Do you love your small-scale distillers, brewers, and winemakers? The NSW South Coast is not the most obvious place to do business, but it’s booming. The NSW South Coast has dozens of wineries, distilleries, and breweries dotted between Sydney and the Victorian Border. There’s something to satisfy every traveler. This is our four-part plan.
Wollongong
You should drive down the dramatic escarpment to Wollongong and see what’s happening in this regional powerhouse. Visit Headlands Distilling Company on a Sunday or Friday for a tour. The company’s products are made from grains from Riverina and include vodka and gin steeped with Illawarra plums. Headlands has plans to introduce an Illawarra plum cask whisky in 2021.
The Illawarra Brewing Co.’s Brewhouse is nearby, and you can have a cold beer in the sun. The Illawarra Brewery is not to be mistaken for this establishment, which has a wide range of Australian and local craft brews as well as an ocean view. Five Barrel Brewing has 12 rotating taps and a kitchen that serves burgers and other snacks from Thursday to Sunday. Resin Brewing in Bulli is a beer brewpub and brewery.
Kiama to Nowra
Wine lovers can now enjoy the area, which is dotted with vineyards (beer enthusiasts should visit Stoic Brewing Gerringong).
Roselea Vineyard is still a working farm in Gerringong. It produces sparkling wines, red and wine, and vintage port (tastings are by appointment, with a minimum of six people). Crooked River Wines, located off the Princes Highway, is skewed to a pastoral view with rolling green hills and vines. Enjoy its wines with a meal at the restaurant. You can start your lunch off with oysters from Tuross Head in the Eurobodalla area.
Woodhill Mountain Wines is located near Berry and specializes in Chambourcin, a variety that is resistant to downy mildew. After Berry, continue to Silos estate. This is also home to super-fast electric vehicle charging stations and a helipad. The estate was originally a dairy farm in the 19th century. It now includes a cellar-door and cottage-style accommodations.
Want to take a little detour into the interior? Yarrawa Estate, located in the Upper Kangaroo Valley, is worth a visit. Book ahead and add a cheese plate to your tasting. Then, return to the coast via Lyrebird Ridge Organic Winery or the Instagrammable Cambewarra Estate Winery. Both offer delicious high teas and an interesting range of tea blends.
The South Coast’s award-winning winery is Coolangatta Estate Winery. Coolangatta Estate is the location of the South Coast’s first European settlement. The convict-built rooms and suites are available, as well as the converted stables that were home to Archer, the first Melbourne Cup winner.
Mountain Ridge Wines is located at Shoalhaven Heads, near the southernmost end of Seven Mile Beach National Park (as its name implies, it is perched on the slope of Coolangatta Mountain). If you are staying in the area, you can arrange a solar-powered Jaguar to take you back and forth from your hotel.
Jervis Bay to Batemans Bay
In Huskisson, a place famous for whale-watching in winter, head to Jervis Bay Brewing Co. There, you’ll find live music and food trucks (a different one every day), as well as brews with intriguing names that refer to local landmarks and history. The adventurous can even try a pomegranate-sour.
The estate’s cellar is located in an abandoned 1851 creamery, which was once a part of Mollymook. Explore this family-run business that features a winery, brewer, and fromagerie. The on-site organic garden is used to produce the fine dining restaurant. You can also enjoy casual dining on the lawn or deck (think pizzas, cheese platters, and grazing boards). Stay at the renovated two-bedroom heritage cottage to enjoy a delicious breakfast that includes the eggs of the estate’s chooks.
Stone Cottage Vineyard is located inland from Cupitt’s. Book a tasting to sample the boutique wines made from Chambourcin grapes and pinot gris, or book a stay in the cottage, which can accommodate up to six guests.
The family-friendly Bawley Vale Estate is located on the way to the pretty Bawley Point. The estate features a modern industrial cellar with high ceilings, a peaceful lake, picnic grounds, and cute farm animals like alpacas. Bookings are required for the cellar door, which is only open on Sundays.
Moruya to Pambula
In the small town of Dalmeny, near Narooma, is Big Niles Brewing Co. The Lawnmower lager, or a cold beer from the guest taps, can be matched with the food trucks of the day. Tilba Valley Winery and Ale House are located just south of Narooma, at Central Tilba. This venue regularly hosts live entertainment.
As you travel through the region, be aware that many wineries have yet to recover from the devastating bushfires in 2019-2020. Rusty Fig Wines is located near the village of Cobargo and is in sight of Mt Gulaga. Gary Potts is busy reestablishing and restoring vines after bushfires. He plans to release wine in spring 2021. Breakfast Cree Vineyard is renovating its chambourcin-based organic wines and vegan-friendly winery. It plans to open for tastings by the end of 2021.
Camel Rock Brewery is located east of Cobargo, at Wallaga Lake. This unusual location is within a BIG4 Holiday Park. The brewery brews a variety of beers, from porters to pale ales. It also uses local ingredients like wattleseeds and pigface flowers.
Mimosa Wines and Restaurant is a picturesque hilltop location near Bermagui that’s popular for weddings. The restaurant’s talented chefs are praised for their delicious meals, which include dishes such as yellowfin tartare with Jervis bay black mussels and olive oil pannacotta with strawberries, sorbet, and basil foam.
Longstocking Brewery, located in Pambula, is the perfect end to this South Coast drink adventure. The Biggest Little Brewery & Oyster Bar in the NSW Sapphire Coast is alone worth the epic drive of 456km from Sydney. Enjoy the local oysters, dark and pale ales, and lagers. Cheers!
