Keep calm and drink wine (in Orange!)

New South Wales is full of great wine – the Hunter and Mudgee are testament to the abundance of delicious drops. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Orange is where it’s at. Why? Read on to find out about some of the hidden gems tucked away in this unassuming Regional NSW town.

Patina Wines

Blink and you’ll miss it. Located on Summerhill Lane, just before you hit Orange (if you’re heading west), Patina Wines is an undisputed highlight of my recent trip, and not only for the wine.

Entrance to Patina Wines

In 1981 Californian Gerald Naef and his wife Anji immigrated to Australia and bought a 2400-acre farm in Orange. Since then they’ve worked hard to develop the property and Patina brand, with the wine now being stocked in top-tiered restaurants such as Aria in Sydney.

When I visit, the first thing I notice are the incredible gardens. Anji has a keen green thumb, and, impressively, is also a talented artist, with many of her paintings hanging throughout the house and cellar door.

The beautiful gardens surrounding the property

My favourites from the tasting include the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, which is slightly dryer than your standard Sav, and the 2014 Scandalous Riesling (and, no, not just for the name).

Patina Wines is open for tastings 11am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Borrodell Vineyard

Set high above Orange and overlooking lush countryside is Borrodell Vineyard. At an altitude of over 1000 metres, the views stretch across the valley and beyond to the Central Ranges. We visit in summer, but it would be equally spectacular in winter when snow falls on the vines and fruit orchards.

View from Borrodell cellar door

Having a cooler climate means that the red wines from Orange are much lighter than those from regions like the Barossa. This is because the grapes aren’t exposed to warm temperatures, which effectively cooks them so that they need to be taken off the vines earlier. In cooler temps the grapes can stay on the vines longer, giving them more time to develop. Once Borrodell’s grapes are picked, crushed and bottled, they’re kept in a large underground cellar with a controlled temperature to ensure top-notch drinking time after time.

Borrodell cellar

We drive up the dirt road and through the cherry trees, but if you don’t want to slum it you can also land your helicopter metres from the cellar door. A big tick for convenience 😉

Not only does Borrodell have an award-winning cellar door, but it’s also home to Sister’s Rock Restaurant, apple orchards, truffles, and a selection of accommodation options. If you want to escape reality for a few days, get Borrodell on your radar.

The cellar door is open for tastings 7 days a week.

Philip Shaw wines

One of Orange’s most famous wineries, Philip Shaw has excellent cool-climate wines that can be ordered in many restaurants as they’re both affordable and guaranteed to deliver on the flavour front.

Philip Shaw cellar door

The cellar door is super busy when we visit, but the staff are still highly attentive and knowledgeable about the wines. Even without help, tasting is subjective and you can easily let the wines do the talking. Philip Shaw’s are so good it’s hard not to love them!

There’s something missing in this photo…

If there’s anything lacking, it’s a food menu. We have a particular craving for a cheese plate to accompany our wine, but Philip Shaw currently only caters for wine tastings. Renovations are underway to extend and improve the already impressive property, which we’re told will include a full kitchen facility, but in the meantime visitors will need to stick to a grape-only diet.

I take home a bottle of the No. 8 Pinot Noir. It’s already empty.

Philip Shaw’s cellar door is open from 11am to 5pm, 7 days a week.

Ross Hill Wines

I hadn’t heard of Ross Hill Wines before visiting, which is both good and bad. Good because I had no expectations beforehand, which meant that I was pleasantly surprised, and bad because it’s a well-known, well-awarded vineyard that I probably should have been aware of.

Ross Hill vineyard, operating out of a converted apple packing shed

Established in 1994, Ross Hill is a sustainable, family-run operation located in an old converted apple-packing shed. This adds to the experience as it feels homely and welcoming, like visiting your Aunt and Uncle’s farm. There are still apple orchards surrounding the property, as well as olives, which are processed and sold as olive oil.

Ross Hill’s Pinot Noir grapes

We spend a while learning about the history of Ross Hill and, of course, tasting most of the wine available. At the end it’s a tough decision on what to purchase, but I take home two bottles of the Pinnacle Series Chardonnay.

Ross Hill’s cellar door is open from 10.30am to 5pm, 7 days a week.

We don’t have time to visit any more wineries, but that gives us a good excuse to come back again. On my list for next time are Canobolas~Smith, Printhie Wines and Swinging Bridge.

Not sure when to visit? From the 10^th to 19^th April, Orange will host the annual F.O.O.D week (Food of Orange District), which supports and showcases local produce and fine food. During F.O.O.D Week you can visit farms, markets, kitchens, restaurants, wineries, and enjoy long lunches with top chefs.

Pssst: Got any Orange photos to share? Get social and hashtag #NewSouthWales and #liveeverylastminute and we’ll share our faves 🙂

What are your favourite NSW wineries? Leave your tips in the comments!

• Stay in Orange
• Fly to Sydney
• Check out more of delicious NSW
• Find Orange wineries and restaurants at VisitNSW.com