Hunter Wine Country Markets
A weekly artisan market held on a working winery property at Lovedale, with the honest caveat that wind or rain cancels it.
About this market
The Hunter Wine Country Markets trade every Saturday morning on the grounds of De Bortoli Wines at Lovedale, in the middle of the Hunter Valley wine country. Artisan producers make up the stall list, with buskers, coffee and food alongside, and wine and beer tasting available on the property itself.
An artisan market on a working winery
Holding a market on a winery rather than in a park or a hall gives it a particular shape. The site is a working winery with a barrel facility on it, so the market is one part of a place that already has a reason for visitors to be there, and the tasting side of the day is not something the market has to arrange. That suits the Hunter, where the weekend traffic is people moving between cellar doors rather than locals doing a produce shop, and it means the stall mix leans towards things worth carrying home from a day out: artisan food, craft and produce rather than a week's vegetables. Lovedale sits in the heart of the wine district, a short drive from Pokolbin and Cessnock.
Market at a glance
Sources differ on when the market finishes, giving either 2pm or 3pm, so the safe approach is to treat the morning as the certain part of the day rather than planning around a late arrival. That uncertainty matters more here than it would in a city, because Lovedale is a drive from anywhere and there is nothing else on the road to fall back on if you arrive to find the stalls coming down.
This is one of the few markets in the directory that publishes a weather cancellation rule up front. The organisers state that the markets do not operate if it is wet or windy, which is a more honest position than the rain-hail-or-shine claim most outdoor markets make and then quietly break. It is also a practical one on an open winery property in the Hunter, where there is no hall to fall back into and a stiff westerly will take a marquee off the ground.
Practical notes
Saturday from 9am, weather permitting, and the weather clause is real rather than boilerplate: check before driving out on a wet or blustery morning. Bring bags and both cash and card. Wine Country Drive runs through the district and the property has its own parking. If you are tasting, plan the driving accordingly, since Lovedale is well outside walking distance of anywhere and public transport in the valley is thin. This is Wonnarua country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When are the Hunter Wine Country Markets on?
- Every Saturday from 9am, at De Bortoli Wines, 532 Wine Country Drive, Lovedale. Sources differ on the closing time, giving either 2pm or 3pm, so treat the early part of the day as the reliable window.
- Does it run in bad weather?
- No. The organisers state plainly that the markets do not operate if it is wet or windy, so check before travelling on a doubtful day.
- What is there besides stalls?
- Artisan producers, buskers, coffee and food, plus wine and beer tasting on the winery property the market is held on.