Draytons Wines

01/06/2026

ONE STOP SHOP. Drink, eat and be merry this long weekend at the Oldest winery in Pokolbin.

Come in for a tailored tasting (small, medium and large groups) and sample some of the best wines and tawnys in the Hunter Valley, including rare aged releases.

Grab breakfast or lunch at the Cafe or check out our sculpture park and paintings in the Cellar Door.

You can even stay at one of our luxury cottages behind the winery.

We're open every day from 10AM - 5PM. Bookings and walk-ins all welcome.

Book your tasting: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/book-now

Book your accommodation: https://www.pokolbinfarmstay.com.au/

DRAYTONS. SINCE 1853.

28/05/2026

KEVIN HEAVEN! What an absolute buzz it was to host very special guests from the USA.

Laughs, laughs and more laughs, plus some good wine and banter thrown into the mix. That's what we got when two friends from Washington DC - Brian and Kevin - descended on our Cellar Door, together with their Sydney buddies Heather and Rob.

They also stayed at our Winemakers Cottage, at the back of he winery, so they didn't have to walk too far after their tasting. 😁

Thank you Guys for popping in to Draytons. See you next time you're in the Valley.

Book your tasting here: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/book-now

Book your accommodation here: https://www.pokolbinfarmstay.com.au/

DRAYTONS. OLDEST WINERY IN POKOLBIN.

26/05/2026

50 YEARS ON. The Judgement of Paris.

50 years ago almost to the day, wine history was made. Actually, it was more like a massive atom bomb going off amongst wine experts and wine lovers everywhere.

On May 24, 1976, a blind wine tasting took place in Paris, and it changed the world of wine forever.

Two unknown Californian wines (1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and 1973 Stag's Leap Cab Sav) beat world famous and super-expensive French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy for the title of the best wine. And we're talking such French heavyweights as Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion!

Sacré bleu! What a travesty! 😁

Before 1976, the global consensus was that only the "Old World" (France, Italy) could produce truly world-class wines. The Paris tasting shattered this stigma.

The result was even more poignant since all of the judges were French wine experts and top sommeliers! Not surprisingly, once the results were announced, some of them tried to discredit the tasting, claiming it was rigged and that they were misled by the organisers.

Some of them actually had to resign from their jobs because of the massive outrage the result caused in France.

Another interesting fact was that most of the American wines came from young vines and were made by totally unknown winemakers. Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was made by a Croatian immigrant Miljenko 'Mike' Grgich, and Stag's Leap Cabernet was made by Warren Winiarski, who came from a Polish immigrant family in Chicago.

For Australia, this historic blind tasting broke the European monopoly on quality, inspiring local winemakers to dream bigger. It gave Australians the validation and courage to step out of the shadows and market their own unique styles on the global stage.

Additional reference materials for those who'd like to know more:

"Bottle Shock" - movie starring Alan Rickman and Chris Pine

YouTube podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJqNbStJ3jk

George M. Taber book "The Judgement of Paris"

DRAYTONS. SINCE 1853. OH LA LA!

23/05/2026

WE ARE FAMILY! We help create happy holiday memories at Draytons Wines, 7 days/week 10AM - 5PM. You bring the Family and we'll do the rest.

Bookings and Walk-ins all welcome.

Book your tasting here: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/book-now

DRAYTONS. OLDEST WINERY IN POKOLBIN.

21/05/2026

RUN-OUT DEAL. '100% Hunter Pack'

We only have a handful of these left, so we're clearing our shed with a reduced price offer.

$145/pack (down from $175).

If anyone ever asks "What are Hunter Valley wines like?", you hand them the '100% Hunter' pack.

This unique pack showcases six grape varieties grown in the Hunter Valley. Each bottle contains wine made in the classic Hunter style, each bottle true to this region's Terroir.

They're full of those classic Hunter Valley flavours and aromas.

Each pack consists of:

2019 Reserve Semillon
2019 Reserve Chardonnay
2022 Reserve Gewürztraminer
2013 William Shiraz
2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Reserve Touriga Nacional

https://draytonswines.com.au/products/100-hunter-pack

* These wines are not sold individually
* Available at Cellar Door and Online
* No additional Member discounts apply
* Only while stocks last

DRAYTONS. OLDEST WINERY IN POKOLBIN.

18/05/2026

DIG TREE 1861. Burke and Wills find the food cache and accidentally strike gold!

As the history records show, Burke and Wills found the food cache buried under the Dig Tree on April 21, 1861. But they also found something much more precious - gold!

Draytons Liquid Gold Late Harvest Semillon in fact, put there by Joseph Drayton, who - according to unconfirmed reports from unverified sources - had lunch under the tree and accidentally left the bottle there.

True or not, the only undisputed fact of the matter is that Draytons Liquid Gold is delicious.

Made from grapes picked just after they’d reached the peak of their ripeness, which made them richer and sweeter, whilst still retaining refreshing acidity.

A luscious dessert wine, full of vibrant aromas of candied lemon, apricot nectar, honey, and orange marmalade. Rich honey-like flavours are perfectly balanced with refreshing zesty acidity, which prevents this wine from being excessively sweet.

Unlike Burke & Wills, you can pair it with cheesecake, pavlova, custard tarts, or crème brulée, as well as blue cheese, paté, roasted nuts and dried fruits.

Available in Cellar Door or Online: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/liquid-gold-1

DRAYTONS. TRADITION WITH ATTITUDE.

17/05/2026

CHEERS! It's always a happy occasion when you bring your friends to the Oldest Winery in Pokolbin.

We're open daily 10AM - 5PM. Bookings and Walk-ins all welcome.

Book your tasting: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/book-now

DRAYTONS. SINCE 1853.

14/05/2026

BRAND NEW RELEASE! 2023 Cabernetti.

A delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied but rich and concentrated.

Aromas of black cherry and to***co. Luscious flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant, backed by firm and spicy oak tannins.

Pair it with Spaghetti Bolognese, roast beef, steak, lamb shanks or cheese platters and other party snacks.

Although drinking nicely now, this wine has medium-term cellaring potential.

Available at Cellar Door and Online: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/2023-cabernetti

DRAYTONS. SINCE 1853.

BRAND NEW RELEASE! A delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied but rich and concentrated. Aromas of black cherry and to***co. Luscious flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant, backed by firm and spicy oak tannins. Pair it with Spaghetti Bolognese, roast beef, steak, lam...

12/05/2026

🍷WINE OF THE WEEK🍷 2019 Reserve Cab Sav.

With winter slowly but surely setting in, it's time to crack those reds and face the cold weather with a suitable 'winter weapon'.

Draytons 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect winter wine. Aged 18 months in French and American oak barrels, it has an intense bouquet of spicy, dark fruits and elevated vanillin oak. Generous palate displays concentrated blackberry flavours.

Time spent in the bottle has made this Cab smooth and velvety, without losing those firm oak tannins and that wonderful long and savoury finish.

Best paired with most beef and lamb dishes (roasts, shanks, Rogan Josh, BBQs, Massaman Curry), chargrilled veggies, Ragu pasta. Great with strong, matured cheeses (smoked aged Cheddar, washed rind, goats cheese) or dark chocolate.

Drinking well now but will benefit from further careful cellaring. Let breathe or decant after opening.

Available at Cellar Door and Online: https://draytonswines.com.au/products/2019-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon

DRAYTONS. OLDEST WINERY IN POKOLBIN.

10/05/2026

1978 AFTERNOON DELIGHT. Nothing beats drinking vintage tawny from your birth year, whilst watching the sunset.

That's precisely what Amelia from Trinity Beach said, when her husband Neil surprised her on her birthday with a bottle of Draytons 1978 Vintage Tawny.

Amelia and Neil, who love and know their fortified wines, emailed us to say "it was the best tawny they have ever had. Pure nectar!"

Thank you both for sharing your special moment with us and Happy Birthday Amelia! PS. Well done Neil, you will be in the good books for a bit. 😁

https://draytonswines.com.au/products/heritage-vines-1978-tawny

DRAYTONS. FORTIFIEDS R US.

This outstanding Vintage Tawny is a blend of fortified wines made with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes harvested in February 1978. Matured in large oak casks in Drayton's Solera System. A rare find, from limited and constantly diminishing stock. Tawnys of this age and pedigree don't come around...