The Best Wineries in Orange, NSW

About 3 hours drive from Sydney is Orange, NSW, Australia’s highest cool climate wine region with an altitude of 1200m. With this cool climate there are around 40 wineries in the Orange wine region making it the perfect place to produce elegant and savoury wines. There is no shortage of cellar doors to choose from, so here’s my list of the Best Wineries in Orange NSW that no wine lover should miss!

What are the Best Wineries in Orange, NSW?

As well as being very productive, this wine country is incredibly pretty and understandably attracts a lot of tourists to its rolling vineyards and cosy cellar doors (tasting rooms).The main grapes grown in Orange are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, normally going into blends but sometimes making single varietals. To make it easier for you and ensure you make the most of your time in Orange, NSW, here are 4 of the best wineries (in our opinion!) in Orange, NSW.

Table of Contents

1. Ross Hill Wines

Ross Hill Wines is proud to be Australia’s first National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) certified winery and the only Australian producer of carbon neutral wines. That said, their wines were by far one of my favourite and make the top of the list for the best wineries in Orange, NSW. They have friendly and approachable staff that were more than happy to answer all of our questions and their Rosé and Sauvignon Blancs were amongst the best wines we tasted in this beautiful region. On our visit we included a $15 food flight where they paired 7 different types of local produce to their wine. I highly recommend adding this to your wine tasting experience as the food has a good way of bringing out the flavours in the different types of wine, thus making it a much more enjoyable experience.

Ross Hill Wines to try:

Family Series ‘Jessica’ Rosé – With strawberry, rhubarb and cherry flavours on the nose, this is a wine that makes you thirsty for more! Find yourself a charcuterie plate, and watch this wine sing.
Family Series ‘Lily’ Sauvignon Blanc – A soft mouth feel and tropical fruit flavours, together with a bright acidity, make a perfectly balanced refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Sipping this wine on a sunny afternoon would be perfect!

Cost: $10 pp for a wine tasting, $15 pp for the food flight and if you book your wine tasting in the morning they also offer a complimentary tour of their NCOS certified carbon neutral winery at 10am each morning.

2. Swinging Bridge

This winery produces by far the best Pinot Gris we have had the pleasure of coming across. The views here are to die for with sweeping views over the countryside and Mt Canobolas standing proud in the distance. Swinging Bridge also provide an optional platter to compliment their wine tasting which is prepared by their in house chef. This winery was Pete’s top pick, his favourite being the Pinot Gris and we ended up buying 4 bottles!! We also thoroughly enjoyed the dip and cheese here too.

Swinging Bridge Wines to try:

2019 Pinot Gris – The softest, smoothest Pinot Gris we’ve had the pleasure of coming across. My husband enjoyed it so much we ended up buying a case of this wine!
2020 Mrs Payten Chardonnay – Mrs Payten is Tom’s 90+ old grandmother, who according to him “Drinks more of it than anyone else!” This Chardonnay truly showcases Orange’s cool climate region.

Cost: $10pp for a standard tasting (5 wines) $20pp for a premium tasting (8 wines) and $15pp to add the tasting platter. We chose the premium tasting with the tasting platter.

3. Nashdale Lane

Our visit to Nashdale Lane left a lot to the imagination as their best selling wines were all sold out. (It would have been nice to know beforehand). Surely this must mean their wine is pretty good right? The highlight for me was having our tasting inside the beautiful rustic barn with a backdrop of Mt Canobolas in the distance. Keep an eye out for the resident sheep that graze among the vineyards!

Cost: $10pp for a standard tasting

4. Phillip Shaw Wines

Phillip Shaw Wines is a popular and well-known winery. This is the winery to visit if you are looking for more of an upscale and elegant experience. It was our unfortunate luck that this was the second winery we visited that had very limited stock available so our wine tasting experience was again lacking. They informed us that their vineyards were badly affected by the smoke from the recent bushfires and they had to throw out pretty much their entire years worth of grapes which in turn meant they weren’t able to produce their usual amount of wine, affecting mainly the white variety. It was really sad to hear how bushfires and other natural events can cause such an impact to regional businesses which is why we like to support small businesses as much as we can.

Cost: $10pp for a standard tasting, $20pp for a tasting and platter

More Orange, NSW Wineries:

If you feel like you haven’t quite had your fill of the best wineries in Orange, NSW, here are some more listed below recommended by the locals of the Orange region-

Heifer Station Wines- Heifer Station’s cellar door is particular great if you have kids (or if you’re a big kid at heart). They have a petting zoo onsite with lots of animals including pigs, goats and alpacas. If you’re camping, caravanning you can also stay on site at Heifer Station Wines!
Rowlee Wines- Rowlee Cellar Door is nestled amongst the vines on the verdant foothills of Mt Canobolas, 950 metres above sea level – exposed to the cool climate and unique topography of the Orange Wine Region.
Orange Mountain Wines- 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.

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A beautiful street in Orange, NSW - colourful autumn colours

Where to Eat in Orange, NSW

One thing’s for sure, you will NOT go hungry in Orange. This regional town packs such a gourmet punch that you can take your pick from a variety of cute cafes, high-end eateries, delicious winery lunches and quality pub meals. Here are some of the top favourites among the locals of Orange:

Parkview Hotel– traditional aussie pub with your typical aussie pub meals
Charred– one of the most popular and high in demand restaurants, Charred offers a relaxed fine dining experience (we couldn’t even get a booking so make sure you book in advance!)
The Agrestic Grocer– charmingly rustic space that doubles as a café and a store filled with gourmet delicacies like freshly made pickles, relishes and jams
Cured Orange – Hand Crafted Artisan Meats– Cured Orange is the Central West’s authentic taste European charcuterie with an extensive range that complements this outstanding food and wine region
Lolli Redini– another popular restaurant in Orange. Established in 2001 it’s won numerous Chef Hats and is known for its contemporary Italian and French-influenced food using mostly local produce and other specially sourced items.

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Orange, NSW offers some of the best wineries here in Australia- so which one are you visiting first?

A colourful street in autumn in Orange NSW

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