NSW’s largest open-air cellar door and wine tasting is coming to Sydney this weekend

Despite remarkably varied climate and terroir, and a rich wine-making history – the first vineyards in Australia were planted in Sydney Cove – NSW wines haven’t always been given the recognition they deserve, particularly in their home state.

“Sydneysiders are non-parochial about NSW wine, and for a long time, I don’t think we’ve really shown them the quality and the diversity of what we make,” says David Lowe, director and chief winemaker from Lowe Family Wines in Mudgee.

This weekend, NSW producers will get their chance at Sydney Cellar Door, the flagship event of NSW Wine Month.

Set across First Fleet Park and Tallawoladah Lawn in The Rocks this Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9, the event will showcase some of the best winemakers at the state’s largest open-air cellar door and tasting experience.

“It’s an important wake-up call to say, ‘guess what – it doesn’t all have to come from the Margaret River or the Barossa Valley. There are some really interesting wines close to home’. This is our chance to show that,” says Lowe.

Returning for his second year, Lowe will bring five wines with him, including a few new Italian varietals he’s been working on, such as a vermentino and a coral-pink Zinfandel rosé, as well as his amphora shiraz – an organic and biodynamic wine made from hand-picked grapes fermented in 600-litre clay vessels stored underground. “It’s a very interesting, easy-to-drink wine. It’s just something a bit different,” he says.

“I don’t think people necessarily want another bloody New Zealand sauvignon blanc or Tasmanian pinot noir. They want the cool, sexy stuff that we don’t make much of.”

For those who are eager to learn more than what’s on the back of the label, the event is a chance to ask questions and meet the people behind the wines. “There’ll be around 40 producers there, and they’re all smaller businesses, so the person that actually makes the wine turns up, so you can meet the maker,” Lowe says.

Alongside well-known and explored regions like the Hunter Valley, Orange and Mudgee, visitors will also discover producers from smaller and more remote parts of the state, including New England and the Riverina.

Among them will be Peter Valeri, founder and winemaker from Via Pola Wines in Griffith. He’ll bring his full range of wines, including three whites, a pecorino, a vermentino and a fiano, and two reds, a nero d’avola and a Montepulciano.

“Pecorino is still very much an emerging variety here. We’re the only people in the Riverina that have it,” he says.

“It’s vastly planted in central Italy, in the region my grandparents migrated from when they came to Australia. That’s what led us to source the vines and plant them.”

There are some key climatic differences between the mountainous regions of Marche and Abruzzo in Italy where pecorino is grown, and the Riverina. Even so, the grape has adapted remarkably well to local conditions.

Valeri describes his wine as structured and vibrant, with notes of white pear and almond on the nose, a gentle phenolic grip and a long, savoury finish. “We’ve seen some great results with the variety so far, and I think it has great potential.”

While the Riverina is NSW’s largest wine-producing region, and the second largest in Australia, its location five hours south of Sydney means it doesn’t enjoy the same level of tourism as regions closer to the city.

“We’re a big part of the NSW wine production but given how isolated we are geographically, it’s really nice to come up and show our wines, and give people a taste of something they don’t often get to experience,” Valeri says.

Valeri says that’s why Sydney Cellar Door is such a great event, as it brings 40 producers to the one spot. “That’s a pretty cool thing to be able to walk around and experience, even for me. It’s a great way to highlight our region and convince people to come that extra mile and visit.”

Entry to Sydney Cellar Door is free, although you’ll need to buy tokens to try the wines. Tasting packs can be bought in advance or on the day. Five tokens and a reusable tumbler are priced at $35, or 10 tokens and a tumbler are $55. Glasses of wine can be purchased, and bottles can be taken away.

The cellar door is one of several events happening this November as part of NSW Wine Month. With tastings, dinners, chef collaborations are also taking place. Here are three to add to your calendar.

Brokenwood Christmas Lunch
Call Christmas drinks early with a festive four-course menu thoughtfully paired with a selection of Brokenwood’s finest wines.
Public Dining Room, Saturday 15 Nov 2025, 12pm to 4:30pm, $280 per person

Gilbert Family Wines + Samantha May Wines
Chef Toby Stansfield from Attenzione! has prepared a five-couse Italian menu to pair with 10 wines from Gilbert Family Wines in Mudgee and Samantha May Wines in Orange.
Attenzione, November 19 at 6:30pm, $195 per person

Margan @ Pilu at Freshwater
The waterside Italian diner will serve canapes, followed by a three-course lunch in the Pavilion, paired with nine Single Block wines covering both new releases and museum wines.
Pilu at Freshwater, November 29 at 12pm, $190 per person

Sydney Cellar Door is on November 8 and November 9. Head here to pre-purchase your tasting pack. For further information on NSW Wine Month events, visit the website.