Mercer Wines

Mercer Wines pours at 972 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, seven days from 10am to 4:30pm. It is a family-owned boutique cellar door with a sustainability streak: small-batch, organic, preservative-free wines, poured in a relaxed modern space. Bookings are recommended on weekends, though walk-ins are fitted in when there is room.

Dogs at the cellar door

This is one of the more dog-relaxed stops on Hermitage Road. Dogs are welcome on the sun-filled terrace and, generally, inside the cellar door as well, so you can choose your spot by the weather rather than the door policy. Water bowls are often already out and the staff are good with pets. Keep the lead on, stay with your dog, and settle a restless one on the terrace so the indoor welcome holds. Bring a backup bowl just in case.

Pepsi: cheese board on the terrace while the humans compare preservative-free notes. I rate it five out of five gravy bones.

Worth knowing

Tastings here come with a complimentary cheese board featuring Binnorie Dairy cheeses, which turns a quick stop into a proper graze. The range runs from Hunter staples such as Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz to more modern blends, with the shiraz nouveau a talking point. It is also a wheelchair-accessible venue, with accessible parking, entrance and seating.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door sits on the Hermitage Road wine and food trail in the heart of Pokolbin, close to the resort end of town, with on-site parking at the door. It is a popular leg for cyclists touring the trail, so watch for bikes on the approach.

Pair it with

Tintilla Estate Wines and Glandore Estate Wines both sit within an easy drive along the same trail, and De Iuliis Wines is a solid third stop for a Pokolbin afternoon.

More options are on the NSW wineries guide and the Pokolbin destination page.