Sparkling Masterclass with Vineyard Tour and 4 Course Lunch

At Printhie Wines, the star is not just the glass in front of you. It is the full story behind it, from cool-climate grapes and base wine to disgorging, aging, and the finished pour. David Swift, the owner and winemaker, may lead the session, giving you a rare chance to hear the process from the person who makes the wine.

I like the private format, which lets your group ask direct questions instead of waiting for a large tasting room talk to finish. I also like the aged sparkling wines, some more than a decade old, followed by a long lunch with matched wines and broad valley views. The main drawback is the price, $276.14 per person, and the supplied information gives both a three-course and four-course lunch description, so it is sensible to confirm the exact menu before booking.

Key points at a glance

• Taste sparkling wines more than 10 years old: This is the rare part of the experience, especially for anyone curious about how Australian sparkling develops with age.
• Meet a Sparkling Specialist: Your host may be winemaker David Swift or another member of the Swift family.
• See the vineyards beside the Cellar Door: The short vineyard visit connects the bottle to the actual vines used for the range.
• Learn the traditional method step by step: The session covers base wine, disgorging, and aging rather than stopping at a simple tasting.
• Enjoy a wine-matched lunch: The meal takes place at Printhie Dining with views across the valley.
• Keep the experience private: Only your own group takes part, making this a good choice for couples or friends.

Why the Printhie sparkling masterclass is different

Many winery visits give you a quick explanation, a few pours, and a chance to buy a bottle. This experience takes a more focused route. You spend time with the Swift Sparkling range, then connect each wine to the vineyard and production choices behind it.

The emphasis is traditional-method sparkling. That means the class deals with the work that happens after the first wine is made, including aging and disgorging. You are not simply learning a few tasting words. You are looking at how a sparkling wine changes over time and why the producer considers those steps important.

That makes the experience a strong fit for someone who already enjoys sparkling wine and wants more context. It also works for a couple where one person knows wine and the other mainly likes drinking it. The private setting should make it easier to ask basic questions without feeling out of place.

Printhie’s Swift Sparkling range has received major attention in Australian and international competitions. It was named Best Sparkling at the New South Wales Wine Awards from 2018 through 2023, and the range won Best Australian Sparkling at the 2022 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships in London. Awards do not guarantee that every bottle will suit your palate, but they explain why the masterclass focuses so strongly on this particular style.

Meeting at the Nashdale Cellar Door

The experience begins at Printhie Wines Cellar Door, 208 Nancarrow Lane, Nashdale, New South Wales 2800. It ends at the same place, so you do not need to plan a second pickup point.

The total time is about three and a half hours. That is long enough for a proper tasting and meal, but short enough to fit into a day around the Orange wine region. You should allow extra time around the booking for your own arrival and departure, since the supplied details do not include transport to or from the property.

This point matters because the tasting includes several wines and lunch. Arrange a designated driver or other safe way to return to your accommodation. The activity itself does not state that transfers are included, so do not assume a vehicle or driver comes with the booking.

The mobile ticket is handy for keeping the reservation on your phone. Confirmation is sent when you book. The activity is private, so only your group participates rather than joining a larger public departure.

Walking the vineyards beside the Cellar Door

The vineyard portion gives the tasting a physical sense of place. You are shown the vineyards used to create the Swift range, located just outside the Cellar Door. That short distance helps connect the production talk to the vines themselves.

Do not expect a long agricultural tour based on the information provided. The vineyard visit is part of the masterclass, not a separate full-day walk. Its value is in seeing the source of the fruit while your host explains how the wines are built.

This is where the cool-climate character of Printhie’s sparkling becomes easier to understand. The experience presents the range as an example of cool-climate Australian craftsmanship. You will not need to know technical wine language in advance, since the host takes you through the process and the tasting together.

The setting should appeal to anyone who likes to see the working side of a winery. You get more than a polished bottle and a tasting note. You see the vines, stand near the Cellar Door, and then taste wines made from that setting.

Learning the traditional method from the Swift team

The masterclass is hosted by one of Printhie’s Sparkling Specialists. That may be David Swift, the owner and winemaker, or another member of the Swift family. The chance to meet someone directly tied to the winery is one of the strongest reasons to choose this over a basic cellar-door tasting.

David Swift personally hosted at least one session and was praised for sharing the family’s love of sparkling wine. That detail gives you a useful expectation: the session can be personal and producer-led, rather than a script delivered by a general tasting-room employee.

The technical part covers the wine’s path from base wine through disgorging and aging. You will learn how the first wine becomes sparkling and why time in bottle matters. The aged samples make this lesson practical, because you can taste the result instead of only hearing a description.

For me, this is the heart of the experience. A fresh sparkling wine can be easy to understand: bright, lively, and ready to drink. A bottle that has spent more than a decade aging gives you a chance to consider texture, maturity, and the changes that time brings.

The exact wines poured can change, so do not expect a fixed list of vintages from the information available. The promise is a private tasting of the Swift Sparkling range, including sparklings more than 10 years old. That is enough detail to show that the session is built around comparison and age, not just a single welcome glass.

Tasting older Australian sparkling wines

Older sparkling is not always easy to find by the glass. That makes the tasting especially useful if you are trying to work out what bottle age does to this style of wine.

Your host can explain the choices behind the range while you taste. You can ask how the wine changes during aging, what disgorging involves, and which foods suit each pour. The experience specifically includes guidance on what sets the sparkling apart and what to pair with it.

The private format matters here. If a wine raises a question, you can stop and ask it. If you prefer one style to another, you can say so and get a more direct conversation than you might in a crowded public tasting.

Still, keep your expectations balanced. This is not described as a full professional qualification or a formal wine course. It is a guided masterclass tied to one producer’s range. You will gain useful insight into Printhie’s methods, but you will not sample every Australian sparkling style.

Lunch at Printhie Dining with valley views

After the tasting, you are escorted into Printhie Dining for a wine-matched lunch. The dining room looks out over the valley below, giving the meal a clear sense of place rather than making it an afterthought to the cellar-door visit.

The meal is described as a four-course lunch in the detailed experience information, while the overview calls it a three-course lunch. The title also says four course. Because of that mismatch, confirm the current number of courses when you book or contact the venue.

The wine pairings are the important part, not simply the amount of food. A matched course lets you test the ideas from the masterclass at the table. You can see how acidity, sweetness, texture, and age work with different dishes, rather than treating food pairing as a short verbal suggestion.

The lunch also changes the pace of the day. After standing for the vineyard visit and concentrating during the tasting, you get time to sit, eat, and enjoy the view. The experience is therefore better suited to an unhurried afternoon than to someone trying to squeeze in several wineries before dinner.

The available information does not give a sample menu, dietary details, or the exact number of wine pairings. If you have food restrictions, ask Printhie before booking. Do not rely on the general description to tell you what will be served on your date.

Is $276.14 a fair price?

At $276.14 per person, this is not a casual wine tasting. You are paying for a private session, a specialist host, a vineyard visit, tastings from a well-regarded sparkling range, and a substantial lunch with matching wines.

The price makes more sense if you value access and depth. A standard tasting may introduce you to the brand, but this experience gives you time with the Swift team and includes older wines that are unlikely to be part of an ordinary quick stop. The meal also turns the visit into a half-day outing rather than a short cellar-door appointment.

For two people, the cost becomes a significant splurge. I would reserve it for a birthday, anniversary, special weekend, or a trip built around food and wine. If you mainly want to sample a few local wines, this is more than you need.

The private arrangement can improve the value for a small group. You are not paying for a large coach outing with a fixed script. Your own group gets the host’s attention, which is especially helpful if you have specific questions about aging, production, or food pairing.

The awards add context but should not make the decision for you. Printhie won Best Sparkling at the New South Wales Wine Awards six years in a row from 2018 to 2023, and its Swift range won Best Australian Sparkling at a major 2022 international competition. Those results suggest a serious producer, but your enjoyment still depends on whether you like the winery’s style.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to couples who want a relaxed food-and-wine day, friends celebrating a special occasion, and wine drinkers who want to understand traditional-method sparkling better. It is also a good choice if you prefer a private appointment where you can ask questions freely.

You do not need to be an expert. The format is designed to explain the wine from the start, and the tasting gives you a practical way to follow the discussion. If one person in your group is new to sparkling wine, the personal attention should make the session easier to enjoy.

I would hesitate if you want a low-cost activity, a short tasting, or a broad survey of many wineries. This visit concentrates on Printhie and the Swift range. It also includes enough food and wine to require a slower pace, so it may not suit a packed touring schedule.

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed.

Booking and cancellation details

Free cancellation is available when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours ahead are not refunded or accepted, and the cut-off uses local time.

The meeting point is Printhie Wines Cellar Door, and the activity returns there at the end. Confirmation arrives at booking, and the mobile ticket means you can show your reservation from your phone.

Because alcohol is included, make your return plan before you arrive. The details do not state that transportation is provided, so arrange a safe driver or another way to get back.

Should you book the Printhie sparkling masterclass?

Book it if you want more than a quick pour. The combination of private access to the Swift team, older sparkling wines, a vineyard visit, and a matched lunch gives the day real substance.

The price is high, and the three-course versus four-course wording should be cleared up first. If the current meal, wine matches, and private format fit what you want, this is a strong special-occasion experience at Printhie Wines. If your aim is simply to taste local wine cheaply, choose a shorter cellar-door visit instead.

FAQ

Where does the sparkling masterclass take place?

It takes place at Printhie Wines Cellar Door, 208 Nancarrow Lane, Nashdale, New South Wales 2800, Australia.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your own group participates in this private tour and activity.

Who hosts the masterclass?

The session is hosted by one of Printhie’s Sparkling Specialists. This may be winemaker David Swift or another member of the Swift family.

What wines will be tasted?

You will taste the Swift Sparkling range, including sparkling wines that are more than 10 years old.

What will I learn during the masterclass?

The session explains traditional-method sparkling production, including the stages from base wine to disgorging and aging. It also covers what makes the wine distinctive and which foods pair with it.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at Printhie Dining with matching wines is included. The detailed information describes four courses, while another description says three courses, so confirm the current format before booking.

Does the experience include transportation?

The supplied details do not state that transportation is included. The activity begins and ends at the Printhie Wines Cellar Door.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance are not refunded, and poor-weather cancellations offer a different date or a full refund.