A day at the Hunter Valley Highland Games isn't just about pipe bands and caber tosses — it's also a genuine culinary event. Food stalls scattered across the grounds serve up classic Scottish fare, including haggis, shortbread and Scotch pies, alongside local produce and regional specialties that reflect the best of Hunter Valley flavour. It's a rare chance to pair traditional Highland food with a distinctly Australian wine country setting.
Naturally, wine plays a starring role. Saltire Estate's cellar door stays open throughout the Games, pouring a selection of Hunter Valley wines by the glass or bottle so guests can move between watching the athletic competitions and enjoying a relaxed tasting. Past events have also featured guided tasting experiences, giving visitors a chance to slow down and properly explore the estate's range between the louder spectacles on the main lawn.
It's this combination — hearty Scottish food, premium local wine, and the sound of bagpipes drifting across the vines — that gives the Games their distinctive character. It's less a wine tasting with entertainment on the side, and more a full sensory celebration of two cultures meeting in one paddock.
If you missed this year's food stalls and tasting flights, the good news is that Saltire Estate's cellar door doesn't pack up when the Games do. It remains a five-star winery experience year-round, and one very much worth the drive from Sydney on any weekend. Whether you're after a considered tasting flight or simply a relaxed glass with a view over the vines, the flavours that make the Highland Games special are available well beyond that one Saturday in the calendar.
