Venues will be showcasing the best wine, food and fun the Hunter has to offer across Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and flowing into some fantastic school holiday activities on Tuesday. With so many venues to explore, we suggest that grabbing one of our early release weekend passes is a great way to go! Book in for an extra night or two and make sure you make the most of all the special offers that come with your D’Vine Passport!

With so much on offer over the weekend we recommend staying at least 2 nights.

Stay longer and save. There's so much to do, why not stay 3 days or more and get discounts at participating Around Hermitage accommodation providers.

The D’Vine program is being developed so that each day will have some different and exciting events on. There will be some events that will repeat over the weekend so that you won’t miss out on them. 

The shuttle buses will be available on Saturday and Sunday, while Monday and Tuesday are self-drive days.  

Monday will be a quieter pace, great for those looking for more intimate experiences.  

With the school holidays in mind, Tuesday is highly family focused with activities for parents and children to enjoy together.

Be sure to double check the program and find what interests you most when planning your stay.  

We are planning casual events for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings and a family night on Monday.

We get it - plenty of events say they're family friendly, but the kids are miserable with nothing to do! We have venues that have specifically planned events that kids will love, while parents can relax and really enjoy their experiences! There's even venues offering parallel experiences for children with their parents.

Thanks to the great big paddocks, other venues will have outdoor games, craft and entertainment. If you're staying with kids, you might want to stay from Sunday into the new week and take advantage of the kids’ day Tuesday and embrace the great offers from Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and more.

There are a handful of venues that are designated adult only spaces, so we ask you to check the program before planning your itinerary and respect the venues that have opted to be adult only.

The D’Vine Festival Hub will be at 4 Pines at the Farm (Hunter Valley Resort) on Hermitage Road. There you will be able to collect your Festival Passport pack and grab a coffee before you head off to your events. Our friendly customer service staff will be on hand to answer any questions on the day. Car parking available for those traveling in from outside of the Around Hermitage area.

The majority of venues are dog friendly, so long as your dog is vaccinated, well behaved, and kept on a lead they are welcome. Some of our venues are working vineyards with dams, wildlife, working dogs and machinery, so it is not safe to let your dogs off lead to explore on their own.  Due to health and safety regulations dogs will not be allowed indoors in restaurants and some other venues but are welcome outside. Please double check with the venue if unsure.

We have a doggy daycare service available at Thistle Hill Guesthouse on Hermitage road with pick up and drop off (for a fee), so if you'd like to keep your pooch close for most of the time and then visit non-pet friendly venues, or give your doggy a rest, this option is available. 

Many accommodation providers in the Around Hermitage area have Pet friendly accommodation 

Last minute tickets may be available, but venues will have capped numbers, so there are no guarantees. Activities with extensive preparation, such as cooking classes require pre purchasing. Ticket sales for these events will close on Thursday October 4 if not sold out prior.

We recommend booking your accommodation and grabbing your Festival Passport nice and early to avoid disappointment.

Our program will be confirmed in May with all tickets going on sale early June! Early bird discounts will be available, so register for event updates below to get a reminder!

The dress code is generally casual however please dress appropriately for the activities and weather. Footwear for walking around vineyards and some other activities must be closed in shoes and no high heels, sandals or thongs. This is for your safety and comfort.

Concierge service is for users of the bus who have purchased wine and produce at D’Vine venues and staying at accommodation within the Around Hermitage Wine and Food Trail. Purchases will need to be clearly labelled with your name, mobile phone number and where you are staying or you can elect to collect from the D’Vine Festival Hub. At the end of each day the concierge will collect purchases from each of the venues and delivered to your accommodation or collected from the D’Vine Festival Hub. 

Sorry no, apart from drinking water or food for babies and snacks for small children. 

The use of the shuttle bus is a complimentary service for all D’Vine Passport holders as part of our responsible service of alcohol policy. All guests (including children) must have a passport (children under 5 years are Free). The buses will initially pick up from accommodation in the Around Hermitage area – show the driver your passport ticket, you will then be taken to the Festival Hub to collect your Passport Pack containing lots of goodies. The buses will then take you on to your first event. At the end of the day, hop on a bus to take you back to your accommodation or the Festival Hub if your car is parked there. 

When using the buses please follow the instructions given by the driver, remain seated whilst the bus is in motion, use seatbelts where provided, no eating or drinking on the bus. Abusive, drunk and disorderly conduct may result in removal from the bus.

The bus timetable will be designed to endeavour to get guests to the various events in good time. When planning which events you want to attend please allow enough time between them for a relaxed, stress free transfer. Our handy D’Vine event map will give you an idea of how far the venues are from each other. Although some venues may be only a few minutes from each other, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to an hour between events. You may actually be able to walk between some venues.

The transport to and from venues is a complimentary benefit of the D’Vine Passport, there are no discounts on the passport should you elect not to utilise the buses.

Each event / venue will have an inclement weather policy, in most cases the events will go ahead whatever the weather, please check with the venue should you have concerns. 

The D’Vine Festival organisers will endeavour to keep you updated via its socials and D’Vine website and by email to Passport holders.

We ask that all guests drink responsibly! 

All staff at venues serving or selling alcohol, and the bus drivers are trained in the Responsible Service of Alcohol.

The liquor laws require patrons of licensed premises to behave responsibly. Penalties apply where intoxicated or violent persons fail to leave licensed premises when requested, or where they attempt to re-enter licensed premises after being ejected.

As part of the D’Vine event Responsible Service of Alcohol policy the complimentary shuttle buses are being provided and guests must behave responsibly on the buses. 

 If you are self-driving don’t forget to have a designated driver. A quick guide : 6 x 15ml tastings at 13% alcohol is equivalent to 1 standard drink. 

The Around Hermitage Wine and Food Trail (Around Hermitage Association Inc) is the overall event promoter and is organising the event hub and shuttle buses. Each individual event is organised and run by the specific venue.