Cellar doors at Orange region wineries have started re-opening for tastings ahead of an expected busy June 6-8 long weekend.
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Cellar doors can offer seated wine tastings as long as food, which can be a cheese platter, is also served.
COVID-19 restrictions will ease to allow up to 50 people in pubs, clubs and restaurants from Monday, June 1 when statewide travel bans are also lifted.
We are taking heaps of bookings.
- James Robson, Ross Hill winery
Winery owners are hoping negotiations with the state government will also allow cellar door restrictions to be further eased to allow them to benefit from the expected inflow of tourists.
A state government spokesman said it was looking at changes relating to cellar doors.
"Further details regarding the changes that take effect on June 1 are being considered by the government and industry will be kept informed," he said.
Ross Hill Wines' owner James Robson said they were among several wineries that opened for tastings last weekend.
"Like a restaurant we are able to do a tasting service with our platters," he said.
"We did some locals on the weekend. It was good to re-open," he said.
"We are taking heaps of bookings [for the long weekend]."
Stockman's Ridge Wines owner Jonathan Hambrook said they had made a good start opening on the weekend for tastings with food and more bookings had come in.
"We have also seen an influx in our accommodation bookings with the next two months of weekends all but fully booked," he said.
Orange Region Vignerons Association president Nicole Samodol said wineries were adapting business practices to be ready to open for tastings including setting up online booking systems for customers.
"Please book ahead for tastings," she said.
The latest advice from the NSW Wine Industry Association president Mark Bourne to winery owners issued last Friday said there was a limit of 10 people at a time and all must be seated.
"You can't have 10 people milling at the bar doing a tasting and snacking on cheese," he said.
"You can have 10 people maximum at a table, doing a tasting and snacking on cheese."
Wineries had previously only been open for takeaway bottle sales since the coronavirus restrictions were introduced in March.
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