May 31, 2022
Fantastic day out. - After arriving on time, we went to five wineries including lunch. The lunch was amazing, probably some of the most reasonable food prices and great tasting food (coq au Vin + beef cheeks; two mains shared between myself and my partner) I have had in a long time. The wineries were good and the banter from James great! He looked after all our wine too and dropped us off home. Even the little things like labelling who has got what wine was taken care of! Great day tour. Definitely recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 7, 2021
A tour to remember… - James was fabulous! In the early stages, he took the time to find out who we were and what we might be interested in. He then made some excellent suggestions for winery visits while still happily obliging to a specific request we made. James’ inside knowledge of some of the hidden gems of the Hunter was priceless, as was his humour, patience and punctuality. We couldn’t recommend James and the Hideaway Private Tour more highly. Thanks again for a tour to remember :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 29, 2021
Fantastic day of wine - The day was warm but wet but this did not dampen our day. We visited three wineries all of which had a different vibe but all had great wines. As the day progressed we learnt more and more about wines and tasting and all of it was in a friendly homely way.
The day was split up with a cheese tasting followed by lunch looking over the vineyards.
The last tasting was quiet unique and rather enjoyable as well.
I will say that even though the weather was good for ducks the transport, wineries and informational conversation from James made us completely forget actually how et it was.
I don't think I have ever had such a fun, insightful and funny day tasting wines ever before.
Thank you James for your local knowledge and exceptional choice of wineries to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 18, 2021
Wine Touring With James is a Must! - We decided to book the half day tour with James. I contacted him a few weeks before our holiday and he communicated with us to ensure that the wineries we chose for the wine tasting tour would suit what we were looking for in wines. We chose two wineries and a distillery. James arrived in a white 4 WD that was immaculately clean and very comfortable, he was a perfect chauffeur, opening the doors for us and making us feel very comfortable. He arrived promptly at 9:30am at our accomodation (Hermitage Hideaway in Pokolbin). We arrived at our first winery and James was the perfect gentlemen introducing us to our hosts. We started with the whites, then the roses, on to to reds and then finally the dessert wines. On our way to the second winery, James pointed out areas of interest, revealing his passion and vast knowledge of the area. We had a lot of fun and were becoming a little louder as we began to display the effects of starting alcohol early in the morning. Our third stop was a distillery where we sampled a great selection of vodkas, schnapps and liquors. This is a must if you like your spirits and liquors. We were able to fit in visiting a chocolate shop which was absolutely delicious. Even though lunch is not included in the half day tour, we had booked the Broken Back Bar, James kindly dropped us off there and picked us up as he had a meeting not far from where we were. On the way home, James suggested that we try doing a walking tour on our own, showing us the winery to start at and the places to stop at and visit. The next day we did as he suggested and we had a great day. Thank you James for going above and beyond in being the perfect chauffeur and host.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 16, 2021
All in all a great tour and experience - Excellent Recommendations for destinations - Brilliant day with James. A great bloke and good host and guide throughout the Valley.
A choice of cellar doors are offered and you can completely control where you go or as we did, take some recommendations.
The lunch choice (Yellow Billy) and the cellar doors were all fantastic. We are regular visitors to the Hunter and enjoy our Hunter wines.
We have recommended James to our friends for an excellent Hunter Valley experience. We will definitely use James' services again, thanks for a great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 9, 2021
Best Wine Tour! - James was extremely welcoming, engaging and knowledgeable about the region. My partner and I had a fantastic tour with James experiencing all that the Hunter has to offer. Will definitely recommend James to friends and book another trip soon! Mark & Therese
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 13, 2021
Custom tour of the Hunter Valley - James worked with us to design the itinerary and made sure we visited our favourites plus some wineries we had not been to before. The transport was spotless and comfortable. James allowed plenty of time at each stop so we never felt rushed. He is knowledgeable and shared some great insights about the Valley. Value for money and a great day out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 2, 2021
First Class all the way!!! - The day was a fantastic experience.
James was right on time and we kicked off the day, fantastic SUV.
Best Winery visited was from his suggestion list.
Knows the area extremely well.
Very attentive, thought of everything. Had a cooler for the soft cheeses I bought. And plenty of space for boxes of wine.
Truly a wonderful experience.
Thanks James. We will see you next time
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 29, 2020
A great way to experience the Hunter valley - My wife and I opted for a private tour with James over a group tour and we shall never look back.
James was accomodating, knowledgeable, and flexible. We never felt rushed and the wineries that we chose were excellent. We had a wonderful experience and would commend this tour to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 22, 2020
Highly recommended - Highly recommended!
James is friendly and knowledgeable. He went out of his way to make our first trip to the Hunter memorable, we had a great time and wouldnt hesitate to recommend to family or friends. You won't be disappointed thanks again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor