Port Macquarie
Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
Bago Maze & Wine
Best Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries in Port Macquarie
The Port Macquarie region boasts a unique winery trail, several local breweries and three boutique gin distilleries. Here's where to go and what to expect at each.
Wineries and Breweries Near Port Macquarie: Quick Reference
Best winery and cellar door: Cassegrain Wines, Winery Drive, Fernbank Creek
Best day trip winery: Bago Maze and Winery, Bago Road
Best local craft brewery: Moorebeer Brewing Co, Merrigal Road
Best distillery experience: Maria River Distillery, via car ferry
Best hidden gem tasting room: Port Macquarie Distillery, industrial estate
Tempted? You should be! Scroll on for more details…
(Images: Douglas Vale Historic Homestead & Vineyard, Bago Maze & Wine, Cassegrain Wines, Long Point Vineyard & Art Gallery, Taste@Cassegrain Restaurant)
Best Winery Near Port Macquarie: Cassegrain Wines
Cassegrain Wines on Winery Drive at Fernbank Creek is the region's flagship winery and deserves every bit of the reputation. The cellar door is open 7 days from 10am to 5pm for tastings of their award-winning Hastings Valley wines. The Taste Restaurant is the real reason to plan ahead: every dish on the refined menu is paired with two wines selected by the winemaker. You're dining overlooking the vines with local art on the walls and an excellent wine list in front of you.
Horse riding is available on the property through Port Macquarie Horse Riding Centre, and with a new focus on regular art and craft workshops (and now home to the fortnightly MNC Markets), Cassegrain is a great day out.
10 Winery Drive, Fernbank Creek. 10 minutes north of Port Macquarie CBD. Cellar door open 7 days 10am to 5pm. Restaurant open Wed to Sun 10am to 4pm. cassegrainwines.com.au
Best Winery Day Trip: Bago Maze and Winery
About 35 minutes from Port Mac near Wauchope, Bago Maze and Winery is one of those rare places that genuinely works for everyone in the group. The hedge maze is one of the world's largest, with over 2km of pathways, bridges, lookout towers and a kids' seek-and-find section. While the maze is happening, you can do a wine tasting and graze on a cheese or charcuterie platter on the hill overlooking the whole property. Regular live music events including the popular once-a-month music in the vines. Check their website for upcoming events. Bago Road, Wauchope area. Book maze tickets and cheese platters at bago.com.au
Best Winery for Art Lovers: Long Point Vineyard & Art Gallery
A short 20 minute drive south of Port Macquarie, Long Point Vineyard is the kind of place you plan to stay an hour and end up spending the afternoon. Boutique wines and popular house-made liqueurs, local art in the cellar door gallery, and a beautiful lawn perfect for a cheese platter and kids running around. Also one of the most beautiful spots in the region for weddings and events.
Best Craft Brewery in Port Macquarie: Moorebeer Brewing Co
Local, family-owned and independent, Moorebeer is Port Mac's own brewery and it's doing everything right. Seventeen taps covering their award-winning core range and limited releases — from crisp lagers and juicy pale ales through to a vanilla chocolate porter. Not sure where to start? Grab a tasting paddle. Their cocktail menu has grown into something genuinely impressive too. Live music weekly, a food truck from local legends Char Bar, and an easygoing neighbourhood vibe. Dogs are welcome. Locals treat it like a second lounge room. 18/35 Merrigal Road, Port Macquarie. Open Thu 2pm to 8pm, Fri 12pm to late, Sat and Sun 12pm to 5pm. moorebeer.com.au
Best Distillery Experience: Maria River Distillery
Getting to Maria River Distillery is part of what makes it special. Take the car ferry at Settlement Point, then follow Maria River Road to a lush former dairy farm with a Tuscan-style portico, working farm gardens, and some of the most interesting small-batch spirits in NSW. Everything is triple-distilled in small batches using botanicals grown on the farm. The house-cured prosciutto antipasto platter is outstanding. The Ginello (a gin-limoncello hybrid, the first of its kind in Australia) has become a genuine cult favourite. Maria River Distillery spirits are available in cocktail form at Little Shack, Moorebeer, Noona's Pizzeria and Moo and Bean Kitchen and Bar around Port Macquarie. Maria River Road, North Shore. Via car ferry from Settlement Point. Book tastings and events at mariariverdistillery.com.au
Port Macquarie Distillery: The Hidden Tasting Room
Tucked into Port Mac's industrial estate, Port Macquarie Distillery has a Tasting Room and Bar that's worth finding. The honey and kumquat gins are standout products and the space has a genuinely cool fit-out that surprises everyone who finds it.
Port Macquarie - A surprising gin & distillers hotspot!
Port Macquarie has quietly become one of the NSW Mid North Coast's best spots for gin lovers. Three distinct distilleries offer very different experiences:
Maria River Distillery: Farm and nature setting, car ferry access, Tuscan-style portico, antipasto platters
Port Macquarie Distillery: Industrial cool, hidden gem, honey and kumquat gins
Three Wise Men Distillery: Newer operation, whiskey gin and saltbush vodka in the lineup
The soon-to-open Petal & Leaf Distillery at The Bowl, Port Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wineries & Breweries near Port Macquarie
-
Yes, there are four. Cassegrain Wines on Winery Drive at Fernbank Creek is the closest and most established winery, 10 minutes north of Port Mac's CBD. The cellar door is open 7 days and the Taste Restaurant (open for lunch) is one of the best dining experiences in the region. Bago Maze and Winery near Wauchope is about 35 minutes from Port Mac and combines a cellar door with one of the world's largest hedge mazes. Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard is only 5 minutes from town, and combines fascinating history and wine tastings, and Long Point Vineyard and Art Gallery is a delight for lovers of wine, art, liqueurs and countryside.
-
Cassegrain Wines is the largest and most celebrated winery in the Port Macquarie region, known for its award-winning winemaker, it’s traditional French champagne making, and the Taste Restaurant where food is paired with wines over lunch. The cellar door is open 7 days, 10am to 5pm.
-
Yes. Moorebeer Brewing Co at 18/35 Merrigal Road is Port Macquarie's local independent brewery, family-owned and pouring 17 taps of core range and limited release beers. Open Thursday to Sunday. Dogs are welcome. Black Duck Brewery is due to reopen after a renovation in July 2026, and further south you’ll find Wash House Brewery serving up at Moo & Been in North Haven.
-
Port Macquarie has three distilleries. Maria River Distillery is a farm-based operation accessible via car ferry with an outstanding visitor experience. Port Macquarie Distillery has a fabulously fitted-out tasting room in the industrial estate. Three Wise Men is the newest addition with a range of gins, a whiskey gin and a saltbush vodka.
-
Bookings are essential for one of these tastings experiences! The trip out there is half the fun, with a car ferry involved from Settlement Point, then a drive north up the mostly unsealed Maria River Road. Allow at least 30-40 minutes from Port Macquarie including ferry time.
-
The most straightforward wine tour from Port Macquarie is a self-drive day (choose a designated driver!) combining Cassegrain Wines for cellar door and lunch, then Bago Maze and Winery for an afternoon wine tasting, with Long Point Vineyard before or after Bago. Douglas Vale is very close to town and you can duck out there easily. They’re open Wed/Sat/Sun- check their website for opening hours. There are also tour companies which do Winery tours including DVine Experiences, Indulgence Tours and Port Bus.
Locals Love
