Hastings River Wine region

The Hastings River Wine Region is located around the popular holiday town of Port Macquarie, some 420 km north of Sydney. 

Douglas Vale Historic Homestead & Vineyard

This wine region is in the centre of the Northern Rivers Wine Zone, which has its own page on Vinodiversity.

There were vineyards in the region during the Nineteenth Century but the modern era of wine in this region dates from the establishment of the Cassegrain vineyard in 1980.

This region faces the challenge of viticulture in a humid coastal climate with summer rainfall hence choice of variety is important here.

The inevitable Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz are the mainstays of the red wine production, supplemented by the French Hybrid variety Chambourcin, known for its tolerance of summer and vintage time humidity and rain.

Bago Vineyards are in the process of introducing the Norton red wine variety. It is renowned for producing quality red wines in the eastern and midwestern states of USA, and for its resistance to a range of fungal diseases.

The Hastings River region also produces white wine. Thick skinned Semillon performs well here as does heat tolerant Verdelho. Villard Blanc is a hybrid white variety that tolerates summer humidity.

Alternative varieties in Hastings River

• Bago Vineyards Chambourcin, Chanel Paradisa, Petit Verdot, Savagnin, Tannat
• Cassegrain Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer, Marsanne, Nebbiolo, Roussanne, Sangiovese
• Douglas Vale Chambourcin, Fragola, Villard Blanc
• Long Point Vineyard Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer
• Sherwood Estate Chambourcin, Sangiovese

NSW Wineries on Pinterest

Conserving an Historic vineyard

Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard is a not for profit organisation run totally by volunteers.

In 1995 the Douglas Vale Conservation Group was formed to rescue the homestead and vineyard from vandalism and disrepair.  The Group is preserving Douglas Vale as a working museum and vineyard for future generations.

You can get information about visiting the vineyard, tasting some wine and perhaps joining the volunteers at the Douglas Vale website.

Visiting the Hastings River Wine Region

The region is very compact with the seaside resort town of Port Macquarie at its centre. There are plenty of accommodation options available along the coast, as well as in the nearby foothills of the Great Dividing Range.

You can check out a wide range of accommodation options with the Vinodiversity Hotels Booking Service. It is great way to compare hotel facilities, offers and deals. Best of all you can compare the deals offered by different booking agencies.

Subscribers to Vinodiversity Community get invites to Darby's Special Taste and Talk Sessions.