Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia (UWEA) has welcomed Mount Pleasant Wines in NSW's Hunter Valley to its hand-selected wine tourism collective.

One of the Hunter Valley’s most iconic and historic wineries, Mount Pleasant was founded in 1921 by Maurice O’Shea, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Australian winemaking for his pioneering approach to table wines, meticulous blending techniques and use of French oak, at a time when fortified wines dominated the market.

Nestled in Pokolbin beneath the Brokenback Range, a two-hour drive north of Sydney, Mount Pleasant offers visitors a rich heritage experience through its beautifully renovated cellar door and curated tastings that showcase more than a century of winemaking excellence.

Unveiled in 2022, Mount Pleasant’s refurbished cellar door is set within the original homestead buildings but reoriented to maximise the stunning vineyard views to the north.

The space offers an expanded tasting area, a private tasting room and a separate members’ lounge in the adjacent barn. There’s also wine store described as “a Disneyland for wine lovers” housing some of Mount Pleasant’s oldest and most significant wines, where aficionados can purchase rare museum bottles.

Guests visiting the winery can choose from three Ultimate Winery Experiences ranging from $100 - $1000 per person.

Hosted by Chief Winemaker Adrian Sparks, ‘The Maurice O’Shea Legacy’ experience is an immersive journey featuring a guided vineyard and winery walk, tank and barrel tasting, private tasting of rare wines and a shared-style lunch at the winemaker’s table.

‘The Mothervine Experience’ is a captivating journey through the origins of Australia’s finest Pinot Noir, which reveals how 70% of the country’s greatest Pinot Noir vineyards trace their lineage back to a single vine still thriving in Mount Pleasant’s historic Mothervine vineyard. A guided vineyard walk is followed by a Pinot Noir-focussed winery tour and tasting followed by a generous charcuterie lunch.

‘Love on Mount Pleasant’ includes a self-guided tour of the estate’s private art and photography collection, which include pieces by renowned Australian artist and Archibald Prize winner Garry Shead, before a guided tasting of eight Mount Pleasant Wines accompanied by olives, cheese and lavosh.

Ultimate Winery Experiences Executive Officer Sarah Myers said: “Mount Pleasant is a prestigious winery renowned for producing benchmark Hunter Valley styles such as Semillon and Shiraz, and with its stylish new cellar door and incredible art collection, it’s an unmissable Hunter Valley wine tourism destination.

“The site is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world, dating back to 1880, so there’s an incredible amount of history for guests to unearth when they visit."

Mount Pleasant’s Chief Winemaker and General Manager Adrian Sparks and joining Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia has been “a long-term ambition”.

“Over recent years, we’ve transformed our business to focus exclusively on premium wines and world-class experiences," he said.

"With a beautifully renovated cellar door and a passionate team leading the way, we’re proud to share the new, refined Mount Pleasant with Australia and the rest of the world.”

Mount Pleasant joins nearby Hunter Valley winery Audrey Wilkinson, and fellow NSW wineries Printhie Wines and Swinging Bridge – both located in Orange – as members of the Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collective.

The two regions can be connected by the Hunter Valley and Orange Wine trail, which includes a stopover in the famous Blue Mountains. Mount Pleasant is open seven days from 10am – 5pm, and is located at 401 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin.

Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia is a collective within Signature Experiences of Australia (SEA) program, a Tourism Australia-led suite of member-based marketing collectives showcasing premium, sustainable and export-ready experiences targeting international travellers.

Destination NSW is a State Tourism Organisation partner of the SEA program.