Margan Family Winegrowers & Restaurant is “the place to eat, drink and be merry”
On a hot & dry Saturday morning, with the mercury nudging 40 degrees, I found myself driving through the lush countryside of the Hunter Valley passing vineyards left, right and centre on my way to Margan Family Winegrowers & Restaurant. You’ll find it out along the Broke Rd, past all the big name wineries in Pokolbin, which leads to the quieter, more tranquil area of Broke Fordwich. A pleasant 1 1/2 hour drive from Sydney’s north up the F3, I believe it’s worth every minute of the trip!
Whenever I’m visiting the Hunter Valley I prefer to avoid the larger wineries choosing instead to drop in to the smaller, family-owned cellar doors of Marsh Estate, Margan, Petersons and Scarborough. They are incredibly passionate about their wines and the whole wine-making process, seeing it as more of an art form and less of a commercial enterprise, despite their well-deserved success.
Not surprisingly, the Hunter Valley is a very popular destination for weddings with couples choosing to get away from the big smoke, opting instead for a relaxed country wedding. There are countless wineries that cater for wedding ceremonies & receptions and Margan Family Winegrowers & Restaurant is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of photographing.
Secreted away at the foot of the Brokenback Range, Margan is a stylish venue that will impress the minute you crunch up the gravel driveway. The open area out the back provides a large venue for your wedding ceremony, with a view across the burgeoning grape vines to the Brokenback Range.
Once the ceremony is over and the candid shots of the guests and pre-requisite family group photographs have been captured, the bridal party can then stroll through the vineyard for their wedding location photographs. The late afternoon sun warms the landscape casting shadows on the painted wall of the large chook-house with it’s rustic, iron filigree windows conjuring romantic images of Tuscany.
However, a lone eucalypt, typical of this countryside, brings you back home. Mind you, it does provide another feature to the scenic expanses, ideally juxtaposed with a bridal party enjoying light conversation and genteel laughter between celebratory sips of the local Margan wine.
Of course, no visit to a vineyard is complete without a stroll through the furrows between the vines and if they are covered in fruit and vibrant, green foliage then all the better. Just watch your step if you’re walking in high-heels!
The courtyard of the restaurant provides additional locations for the bride & groom with the sandstone Margan sign and the bench in front of the lavender. Even the tasting room with it’s beautiful artwork makes a great alternative for photographs.
Inside the restaurant is the huge, high-ceiling Barrel Room where wedding receptions are generally held. As the name would suggest there are barrels and barrels lining the walls providing an atmosphere entirely appropriate to the down-to-earth festive occasion. Yet despite the vastness of the interior it still feels intimate and friendly, like you’re sharing an enormous banquet with family & friends.
Attentive, delightful staff serving well-prepared, exceptionally delicious food just makes the whole setting perfect – cheers!
Kim*
Margan Family Winegrowers & Restaurant