjoyment of the wines.
Grower’s Experience
The Grower’s Experience costs $10 per person and allows you to taste six wines from the Hunter Valley wine region, including both traditional and newer varieties. This includes whites, roses, and reds. It allows you to taste a little bit of everything.
Signature Experience
The Signature Experience costs $20 per person, and this allows you to taste a wide variety of single vineyard wines. These single vineyard wines reflect just how important the soil type of each vineyard is. There are two very special 50-year-old vineyards located at Bimbadgen Estate, and this wine tasting allows you to experience exactly what they produce.
Sparkling Experience
From sparkling Semillon to rose, the Sparkling Experience costs $15 per person, And allows you to taste some of the most delicious sparkling wines in the area. Along with your wine tasting, you'll also get a delicious sweet chocolatey treat from a local chocolatier, the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company. What's also attractive is the open plan winemaking facility that allows you to view the whole process from A to Z.
Dining at Bimbadgen Estate
There are two dining options available at Bimbadgen Estate, offering a world class food experience: Esca Bimbadgen and Bimbadgen Wood Fire Pizza.
Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant
Esca Bimbadgen is the flagship restaurant at this winery, and it serves a variety of fresh and seasonal dishes, with specialising in various beef and seafood dishes, as well as fresh vegetables, and an assortment of high-quality cheeses, all of which pair perfectly with the wines produced at the winery.
The menu is designed to complement all of the wines, letting the freshness of the produce and the flavors of the wines speak for themselves. The view from your restaurant’s table is fantastic as well, as it overlooks the surrounding area and all of the beautiful vineyards of Bimbadgen Estate, featuring modern tasting rooms that offer a contemporary and visually appealing setting.
Opening Hours
Lunch: Wednesday to Saturday, from 12pm
Dinner: Thursday to Saturday, from 6pm
Bimbadgen Wood Fire Pizza
Executive Chef Kiery Madeley has created a great menu with many classics featuring modern twists.
Bimbadgen Wood Fire Pizza is located in the Tuscan inspired courtyard, where you can sit in a shaded vine covered pergola while enjoying some of the tastiest wines and pizzas that the area has to offer.
The pizzeria courtyard even sees live music every Friday night between 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM. Happy hour is between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM, where guests will receive 50% off any glass of wine from the hunter valley range. Keep in mind that this is an outdoor area.
Bookings from:
Monday to Thursday 11am – 3:30pm
Friday & Saturday 11am – 7.30pm
Sunday 11am – 3pm
Accommodation at Bimbadgen Estate
For those looking to spend a few days at Bimbadgen Estate, there are several accommodation options available.
Homestead Cottages
At the McDonald's Road property, there is a two-bedroom cottage and a four-bedroom homestead, you'll also get a bottle of wine and a cheese plate, as well as a complimentary continental breakfast on the morning of your first stay.
Emma’s Cottage
Located nearby is Emma’s Cottage, Bimbadgen's sibling property, where there are five quaint cottages available for a great weekend getaway.
The name 'Bimbadgen' means 'Place of Good View' in the local indigenous language, highlighting the cultural significance and heritage of the winery.
The Lane Retreat
Although not officially part of the winery itself, there is nearby boutique accommodation, Lane Retreat, which offers modern and stylish rooms with cosy buildings, expansive surrounds, and plenty of activities.
Hosting an Event at Bimbadgen Estate
The Bimbadgen Estate Winery also plays host to many large events on a yearly basis, from private gatherings to corporate events and more.
There are various event spaces available for use, which are ideal for a variety of corporate dinners, special occasions, and much more. Your events will be catered for by the award-winning Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant, along with world-class wines.
A beautiful architectural feature of the winery is its striking bell tower, which not only represents the Bimbadgen brand but also enhances the natural landscape with stunning views from its elevated location in the Hunter Valley.
Of course, this location is also ideal for weddings, thanks to its amazing cellar door, fine dining, and a locatikon that makes for the best possible vantage point for any scenic wedding! The visually stunning backdrop of the vineyards and the surrounding area make for the perfect way to celebrate that special day. Palmers Lane offers guests the perfect wedding venue with panoramic views of the mountain ranges in the backyard.
You can have your wedding ceremony on the hill, between the lush vines, or down by the pontoon. With stunning exposed beams and high ceilings, this venue is ready for any wedding celebration. Guests can choose to dine alfresco with beautiful long tables that overlook the property’s lake and vineyards or have an elegant seated indoor dinner. There are several wedding and proposal packages available.
How to Get to Bimbadgen Estate
Bimbadgen Estate is located just over two hours out of Sydney, about 175 kilometers via the M1. This makes the winery an ideal location for a day trip, particularly if you drive privately or take a tour bus relatively early in the morning.
With that being said, if you live in Sydney, this little amounts to around a four-hour drive in total, which can be a bit stressful, especially if all you want to do is enjoy the panoramic views of the natural landscape and delicious wines at Bimbadgen Estate.
If you’re not one to waste time, and you’d rather travel in style, taking a private helicopter tour to Bimbadgen Estate in Hunter Valley is the way to go.
Starting in Sydney, your private helicopter tour allows you to take aerial photos of Hunter Valley, and once you get to the winery, you’ll get a wine tasting at the cellar door along with a three-course lunch at the Esca restaurant. If you ever wanted a worthwhile picture, an iconic image that will last a lifetime, then spending a day on the green at Bimbadgen is for you!
Bimbadgen Estate: Origins and Awards
Bimbadgen Estate features vineyards that are well over 50 years of age, and although they only produce low yields, they also produce grapes that result in wines of balance, finesse, intrigue, and prestige. The first of the vineyards, Palmers Lane was planted in 1968, with the McDonalds Road Vineyard following shortly after.
Thanks to significant investment from the Lee Family and the Mulpha Australia luxury property portfolio, Bimbadgen Estate has grown significantly in both size and popularity over the last 20 years. The winery operations at Bimbadgen Estate offer visitors a chance to observe and engage with the winemaking facilities and production process, providing an immersive wine experience that includes dining and relaxation options.
Let’s not forget that Bimbadgen Estate has received several awards, including the National Winner of the Awards of Excellence in 2018 and 2019 and was a winner of the Wine Lists of Australia Awards in 2023. These are just some of the many awards that this striking winery and restaurant has won over the last years.
Booking a Wine Tasting at Bimbadgen Estate
If you’d like to book a stay, event, or a wine tasting at Bimbadgen Estate, visit the official website. You won't regret trying Bimbadgen wines! Remember that if you’re looking for a unique adventure that has you flying high over the vineyards of Hunter Valley, along with a three-course meal and wine tasting, then the Bimbadgen Estate private helicopter tour courtesy of Rotor one is the way to go!
