Seven wineries, seven venues, one afternoon.
It's called City Cellar Door and it's bringing the best of the Hunter Valley to the heart of the city on Saturday, November 21.
The new wine-tasting trail is an opportunity to gather your friends and experience Newcastle East one glass at a time. From 11am to 5pm on the day, wines from Margan, Charteris, Mercer, Vinden, De Iuliis, Swinging Bridge and Byrne Farm will be poured at Humbug, Ship Inn, Customs House, Bartholomew's, The Great Northern, The Grain Store and The Grand Hotel.
Tickets are $80 and include tastings from seven wineries across seven Newcastle East venues; a $30 food voucher to use on the day at the participating venue of your choice; a Pukara Estate olive oil tasting plus a $10 voucher to use at their cellar door in the city; and a special East End Ice Creamery and Mercer Wines pairing.
Guests are asked to select their food venue at the time of purchasing tickets.
Whatever route you choose to take on the day is up to you. You can kick off your day at Customs House, The Grand Hotel or Bartholomew's.
City Cellar Door is the brainchild of Lukas Thodas, chair of East End Collective Incorporated, the business-led association behind the Newcastle East 2300 brand.
Formed in 2025 by a group of Newcastle East business owners, East End Collective Incorporated now involves more than 100 Newcastle East businesses, who are all working together to reinvigorate the precinct and support one another.
The aim is to establish Newcastle East as both a brand and a vibrant, must-visit destination.
The collective launched Newcastle East 2300 in February, having secured a $200,000 grant from the NSW government's Office of the 24-Hour Economy, alongside a $60,000 cash boost from the City of Newcastle's special business rate levy to cement Newcastle East's "reputation as a must-visit destination after dark and always".
"We've used the money to create a brand - Newcastle East 2300 - and a website that can be used by all Newcastle East businesses," Mr Thodas, who is also the co-owner and publican of The Grand Hotel, said.
"We could have used the funding to put on a big, one-off event in the precinct, but there's no longevity in that.
"We are also launching a branded courtesy bus that will link all the venues in the CBD to other precincts as well."
The Night Hop bus launches on October 2 and runs every Friday and Saturday night from 6pm to 11pm.
"The new Night Hop courtesy mini bus will be a great option for those finishing up at the end of City Cellar Door and wanting to get around," East End Collective district coordinator Janice Musumeci said.
"We have 12 stops from Noahs, Novotel, The Grand, Ship Inn, QT Newcastle, Tower Cinemas, The Del, Koutetsu, Honeysuckle's The Dockyard, Rydges, Customs House and The Grain Store on a 30-minute loop with GPS tracking so people can track it live."
In February, East End Collective struck a deal with Hunter Parking & Storage which enables visitors to park for just $5 after 5pm for up to five hours, or stay overnight until 8am for $18, at 50 Bolton Street, Newcastle.
"I think more people are coming into town," Mr Thodas said.
"People are coming in for events. The jazz nights are very consistent now at The Grand, and the food offering in town is very good. You've got hatted restaurants and the pubs have upgraded their menus.
"You can come in and have a meal at a quality restaurant and then go and watch a band or a show, and stay the night if you want. There's been plenty of people coming in from Maitland or the Hunter Valley to stay the night, and that's just been during winter."
He said City Cellar Door, which coincides with NSW Wine Month, wasn't just about wine.
"I wanted to create an event that not only showcases these incredible wines, but also shows people just how beautiful Newcastle East is, and gives them a reason to get out and support our local small businesses," he said.
"With the $30 food voucher and $10 Pukara Estate voucher, you pretty much get $40 back out of your $80 ticket price, which I think is pretty good value.
"It can be hard for people to head out to the Valley in this economic climate, so bringing the cellar doors to the city is a good option."
Ms Musumeci encouraged people to go online to newcastleeast.com.au to keep up to date with upcoming events.
"If City Cellar Door is a success we will look to do a bigger collaboration during Newcastle Food Month next April. We had a record participation of around 30 Newcastle East restaurants involved in this year's Newcastle Food Month, with a record turn out and turnover indicated," she said.
"We also provided seed funding to Newy Tour Co launching the Newcastle Foodie + Street Art tour at the same time, and this is growing in popularity and was even promoted in Singapore thanks to Newcastle Airport.
"We are awaiting announcements for activities we have applied for grants for, such as stimulating the daytime trading economy during the upcoming cruise season with a cruise passenger shuttle directly into Newcastle East."
Ms Musumeci said there had been a greater "feeling of positivity" and "sense of togetherness" in Newcastle East since the collective formed.
"Visiting Newcastle East at any time supports the businesses and families who own those businesses who have taken a chance to open a small business and rely on our locals to visit," she said.
"Newcastle East is the most beautiful and interesting part of the city surrounded by water and shrouded in history with bespoke retail boutiques and fine dining restaurants in abundance. It is more than just a day or night out, it's beautiful to experience."
