Visit the wineries near Kiama in Gerringong and around Berry

Compare the wineries near Kiama

Kiama is the northern edge of the Shoalhaven Coast wine region, which runs south to Milton and west to Kangaroo Valley. You don't have to go far, as five cellar doors and a brewery sit within about 30 minutes' drive of Kiama Ridge Waters. Drive times below are from the apartments at 2 Surfleet Place.

Hours change with the seasons and for private events, so check each cellar door's website before you go.

Start at Crooked River Estate in Gerringong

Crooked River Estate, still listed in places as Crooked River Wines, is the closest winery to Kiama. It's at 11 Willowvale Road, Gerringong, just off the Princes Highway, about 10 minutes' drive from Kiama Ridge Waters. The winery itself quotes 12 minutes from Kiama and 12 minutes from Berry.

The cellar door is open Tuesday to Friday 10:30am to 5pm, Saturday 10:30am to 6pm and Sunday 10:30am to 5pm. It's closed on Mondays. You can do a guided tasting of estate wines or a self-guided flight of whites, reds or a mix. Chambourcin and Savagnin are two of the wines to try.

The cellar door food menu runs from 11:30am, with share plates and grazing dishes. On Fridays, Kick Back Fridays run from 5pm to 9pm with live music, a 5pm to 6pm happy hour and wood-fired pizzas. The estate also has villas, hosts weddings, and runs events such as its Winter Wine Festival.

Head to the cellar doors around Berry and Coolangatta

The main cluster of wineries sits under Mount Coolangatta, between Berry and Shoalhaven Heads. Berry itself is about 15 minutes' drive (21 km) from Kiama Ridge Waters, and the four cellar doors below are 20 to 30 minutes away.

Silos Estate is on the Princes Highway at Jaspers Brush, just north of Berry. The cellar door is open 7 days, 11am to 5pm, except Christmas Day. Book tastings online; walk-ins are served if there's room. It has a restaurant, accommodation including a cottage over the vines, an alpaca shop and a large EV charging station. It makes two labels, Silos Estate and Wileys Creek.

Two Figs Winery at 905 Bolong Road, Back Forest, is a family-owned winery and distillery that started in 2003. Seated tastings run daily from 11am to 5pm, except Christmas Day, and are booked online. It sits in the foothills of Mount Coolangatta, serves seasonal local produce plates, and Chardonnay is its standout wine.

Coolangatta Estate at 1335 Bolong Road, Coolangatta, is on land Alexander Berry settled in 1822. The same family has run it since the 1940s, and it has won more than 2,200 awards at wine shows. It grows ten varieties on 25 acres, with Semillon as its headline wine. The cellar door opens daily from 11am, there's casual dining overlooking the winery, and you can stay in one of 26 heritage-listed motel rooms.

Mountain Ridge Wines at 11 Coolangatta Road, Coolangatta, has a cellar door and restaurant open Thursday 11am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 8pm, and Sunday 11am to 5pm. The website lists no hours for Monday to Wednesday. The kitchen serves small plates, pizzas and grazing snacks, and there's a tiny house on the vineyard called Escape to the Vines.

Add a craft beer stop at Stoic Brewing

Not everyone in the group drinks wine. Stoic Brewing, at Unit 6, 45 Rowlins Road in Gerringong, is about 10 minutes' drive (8 km) from Kiama Ridge Waters and pairs easily with Crooked River Estate. Gerringong locals Steve and Andrew, a father and son, opened it in 2018. They brew beer and cider on site.

Destination Kiama lists it as open 7 days, with hours that vary by day, so check before you go. It's family friendly, has outdoor seating and does takeaway. Pets are welcome by enquiry, so call ahead if you're bringing the dog.

Go further on the Shoalhaven Coast wine trail

The Shoalhaven Coast wine region stretches from Kiama in the north to Milton in the south, and west to Kangaroo Valley. Beyond the five wineries above, these cellar doors on its wine trail make a longer day trip from Kiama:

• Cambewarra Estate
• Cupitt's Estate
• Lyrebird Ridge
• Stone Cottage Vineyard
• Yarrawa Estate

The association highlights Semillon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as the region's award-winning wines. Look out for Chambourcin: Crooked River pours one at its cellar door, and Stone Cottage Vineyard makes a range of Chambourcin-based wines. Download the wine trail map from Shoalhaven Coast Wine.

Leave the car behind on a wine tour

Tastings add up, and someone has to drive the Princes Highway home. A tour solves that.

South Coast Journeys runs private South Coast winery tours that pick up from your address in Kiama between about 9am and 10:30am, depending on where you are. A sample day includes tastings at Coolangatta Estate and Silos Estate, lunch at Cambewarra Estate or Coolangatta Estate, and drop-off around 5pm to 6pm. Prices depend on group size, so check the current price guide before you book. The operator notes that weddings can limit tasting spots at peak times, so book early.

Give the operator 2 Surfleet Place, Kiama, as your pickup address. Each apartment has secure parking for two cars, so you can leave the car behind for the day.

Plan a wine day from Kiama Ridge Waters

Half day in Gerringong. Drive 10 minutes to Crooked River Estate for a late-morning tasting and lunch from the cellar door menu. Call in to Stoic Brewing on the way back. On a Friday, stay at Crooked River for Kick Back Fridays from 5pm instead. Avoid Mondays, when Crooked River is closed.

Full day around Berry. Start at Silos Estate when it opens at 11am, then go on to Two Figs for a seated tasting. Have lunch at Coolangatta Estate, or at Mountain Ridge if it's Thursday to Sunday. Finish with a walk along the main street in Berry before the 15-minute drive back.

Tips for the day.

• Most cellar doors open at 11am. Crooked River opens earlier, at 10:30am.
• Book tastings at Silos and Two Figs online. Silos takes walk-ins only if there's room.
• On a Monday, Silos, Two Figs and Coolangatta Estate are your options.
• Pick up produce at the Kiama markets, then cook back at the apartment. Every kitchen has an oven and gas cooktop, and the balcony has a BBQ.
• If you are back in town in time, catch the sunset or find somewhere to eat in Kiama.

Stay close to the wineries

Kiama Ridge Waters suits a group splitting the driving or booking a tour together. Each of its three-bedroom apartments at 2 Surfleet Place, Kiama, sleeps six, with two bathrooms, a full kitchen and secure parking for two cars. For a bigger group, book several apartments on the same site.

If you are coming for a wedding at Crooked River Estate, it's about 10 minutes away. See our wedding accommodation. Most of our apartments take pets on request, with a $200 cleaning fee. See pet-friendly stays in Kiama.

View the apartments or check availability. For other options, read where to stay in Kiama.