Orange, NSW is located about 3 hours away from Sydney and is home to countless 5-star wineries. October is wine month in Orange and Our Wandering Mind explored the area, ate a little bit too much cheese, and drank a lot of wine to find the best of the best when it comes to wineries in Orange.
All of the wineries below can be visited in a weekend or if you’re an expert scheduler, in one day. With the abundance of wineries to choose from, Orange can seem very overwhelming when it comes to picking and choosing where to visit.
Whether you’re interested in finding the best white wine or the trendiest spot to hang out all day, this is your go-to list when it comes to visiting the best wineries in Orange.
The Trendiest Winery
Heifer Station Vineyard
If you’re looking for a winery that you can spend all day at, Heifer Station Vineyard is exactly what you’re looking for. Like most other wineries in the area, Heifer Station Vineyard is only a short drive away from Orange Town Center. Heifer Station offers a selection of pre-booked wine tastings for a variety of different group sizes.
You can book your tasting in a variety of different areas around the vineyard. One option is inside the converted old woodshed where you’re met with leather furnishings, a wood-burning fireplace, and exposed wood beams. This is where we opted for our tasting, which was very comfortable and homey and would be magical in the Winter.
Along with our wine tasting, we purchased the $30 cheese platter, which you can order right on the spot or when you pre-book. The platter came with a selection of delicious, rich cheeses, crackers, and fruit, and was the perfect companion to their selection of wines.
The outside yard at Heifer Station Vineyard is what takes it to the next level and somewhere you can easily spend all day, even with children. There’s the option to book an outside tasting on one of their many tables outside, tasting on the grass, or taste their selection of delicious wines inside a TeePee. With the stunning gardens and trendy picnic spots, there is truly not a bad table at this winery.
With a sandbox right outside for the kids to play and a small petting zoo, a day at Heifer Station Vineyards is truly a great day out for the whole family.
After you finish your 50-minute wine tasting, you definitely need to take a stroll around the gardens and say hi to Tilly, Truffle, and the other farm animals located at the petting zoo.
Book Your Tasting Here
Cost: $15
Tasting redeemable on takeaway wine purchases
Duration: 50 Minutes
What I Purchased: Heifer Station Chardonnay V18 and a Cheese Platter to Share
What’s To Loved: The Atmosphere, Petting Zoo, and Gardens
The Best White Wines
Nashdale Lane Wines
When searching for the best white wines in Orange, look no further than Nashdale Lane Wines. Nashdale Lane Wines was the second winery we attended and we were still talking about their selection of white wines at the end of our trip.
Which, is a great thing, since Nashdale Lane Wines wasn’t actually able to harvest any 2020 red wines due to the Australian bush fires. Their white wines truly blew us away that I even Googled before we left Orange to make sure I’m able to order the wines for delivery when we run out.
Nashdale Lane Wines is a family-owned and operated winery surrounded by orchards, olive groves, cattle, sheep, and incredible views. They also feature glamping accommodations and a comfortable wine tasting experience.
There are both indoor and outdoor tasting experience options available, and we opted for the outdoor picnic table for four people. With views of the gorgeous vineyards and mountains, we definitely think we made the right choice. If you come on a rainy day, you can still stay dry inside but take in the incredible views with the large windows inside.
With the Nashdale Lane Wine tasting, you get to try a selection of their white seasonal wines. If you’re really interested in trying their red wines, you can do so for an additional fee. However, after trying their white wines and loving all of them, we were definitely happy with our tasting selection.
Book Your Tasting Here
Cost: $10 Spring and Summer Tasting
Tasting redeemable with the purchase of two or more wines.
Upgrade Tasting $20 Non-refundable (Featuring 3 Different Vintages and Red Wines)
Duration: 1 Hour
What I Purchased: 2020 ‘The Social’ Blanc, 2020 Colour Series Pinot Gris, and 2020 ‘The Social’ Rose
What’s To Loved: White Wines and Views
Best Tasting Experience
Orange Mountain Wine
Ironically, the best wine tasting experience was the cheapest wine tasting experience. Even though you still have to book prior to visiting Orange Mountain Wine, there is no booking fee to try a selection of their delicious tasting wines.
Orange Mountain Wine is located only 10 KM outside of Orange and uses more traditional wine methods including handpicking, basket pressing, fermentation in smaller containers, and no nasty additives, making their wine process also vegan.
What makes the Orange Mountain Wine tasting experience the best is how personal it is. When visiting Orange Mountain Wines for a tasting, you get a walkthrough tour of their vineyard, production shed, and get to taste a large selection of their most popular wines.
Getting a walk through the winemaking process, something that we didn’t receive from most wine tastings, was above and beyond, but personal touches like the owner and winemaker, Terry, leading the tasting and his family being involved, made for a great overall experience as well. Terry had a great, dry sense of humor, was very informative, and answered any questions.
Book Your Tasting Here
Cost: Free
Duration: 45 Min – 1 Hour
What I Purchased: Cherry Liqueur and 1397 Shiraz Viognier
What’s To Loved: The hands-on tour experience.
Upscale Experience
Phillip Shaw Wines
Phillip Shaw is one of the most well-known wineries in Orange and for good reason. Phillip Shaw was our first winery experience and it was one of the most ‘elevated’ ones we experienced during the weekend. Their headline on their website is
Discover Cool Climate Wines of Elegance
and that is just what you get when visiting Phillip Shaw. The main building where the tastings were located was well designed and definitely suited for more of an older crowd. Our Phillip Shaw wine tasting was paired with a premium tasting plate with cheeses, cured meats, crackers, and fruit. It was beautifully presented and complimented our tasting nicely.
Although the brick building, interior, and tasting experience seemed more elegant than others, Phillip Shaw surprisingly featured some of the cheapest wines that we’ve tasted. With bottles starting at $24, the majority of other wineries starting prices were around the $30+ mark.
Although the vibe of Phillip Shaw tasting was more upscale and seemed more geared towards an older crowd, the gardens outside were beautiful, definitely worth a wander, and featured some outdoor games catering to a younger demographic as well.
Phillip Shaw was one of the only wineries we saw that you were allowed you to order a glass of wine and walk the gardens, even if you didn’t have a booking. This is a great option if you wanted to have a quick visit or were unable to snag a booking.
Book Your Tasting Here
Cost: $20 (Including Tasting Plate)
Duration: 1 Hour
What I Purchased: The Conductor Merlot and The Gardner 2020 Pinot Gris
What’s To Loved: Upscale Atmosphere and the Gardens
The Best Sangrias
Montoro Wines
Montoro Winery is one of the smallest wineries we went to, but is worth mentioning as they do they make the best sangrias ever! Although most people probably don’t plan their winery experience based on sangria, I wanted to mention Montoro, since I’m still daydreaming about their sangrias.
We attended the Sangrias at Sunset event during Wine Month in Orange. Although, it’s not a permanent event, it’s definitely something you should keep your eye out for if you enjoy sangrias. Our drinks were paired with a delicious antipasto platter and stunning sunset views.
Montoro Wines venue is actually made from an incredibly intelligent shipping container design. It’s a simple building that’s very effective and still provides a decent amount of seating and space for people to mingle and watch the sunset.
There’s also a large grass field next door which allows you to pack a picnic blanket and enjoy a glass or two of their unique White Shiraz on the grass. Montoro specializes in Shiraz and is the only winery in Australia to make a White Shiraz.
Regardless if you’re able to get a glass of their incredible sangria, with their Shiraz being one of the main ingredients, I have no doubt that it’s just as fabulous.
Visit Website
Cost: $20 (Including Tasting Plate)
Check the website for current events.
Duration: 1 Hour
What I Purchased: The Conductor Merlot and The Gardner 2020 Pinot Gris
What’s To Loved: Upscale Atmosphere and the Gardens
Orange, NSW is a beautiful little town with some of the best wineries in Australia. It’s the perfect weekend getaway for a girl’s weekend or a couple’s retreat.
Regardless of your getaway excuse, when visiting Orange, we definitely recommend you add the wineries above to your itinerary.
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