End the Year in Style: Host Your Christmas Party with Coast to Cork, Hunter Valley Wine Tours
As the year winds down, it's time to raise a glass to the wins, the milestones and the people who made them happen. Whether you're planning a team celebration, a thank-you for clients or a long-overdue day with friends, a private wine tour through the Hunter Valley offers something a restaurant booking never can: a whole day together, with nobody on driving duty.
At Coast to Cork, our focus is luxury fine dining wine tours, designed around an unhurried pace, handpicked cellar doors and a long lunch worth lingering over. We collect your group from their door and bring everyone home again, so the only decision anyone needs to make is red or white.
Celebrating friendship and the year that was—private Hunter Valley wine tours are the perfect way to toast the season in style.
A Sample Tour Itinerary: Your Luxe Day in the Hunter Valley Vines
Here's what a Christmas celebration with us typically looks like.
Morning: Keith Tulloch Wine
We begin at one of Pokolbin's most respected family wineries, with a cheese board waiting for your group. Alongside your tasting, there's gin from FAR Distillery to try at no extra cost, and Cocoa Nib's artisan chocolatier is onsite for anyone who can't resist.
Keith Tulloch is the perfect start to a luxury Hunter Valley wine tour.
Late morning: Thomas Allen Wines
Thomas Allen is a members-only cellar door perched high above Pokolbin, known for bold reds, inventive blends and wide views across the valley. Coast to Cork is one of only two tour companies in the Hunter Valley permitted to bring guests here. It's an intimate tasting most visitors to the region never get to experience.
Lunch: Bistro Molines
This hatted French restaurant is a destination in its own right. It sits on a hillside above the vines, with elegant seasonal food and a locally focused wine list. We reserve a table for your group, and lunch is ordered from the menu and paid at the restaurant on the day.
A sparkling moment at Bistro Molines—hatted dining, vineyard views, and seasonal dishes that turn lunch into a celebration.
Afternoon: Vinden Estate
We finish at one of the Hunter's most stylish cellar doors. Vinden pairs old-vine heritage with a modern, creative approach to winemaking, and it's a relaxed place to toast the year as the afternoon softens.
If you'd rather explore the quieter Broke Fordwich subregion, we can build your day around wineries such as Krinklewood or Margan instead. Just ask when you enquire.
This Christmas: the Thursday Christmas Table
On Thursdays 3 November to 16 December 2026, groups of 8 to 11 can book a private Fine Dining Wine Tour at our small-group rate. The van and the day are entirely yours.
The per-person rate depends on your pickup point:
Hunter Valley: $259 per person
Central Coast: $279 per person
Sydney CBD: $299 per person
Lunch is reserved for you and paid at the restaurant. Thursday dates are limited, so we recommend enquiring early.
A warm welcome at Vinden Estate—boutique wines, vineyard views, and a cellar door experience that ends your day on a high note.
Why celebrate with Coast to Cork?
Your group, your day. Private tours mean no strangers and a pace set around your celebration.
A fine dining focus. This is a proper restaurant lunch, not a grazing board between tastings.
Door-to-door pickup. We collect from Sydney CBD, the Central Coast, Palm Beach and Hunter Valley accommodation.
Access other tours can't offer. Thomas Allen Wines is a members-only cellar door very few tour companies can visit.
Frequently Asked Questions: Planning Your Private End-of-Year Wine Tour
How many people can join a private tour?
Our luxury vehicle carries up to 11 guests. For larger groups, get in touch and we'll talk through the options.
Where do you pick up from?
We offer door-to-door pickup and drop-off from Sydney CBD, the Central Coast and Hunter Valley accommodation. Guests from the Northern Beaches can take the 9am Fantasea ferry from Palm Beach Wharf, and we'll meet them at Ettalong Wharf.
How long does the tour go for?
A typical day runs from around 8am to 6:30pm, depending on your pickup point and the pace of the day.
Is lunch included?
Lunch isn't included in the tour price. We reserve your table at Bistro Molines, where lunch is around $110 per person, ordered from the menu and paid at the restaurant on the day. Dietary requirements are easily catered for, so just let us know in advance.
Can we customise the itinerary?
Yes. Private tours can be shaped around your group, whether that's a favourite winery, the Broke Fordwich subregion or a birthday cake at lunch.
Do we need to book in advance?
Yes, especially in November and December, when both weekends and midweek dates fill quickly with end-of-year celebrations.
Is there a special rate for Christmas parties?
Yes. Through the Thursday Christmas Table, groups of 8 to 11 travelling on a Thursday between 3 November and 16 December 2026 can book a private tour at our small-group rate.
Can we do a tour on a weekday?
Absolutely. Weekdays bring quieter cellar doors and easier table bookings, and our Christmas party rate applies on Thursdays
Let’s Plan Your Celebration
Whether it's a team toast, a gathering of friends or a thank-you to your best clients, I'd love to help you plan a day that feels personal, relaxed and worth remembering.
Call us, email us, or enquire about a Christmas date.
Here's to ending the year with great wine, beautiful food and even better company.