Drive a few hours west of Sydney and you’ll find Orange, a regional town renowned for its cool-climate wines, fresh produce, heritage charm and friendly locals.
Amidst the rolling hills are over 80 vineyards and nearly 40 cellar doors, fruit orchards and fine food destinations. Whether you’d prefer to cellar-door hop around the best wineries in Orange, pick your own fruit at local orchards, cosy up in luxury Orange accommodation or go on a culinary tour of the best Orange restaurants, Orange and its surrounding towns have plenty to offer.
Here are some of our top things to do on a weekend trip to the Orange region.
ORANGE RESTAURANTS
Schoolhouse Restaurant is located inside the Union Bank in Orange.
(Photo: Destination NSW)Hey Rosey
Hey Rosey is a cosmopolitan-yet-casual 20-seat wine bar in town. Owners Verity Abrams and Leigh Oliver are at the helm, while ex-Dear Sainte Éloise head chef Hugh Piper is manning the kitchen. The pint-sized venue champions producers from surrounding Central Tablelands vineyards, alongside international drops from fun and funky makers. In lieu of a large kitchen in the tight space, Piper has a focus on cheeses and produce from the Orange region, alongside salumi, tinned seafood and comforting bowls of pasta. It’s a plate-and-pour situation at the kitchen-counter bar, where locals and visitors alike can chat with the owners or chef to get to know the area better.
301 Summer Street, Orange, heyrosey.com.au
The Schoolhouse Restaurant
With former Rockpool chef Dom Aboud leading the kitchen, you can rely on The Schoolhouse Restaurant for its mod-bistro fare designed to share. The restaurant is positioned inside the heritage-listed Union Bank Hotel, making it a cosy place to linger for a long lunch. On the menu, you might find potato scallop snacks; beef tartare with miso, eggplant and rice hash brown; pork with rum glaze and burnt lime; and sides such as roast red onion and leeks topped with pecorino and hazelnuts, and beetroot with labneh and dukkah. For dessert, it’s hard to go past the Franco’s Tiramisù.
84 Byng Street, Orange, theunionbank.com.au
Printhie Dining
The five-course degustation at Printhie is led by the wines, but chef Jack Brown masterfully plays with native ingredients and local produce to create a dining experience worth travelling for. A long, leisurely lunch here is best placed after a tasting in the adjoining cellar door or an intimate sparkling wine masterclass which includes a guided walking tour of the vineyard and a private tasting of the award-winning Swift sparkling range.
You can drive there (or try your luck with a local taxi or Uber), but you could also opt for a scenic helicopter flight. Run by owner and pilot Craig Murphy of Limitless Helicopters, the flight includes pick-up from your accommodation and a scenic tour of the region before landing at Printhie’s Cellar Door. To book the experience, head to the Printhie Cellar Door website.
208 Nancarrow Lane, Nashdale, printhiewines.com.au
Sister’s Rock Restaurant
This former commercial orchard has evolved into a vineyard, truffière and heritage apple and plum orchard, and its restaurant has sprawling views over the Central West slopes and plains. The on-site restaurant, Sister’s Rock Restaurant, is located at the top of Borrodell Vineyard, and offers decadent dishes inspired by the region of Orange, with fresh produce and locally farmed meat and vegetables taking centre stage. Dishes may look like roast cauliflower with fresh cheese and Borrodell truffle, and poached rhubarb with liquorice and blood orange.
298 Lake Canobolas Road, Orange, borrodell.com.au
The Agrestic Grocer
Part grocer, part café, this unique venue also shares a space with Badlands Brewery. In-season fruits line the shelves, while the meals are fresh and ethically sourced. Come for the food, stay for the community atmosphere.
426 Molong Road (Mitchell Highway), Orange, theagresticgrocer.com.au
Charred Kitchen & Bar
Serious food and relaxed dining is what you can expect from this lauded Orange eatery. A favourite among locals and visitors alike, be sure to book well in advance to avoid disappointment and prepare to be impressed by the set menu brought to life with local ingredients and an award-winning wine list. The custom-made woodfire and charcoal oven forms the beating heart of the kitchen here. On the menu, you might find fire-roasted beetroot and spanner crab with smoked bonito butter for entrées, and charred lamb rump with sheep’s milk yoghurt for mains; however the menu is seasonal and therefore ever-changing.
1-5 New Street, Orange, charred.com.au
ORANGE WINERIES
Phillip Shaw Wines
(Photo: Destination NSW)Philip Shaw Wines
Set on one of the most immaculately presented properties in Orange, Philip Shaw Wines is a local favourite prized for its rich history. The cellar door, a converted 130-year-old bluestone barn, offers some of the most drinkable cool-climate wines in the region accompanied by food matched by the winemaker himself.
100 Shiralee Road, Orange, philipshaw.com.au
ChaLou Wines
Run by husband-and-wife duo Nadja Wallington of Phillip Shaw Wines and Steve Mobb from Dreaded Friend, ChaLou is a small-scale winery located near Lucknow, just before Orange if you’re driving via Bathurst. They’re part of the newer generations of Orange winemakers who have built their own wine brand to explore and celebrate the great grapes grown in the area. ChaLou’s first harvest was only in 2021, but the winery has quickly gained a notable reputation with locals. The cellar door overlooks the vineyard and offers tasting led by the winemakers.
69 Emu Swamp Road, Emu Swamp, chalouwines.com.au
See Saw Wine
For fun, minimal-intervention wines, head to See Saw Wine located just out of town. The smart, bright-hued cellar door offers wine tastings with the option to add a small selection of local produce such as cheese and fruits. If you’re visiting in the cooler months, it’s worth booking a tasting by the fire pit where you’ll sip See Saw’s Invergo range. After a sampling a few wines, head up the road to pick your own fruit at Hillside Harvest too.
42 Lake Canobolas Road, Nashdale, seesawwine.com
De Salis Wines
There’s a few reasons why De Salis Wines continues to be one of the region’s top wineries to visit. Along with its stellar sparklings and complex chardonnays, it also boasts some of the most stunning views found in the region.
Lofty Vineyard 125 Mount Lofty Road, Nashdale desaliswines.com.au
Tamburlaine Organic Wines Millthorpe Cellar Door
Located in the historic town of Millthorpe, Tamburlaine Organic Wines Millthorpe Cellar Door offers a taste of Tamburlaine’s award-winning organic, vegan-friendly, low-sulphur and no-added-sulphur wines. First established in 1966 in the Hunter region, the winery set up a Cellar Door in an old general store on Pym Street. If you’re exploring Millthorpe, it’s a good spot to drop in for a quick wine tasting.
9 Pym Street, Millthorpe, tamburlaine.com.au
ORANGE ACCOMMODATION
Bath inside one of Basalt’s luxury studios, located a short drive from Orange.
(Photo: Pip Farqharson)Basalt Orange
Potbelly indoor fireplaces, large standing stone baths and views overlooking Canobolas make Basalt a cosy haven when exploring the orange region. The new luxury accommodation boasts three beautifully appointed lodges situated on a family-run cherry orchard.
Each architectural structure provides ample privacy while simultaneously taking advantage of its stunning surroundings thanks the large floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors and cleverly positioned windows. Inside, you’ll find an open-plan studio featuring a plush king bed covered in luxe linens, a sleek kitchenette, and a deep oval bath with an impressive outlook over the orchard.
While it feels world’s away, Basalt is just a short drive from town and the boutique wineries and fine dining establishments for which the wine region is famed. After a day of cellar door-hopping, there’s no better place to sip your spoils than by your own roaring outdoor fire at dusk.
1100 Pinnacle Road, Canobolas, basaltorange.com.au
De Russie Boutique Hotel
This boutique hotel is located in the heart of Orange, just a stone’s throw from the main thoroughfare. It prides itself on luxury, comfort and design, and features accommodation to suit even the most discerning traveller. Make no mistake though – it might be in the middle of the action, but it’s a quiet, relaxing place to rest after a long day of vineyard-hopping.
72 Hill Street, Orange, derussiehotels.com.au
Dragonfly Cottages
If you’re really looking to get off the grid, it’s worth checking out Dragonfly Cottages, just a 10-minute drive from Orange. The low-key abodes are minimal yet comfortable, and the hillside location makes for stunning sunrises and sunsets.
92 Heifer Station Lane, Orange, dragonflycottages.com.au
Need more Orange accommodation options, check out Airbnbs in and around the Orange region.
Yonder studio at Basalt luxury accommodation near Orange.
(Photo: Monique Lovick)