Corporate Wine Tasting Tours – A Revitalising Taste of the Hunter Valley

There’s nothing like sharing a fine wine over sparkling conversation and superb local cuisine to revitalise that corporate team spirit, get the ideas flowing and the synapses firing, or to impress those important clients or partners.

And there’s no better place to do it than the beautiful Hunter Valley. After all it’s home to some of the top award-winning wineries, not only in Australia, but the world.

Better still, iHop Hunter Valley’s corporate wine tasting tours make it easy to organise a team building or client event, either through a planned tour or a customised tour to suit your particular interests.

A taste of Australia’s gourmet paradise

So why visit the Hunter Valley? Well, it is truly one of the world’s great regions for wine lovers and gourmets. It’s long been recognised for it’s world-famous wines, but the Hunter Valley experience goes far beyond this. It also boasts some of Australia top restaurants, breweries, providores and stunning scenic attractions. And only two-hours drive from Sydney, it’s a convenient weekend or short-visit destination.  

With more than 150 wineries throughout the region, there’s an incredible array of cellar doors to visit and grape varieties and wine styles to try. Although principally known for its world-class Shiraz, Semillon and Chardonnay, there are few varieties that you won’t find being grown in this most diverse of wine regions.

What may surprise you though is that this wine destination is quickly becoming equally famous for its micro-breweries and distilleries, producing everything from the most unique of craft beers to schnapps, vodkas and rums.

Add to that an incredible selection of bistros, restaurants, cafés and delis, many set amongst the vines and inviting vineyard settings, and you really do have a gourmet’s paradise.

Customise your corporate wine tasting tour to suit you

Organising your corporate wine tasting tour is simply a matter of choosing between a regular planned tour option or a customised option to suit your tastes and budget.

A customised Hunter Valley experience is a sure way to make a memorable impression on your guests or team members. This might include a visit to the winery or wineries of your choice, as well as top local restaurants and attractions, if you choose. The iHop team can help you put together the ideal tour if you’re looking for suggestions with the benefit of local inside knowledge.

Your options include half-day or full-day tours, night tours, or specialised tours such as a progressive dinner tour or iHop’s popular “Taste ‘n’ Graze” the Hunter tours.

A progressive dinner tour is a great option that incorporates a mix of gourmet dining at the Hunter Valley’s best restaurants with wine and beer tastings at some of Australia’s top wineries and award-winning local breweries. You can choose the restaurant to suit the occasion or iHop will work with you tailoring to a particular wishlist.

Taste ‘n’ Graze the Hunter tours are another popular option that gives you and your team the opportunity to experience the wine, produce, attractions and the amazing natural beauty of the Hunter Valley in more depth. These tours are pre-planned to make your choice easy, or if there’s a particular winery, brewery, providore or attraction your keen visit, they can be customised to suit.

Why choose a wine tour for your next corporate event?

Corporate clients often find the wine tasting experience a more intimate and relaxing way to engage with a team or clients than other social events simply don’t offer. That said, the wide variety of wine and dining options, attractions and accommodation options means a corporate wine tasting tour to the Hunter Valley can be as relaxed or as lively as you choose.

Businesses and corporations have found that a wine tasting tour is a popular choice, as well as something a little different, for corporate Christmas parties, team building events, awards ceremonies, incentive trips or simply a reward for you and your team after achieving a goal or milestone – not to mention a popular excursion for corporate wine club outings.

When it comes to wining and dining clients, few experiences can match the beauty and bounty of the Hunter. Particularly for overseas or interstate clients, this type of wine tour provides a unique and memorable experience of the Australian landscape, produce and culture. The Hunter Valley is really a great advertisement for the best the nation has to offer.

Much more than just wine and nibbles

Naturally, the delights of the cellar door are typically the key attraction to this kind of tour. But depending on the length of tour you choose and your inclination, your options for stops and activities are many and varied.

There really is so much more to the Hunter Valley and the tour options available to you. Some of the many other activities available to you include things such wine tasting classes if you’re keen to learn how to do it like the pros; sparkling wine and cocktail making classes; behind the scenes winery and brewery tours; something a little more energetic and light-hearted like putt putt or aqua golf tours; and even painting classes if the muse is calling.

Planning your corporate wine event

As mentioned, iHop’s corporate wine tasting bus tours can be completely customised to suit what and where you want to visit, or the team at iHop Hunter Valley can plan the entire tour for you.

It starts by simply confirming your group size. A variety of bus sizes are available to suit the size of the group and the choice of tour. Each tour is lead by one iHop’s team of highly experienced driver-tour leaders who have an intimate knowledge of the area and the venues visited.

Tours are available during the day or night, and can recommend accommodation for that perfect overnight stay.

When to go

You can be sure that the wine never stops flowing in the Hunter Valley, so it’s a great place to visit any time of year. Statistically Spring and Autumn are the most popular times of year to visit. Spring is particularly nice as the vines come to life as the buds start to burst.

For something particularly special, a wide variety of events are held in the region throughout the year, such as the Hunter Valley Balloon Fiesta in late September, The Christmas Lights Spectacular at the Hunter Valley Gardens. Or perhaps visit while the grapes are being harvested in from December to February where you can see the vines being picked by hand and machine for that real feel of vineyard life.

Getting there and away

Getting to the Hunter Valley is easy. It’s around two-hours’ drive north of Sydney or less than an hour’s drive northwest of Newcastle. Tour pick-ups are available from Hunter Valley hotels, resorts, airport or train stations. The iHop Hunter Valley team will be happy to help organise the best option for you and your team.

You can find out more about iHop Hunter Valley’s corporate wine tasting tour itineraries and options here.