Last updated: 25 June 2023
I’m pumped to announce that I will be joining Chris from Aussie on the Road for a weekend in Broke Fordwich, in the Hunter Valley of NSW.
Most of you won’t know this, but for a brief moment in time, I considered a career as a sommelier. 
I spent a year studying wines from different regions across the globe, assessments of woody vs oaky aromas and deciphering the complexities of “the finish”.
Let’s be honest, I was by far not the best student in the class. Apparently my palette was more defective than effective when determining notes. So while it wasn’t the career move I thought it would be, the experience was invaluable. Much learning was done and a trip to Mudgee dispelled the illusion that the grape stomping scene from I Love Lucy was how wine is made.
So a trip to the vineyards and cellar doors of Mount Broke Wines, Whispering Brook, Stomp! Wines, Ascella Pure Wines and Nightingale Wines will truly test to see how much I actually retained from all those years ago.
While names such as Pokolbin and Rothbury have been renown as Hunter Valley wine country for decades, the Broke Fordwich region is often overlooked. But why? So I set forth to find out.
The tranquil rolling hills of the Brokenback Mountain range will providing an impressive backdrop to my morning ablutions whilst staying at the luxurious Pemberley Grange. I’m excited to experience this peaceful existence combined with trails of good food and good wine along with the added entertainment of miniature donkeys. (eee! Cue: excited childish squeal)
As a guest of the Broke Fordwich Wine & Tourism Association, our itinerary will include sampling some of the regions finest.
Motty’s Farm Cuisine along with Broke’s Promise (update-now permanently closed) will play host to night one. The menu at Motty’s changes regularly as the majority of produce is self-produced. Talk about sustainability! Anything Motty’s don’t grow themselves is locally sourced.
The Australian Tourism Award winning Margan Restaurant will host us for night two. I’m very much intrigued to discover what they have in store for us, their tagline of ‘Estate Grown and Estate Made’ actively promotes sustainability through home-grown produce including chickens, lambs and unfiltered honey! Yum!
If I haven’t succumbed to a food coma after the first night, adventure awaits me. A cultural trip to the Baiame Cave with Wanaruha Elders will provide a real insight to the local Aboriginal history and hopefully some great pictures of the Rock art and small engravings.
After all that, if we have time, there’s calm country golf courses, off-road cycling and horse riding through the bush, as well as olive oils, chocolate, cheese and farm gate products to sample. The region offers visitors 36 vineyards, 20 wine brands and 12 cellar doors to visit. Talk about being spoilt for choice!
So there you have it. A weekend of adventure awaits us. Tune into Instagram and Twitter for regular updates along the way.
Update: The visit to Broke Fordwich is now complete, what was the experience like? Did it live up to expectations? Check out all the details of my visit and find out if the visit really did meet my expectations – Broke Fordwich – The Passionate Bunch
Sydney to Broke Fordwich
- Distance: 184 km (114 miles)
- Driving time: Direct it’s about 2.5 hours however heavily dependant on traffic in & out of Sydney
- Driving conditions: Depending on the route you take, through Cessnock it’s freeway the majority of the way. The recommended scenic route through Wollombi has a small section of dirt road and country roads.
Disclosure: While I’m a guest of the Broke Fordwich Wine & Tourism Association all opinions, as always, are my own.
