Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands is a string of villages about 90 minutes south-west of Sydney, and the tastings on this trail are spread across most of them. Bowral, Mittagong, Berrima, Exeter, Sutton Forest, Robertson and Fitzroy Falls each bring something different, so the best way to see the region is to take your time and let one stop lead to the next.

Cool-climate wine, with the makers behind it

The wines on this trail lean towards Pinot Noir, Riesling and sparkling, and many cellar doors here are still run by the people who planted the vines. At Artemis Wines in Mittagong, brothers Anton and Mark Balog have been making wine in the Highlands since 1996 and are known as the region's Pinot Noir pioneers. In Berrima, Tractorless Vineyard lets a flock of sheep do the work of a tractor between the rows, while the Lo Russo family at Sutton Forest Estate bring an Italian grape-growing background to their wines. Cherry Tree Hill, Bendooley Estate, Exeter Vineyard and Dawning Day complete a list of cellar doors you can mix and match.

Gin, beer and something to eat

Not every stop is a cellar door. Millsheds in Bowral distils its gins and liqueurs on site, and the Robertson Public House, where locals have gathered since 1887, pours a paddle of beer brewed in Robertson. For food, there are pastries in historic Berrima, a homemade pie at The Burrow Café near Fitzroy Falls, and a guided visit to the Mittagong Mushroom Tunnel, a working mushroom farm inside an 1886 railway tunnel.

How the pass works here

Choose the 3 Tastings or 5 Tastings pass, then pick your venues. Every tasting is fully prepaid, so there is nothing more to pay when you arrive. Some venues need you to book your tasting ahead, and the app shows which ones, so plan your stops before you set out. The 3 Tastings pass is used over two consecutive days, and five tastings are best spread across a weekend or longer, with a night in Bowral, Berrima or Mittagong as an easy base.

Not sure where to stay? Read Berrima vs Bowral vs Mittagong or Bowral as your base.