The Lane Retreat Bimbadgen - Food Wine Travel

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So peaceful is The Lane Retreat that it's hard to prise ourselves away. — *So peaceful is The Lane Retreat that it’s hard to prise ourselves away.*

Life doesn’t get much better than waking to a view of the Brokenback mountain range and its sweeping escarpments. Part of the Great Dividing Range, it’s a sight I never tire of. From our deck at The Lane Retreat, these majestic mountains look like a giant lying on its back with arms folded.

Opened in October 2023, The Lane Retreat offers premium accommodation in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country. It’s a tranquil setting: the 60 one-bedroom studios are set amongst 15 hectares of secluded vineyard and bushland.

Kangaroos bounded across the road as we drove in, and when we went for a walk the next morning, we were entertained by laughing kookaburras and lilting bird song. It’s so incredibly peaceful that leaving it to go and do some wine tasting seemed like a tough gig.

The Lane Retreat Premium Accommodation Villas — *The 60 one-bedroom studios have vineyard and mountain views.*

Developed by hospitality group Mulpha Australia in the grounds of Bimbadgen’s 50-year-old vineyards, The Lane Retreat complements the brand’s other Hunter Valley properties: a wedding and events venue on Palmer’s Lane, the Bimbadgen cellar door and restaurants on McDonalds Road, and Emma’s Cottage at nearby Lovedale.

A couple of hours before our arrival, we were sent a text message with our Retreat number and a code for entry. The self-check-in was smooth and straightforward with none of the fiddling around that self-check-in often entails. A keypad that is easy to find, simple to use, and it works. Yay!

Inside, the one-bedroom studios are quite luxurious with a super-comfortable king-sized bed, a sofa looking out towards the mountains, a kitchenette and small dining table. The bathroom is enormous with two handbasins and a double shower with the biggest rain showers I’ve ever seen. Everything is just so comfortable, right down to the heated towel rail.

From our studio room we could like in bed and look out to the Brokenback mountain range. — *Lie in bed and look out to the Brokenback mountain range.*

We felt cocooned in comfort and privacy. Only on the outside deck were we a teensy little bit aware of our neighbours. From inside the room, all that could be seen was that jaw-dropping view of the mountains.

The kitchenette was well-stocked with a coffee machine, toaster, microwave oven and fabulous array of breakfast provisions including cold-pressed juice, granola, organic yoghurt, seasonal fruit, and banana bread with Pepe Saya butter.

We wandered to The Lane Pantry for a morning kickstarter. Open from 8am to 6pm daily, it makes a decent espresso coffee, which we enjoyed in the open-air surrounded by nature’s song. The Pantry is a great place to stock up on gourmet provisions, local wines and spirits, homewares and gifts.

Hunter Valley The Lane Retreat Bathroom — *The bathroom is enormous with two handbasins and a double shower.*

The Lane Retreat is a great base for visiting the Hunter Valley wineries, restaurants, distilleries and other attractions. But it is particularly convenient for visiting the properties in the Mulpha stable, as there is a complimentary transfer service to Bimbadgen and Emma’s Cottage. Just call up when you want a lift and a minivan with driver magically appears. I love this; it’s so nice when a place thinks of everything.

We used this service when we dined at Esca, Bimbadgen Estate’s flagship restaurant, where we enjoyed a 5-course degustation menu matched with premium Bimbadgen wines. The restaurant has a great setting, its entrance suspended above the winery, and its walls of glass looking out over the vineyard. The Bimbadgen cellar door has various tasting experiences to choose from, starting from $10 a head. We enjoyed the $20 Signature Experience which is great for comparing the different Semillon and Shiraz wines produced from two very special 50-year-old vineyards.

*The courtyard at Bimbadgen cellar door has a Tuscan ambience.*

Following the tasting, we had a late lunch of woodfired pizza in the courtyard, its ambience such that we might well have been at a vineyard in Tuscany. The chicken and prosciutto pizza with mozzarella and red onion was fabulous, cooked on the spot in the courtyard’s impressive oven. There is live acoustic music here on Fridays.

A tip: make sure you try Bimbadgen’s newest beverage addition, Night Merchant Gin. Made on site, it has a citrus profile with a dozen botanicals used in its creation, including fingerlime.

Emma’s Cottage Vineyard at Lovedale also has a cellar door, its offerings an easy-drinking, contemporary range called Alter Wines, made by the team at Bimbadgen. Snacking on a grazing platter, we enjoyed a tasting led by the delightful Emma, her name a mere coincidence as the property was named by previous owners. (There is also accommodation on this site, with 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom cottages available to stay in, but we didn’t see inside these.) Like The Lane Retreat, Emma’s Cottage has a cutely styled shop selling gifts and homewares.

The cellar door at Emma's Cottage showcases Alter Wines. — *The cellar door at Emma’s Cottage showcases Alter Wines.*

Back at The Lane Retreat, we kicked back and enjoyed the serenity. It’s a beautiful retreat in all seasons. In summer, you can soak up the sunshine and swim in the pool. In winter, as it was when we visited, you can gather by the fire pit and pour a glass of Shiraz or gin. Autumn calls for a bottle of Semillon while taking in views from the deck, and in spring you can see the vineyard coming to life.

Just 2 hours’ drive from Sydney, The Lane Retreat is a million miles away from the hustle and bustle. It’s a genuinely restful, private retreat.

*Soak up the sunshine around the pool at The Lane Retreat.*

With thanks to Mulpha Australia for generously hosting us for two nights at The Lane Retreat, dinner at Esca, and wine tastings at Bimbadgen Estate and Emma’s Vineyard. It was a pleasure and a privilege to experience the Hunter Valley in such style. We stayed in Retreat # 25.

Check out The Lane Retreat’s Spring Escape package

Priced from $330 a night when staying a minimum of two nights, it includes a bottle of sparkling Rosé, breakfast provisions for two, a wood-fired pizza at Bimbadgen Pizzeria for two (lunch or dinner), two tickets to Hunter Valley Gardens, and a complimentary wine tasting at Alter Wines for two. Subject to availability; some blackout dates may apply. Valid for stays from September 1 until November 30, 2024. Book at www.th elaneretreat.com.au