Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney

Our driver for the day-long wine tasting tour was attentive, personable, and genuinely looked after the group's comfort throughout the day- this is worth acknowledging. The wine tastings themselves were also quite enjoyable. However, three inclusions explicitly listed on both the company's website and our booking confirmation email were not delivered. I am leaving this review so future guests can make an informed decision before paying A$259–299 per person. **What was advertised in writing:** - Wine + cheese paired tasting - Exclusive behind-the-scenes wine production tour - Lunch: Gourmet lunch of shared platters and seasonal dishes followed by a premium wine tasting at Brokenwood Wines **What we actually received:** 1. No cheese pairing - this did not happen at any of the three wineries visited. 2. No behind-the-scenes wine production tour - this was listed as an exclusive inclusion and was not part of the day at any point. 3. Lunch at Brokenwood was a single cheese platter per person, and nothing else. Our group had started at 7:30am, with only a brief sandwich breakfast at the first stop. When we raised the inadequacy of the lunch with the venue manager at Brokenwood, we were told directly that Colourful Collective had contracted only a 'grazing menu' with them - not a gourmet lunch of shared platters and seasonal dishes as advertised. This is the venue's own characterisation of what was booked on our behalf, not our interpretation. I have attached a screenshot of the booking confirmation email showing the exact inclusions as represented by Colourful Collective at the time of purchase. To be clear: the issue is not the quality of what was delivered on the day. The issue is that paying guests were charged for a specific set of inclusions that were not honoured, and in the case of the lunch, the shortfall was independently confirmed by the venue itself. Prospective guests should ask for written confirmation of exactly what 'cheese pairing,' 'behind-the-scenes tour,' and 'lunch' mean in practice before booking. Colourful Collective should reconcile their advertised inclusions with what they actually contract from venues.

Our driver Michael was very good, he kept the group informed with some commentary along the route together with a well thought out and structured schedule, ensuring the day went smoothly. The wine tasting was very good and we had a lovely group who interacted very well, my favourite was Sobels winery, the boutique winery is small but very interesting, our wine tasting was brilliant, Anthony provided a variety of different wines and made the tasting fun with his ability to interact with his audience. The only negative comment I have is the bus had very little leg room but it was manageable

Our guide was really good, easy to talk with, made the day enjoyable. We had lunch included, i would have the lamb skewers next time instead of the fish and chips as they were ordinary.

Michael was our driver and guide. He was very nice and friendly. The vineyards we went to were pretty solid. I think I just prefer fuller bodied wines so I just have a preference to Napa and Italy, but for what they were, the staff was all fantastic and wines were good. The lunch was just okay. My only complaint is the legroom on the bus was very uncomfortable for the amount of time that we spent driving. Regardless, I would still recommend the tour.

We had a fantastic day! It started off a little rough because our Uber did not show so we missed our original pick up time. However, I called the office and was given a later pick up site that we were able to get to in time. The total drive was about 2 hours but Chris stopped after an hour and 15 minutes for a bathroom and breakfast break at a rest stop. We then continued on to the first vineyard, which was beautiful. We tasted at least 6 wines, including a great rose which we took home. Then off to the second vineyard where we tried probably 8 different wines while listening to the host's outrageous stories. On the way out, Chris took us up the road to see a herd of kangaroo that were lounging in a paddock. Lunch was at a local brewery; we had a hearty main dish and could chose a beer or wine to accompany it. We finished at a 3rd vineyard where we paired each of our wines with a different chocolate. The drive was beautiful and it was nice to spend the day in the countryside.

Very Nice experience! We left and got on time, the tour was amazing, and it covered different experiences! Gui, our tour guide, is an amazing guy and it was very friendly and respectful with all of us. I definitely recommend a tour with them!

Excellent bus service, courteous and helpful driver, Michael, helped us find photo opportunities, really good winery choices. Would be nice to have a bus with more legroom.

We really enjoyed this wine tasting experience. The scenery was beautiful and being with a small group (11 people) rather than a big bus made the trip very pleasant. Michael was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. We were offered a variety of options for lunch and the food was excellent. My advice would be to pace yourself, though, especially during the 1st stops. It was a fair amount of alcohol over the course of the day.

Great experience both getting there with our guide and being there. Personal service and lots of new information about Australian wine.

Our guide was friendly, helpful, and really knew the area. Went out of his way to find kangaroos! The vineyards we visited were varied and we always learned a little something new....and we tasted wine! The only negative is that the motor coach was very uncomfortable, no leg/knee room.