Saddler's Creek Wine Walks

A guided vineyard walk, with four wine and food pairings and an Italian inspired lunch from Mangia included. Available over five Sundays at Saddler's Creek Wines, Pokolbin, from July into September.

Explore Saddler's Creek Wines vineyard in Pokolbin, with your wine host and four wines matched to food, as you take a leisurely stroll through the vines, being immersed in the stories of how we bring the wine in your glass to life. You start at the fire pit and finish at the table. This is a Sunday session in the Hunter Valley for the curious food and wine lover.

What makes a Hunter Valley Sunday worth the drive

There are weekends you take a drive and come home feeling the same. Then there are Sundays that stay with you.

Winter into early spring in the Hunter Valley has a particular quality. The mornings are cool enough that a glass of something warm-hearted earns its place. And at Saddler's Creek, the fire is already lit when you arrive.

The Saddler's Creek Wine Walk is designed for the kind of Sunday that lingers. You spend the morning in the estate vines with your wine host, tasting four wines matched to food at every stop. You move from fire pit to the vines to the table at Mangia. By the time lunch is done, the music has started.

Some experiences are about the wine. This one is about the whole day.

From fire pit to the vines: how the morning unfolds

The Saddler's Creek Wine Walk has a shape to it. You move through the estate in two settings, and each one changes what you notice in the glass.

10:30am - the fire pit

Chef Chiero is at the open fire when you arrive. Warm baked Brie with estate honey is ready, and the first wine is poured while you gather. This is where the morning begins.

11:00am - into the vines

Your wine host leads you through the estate from 11:00am, pausing three times to open the next wine and match it with food. The walk is the conversation between the wine, the place and what's on the plate.

12:00pm - Mangia and beyond

From around 12:00pm, the walk brings you back to the cellar door and to Mangia at Saddler's Creek for a sit-down lunch included in your ticket. Live music plays at the cellar door from midday through to 3:30pm, so there's no hard close to the day - stay as long as you like.

Four wines, four pairings, one estate

The wines and what they're matched with

Every wine in the Saddler's Creek Wine Walk comes from Saddler's Creek. The pairings were worked out with Chef Chiero and the winemaking team, not because someone decided they should work, but because they do.

At the fire pit
Scotty Sparkling
Warm baked Brie with estate honey

In the vines
Estate Shiraz
Mortadella

2023 Alessandro Reserve Shiraz (95pt)
Parmigiano Reggiano

Alessandro Reserve Cabernet Shiraz
Salami on focaccia

The Parmigiano Reggiano against the 95-point Shiraz. The salami on focaccia with the Cabernet Shiraz. The warm Brie against the Fiano before you've even walked a vine. These are the moments food and wine people talk about on the drive home.

Sit down. Chef Chiero has lunch ready

Around 12:00pm, the walk brings you back to the cellar door and to Mangia at Saddler's Creek.

Chef Chiero is Venetian-trained. The menu at Mangia is Italian-inspired because the Lauretis are Italian, and Mangia means eat. This is not a theme. It is who they are.

Lunch is included in your ticket. You sit down, the wine keeps flowing, and the conversation takes over. Live music plays at the cellar door from midday to 3:30pm, so you can settle in for the afternoon and stay as long as you like.

Saddler's Creek Wine Walk dates

Five sessions, every second Sunday from July through to Father's Day 2026.

Sunday 12th July 2026 - from 10:30am
Sunday 26th July 2026 - from 10:30am
Sunday 9th August 2026 - from 10:30am
Sunday 23rd August 2026 - from 10:30am
Sunday 6th September 2026 (Father's Day) - from 10:30am

Each session is limited to 20 guests. Bookings are essential.

Tickets are $115, or $99 for Club Equus members.

Getting here and what to bring

Getting here

Saddler's Creek Wines is on Marrowbone Road in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley - about two hours from Sydney by car and 40 minutes from Newcastle Airport. There is on-site parking. Taxis and Ubers are available locally.

What to wear

The walk begins outdoors at the fire pit, moves through the estate vines and then returns to the cellar door for lunch. Dress in layers for the cool morning.

Shoes

Enclosed, comfortable shoes are required - the vineyard is a working estate and the ground can be muddy underfoot. Before entering the vines, your shoes will be cleaned on-site to prevent the spread of disease and infection to the vines. This is standard biosecurity practice and we take care of it on arrival. Open-toed shoes and heels are not suitable.

How long does it take?

The vineyard walk and pairings run for about 90 minutes, bringing you to Mangia for lunch around 12:00pm. The full experience - a long, leisurely lunch with live music at the cellar door - carries through to 3:30pm. If you'd prefer a shorter lunch and need to head off earlier, that works just as well. The day is yours after the walk.

What to bring

Nothing else required. All food and wine is included in your ticket.

Saddler's Creek Wine Walk FAQs

What is the Saddler's Creek Wine Walk experience?

The Saddler's Creek Wine Walk is a guided vineyard experience at Saddler's Creek Wines, Pokolbin. You walk the estate vines with a wine host, tasting four wines matched to food at every stop, starting at the fire pit with Chef Chiero and finishing with a sit-down Mangia lunch included in your ticket. Sessions are limited to 20 guests.

What wines and food are included in the walk?

Four pairings across two settings: Fiano or Chardonnay with warm baked Brie at the fire pit, then Estate Shiraz with mortadella, the 2023 Alessandro Reserve Shiraz (95pt) with Parmigiano Reggiano, and the Alessandro Reserve Cabernet Shiraz with salami on focaccia in the vines. A sit-down Mangia lunch is included after the walk.

Is lunch included in the ticket price?

Yes. A sit-down lunch at Mangia at Saddler's Creek is included in the ticket price for all guests. After the fire pit and the vineyard walk, you sit down at the table. All food and wine throughout the experience is covered by your ticket.

What should I wear to a vineyard walk?

Dress in layers and wear enclosed, comfortable shoes - the vineyard is a working estate and the ground can be muddy underfoot. Before entering the vines, your shoes will be cleaned on-site to prevent disease and infection to the vines; this is standard biosecurity practice and we take care of it on arrival. Open-toed shoes and heels are not suitable. Hunter Valley mornings are cool from July into spring, so layers are essential.

How far is Saddler's Creek Wines from Sydney?

Saddler's Creek Wines is in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, about two hours from Sydney by car and 40 minutes from Newcastle Airport. There is on-site parking. Taxis and Ubers are available locally for those not driving.

How do I access the Club Equus member price?

Club Equus members access the member price of $99 at checkout when booking through the website. Tickets are $115 for all other guests. To join Club Equus and access member pricing on this and future events, visit saddlerscreek.com/join-club-equus/

What's on at the Hunter Valley on a Sunday?

Every second Sunday from July to early September, Saddler's Creek Wines runs the Saddler's Creek Wine Walk - a guided vineyard experience with four wine and food pairings and a Mangia lunch included, from 10:30am. Sessions on 12th July, 26th July, 9th August, 23rd August and 6th September (Father's Day) 2026. Limited to 20 guests, bookings essential.

Five Sundays. Maximum twenty guests. Book now to secure your place.