THE Hunter Valley's biggest wineries will be forced to start charging for tastings unless the state government reverses a decision to scrap a tax subsidy that the industry says it relies on to remain competitive.

Bruce Tyrrell, the chief executive of Tyrrell's Wines, said the termination of the cellar door subsidy scheme - worth $3.5 million a year to Hunter producers - would ''cut the legs'' from the region's most successful brands. ''We all feel like it's a big kick in the guts,'' he said.

Making a stand ... winemaker Bruce Tyrrell. Credit:Jacky Ghossein

Managers of Tyrrell's, Pepper Tree, Audrey Wilkinson, Brokenwood, McWilliam's, De Bortoli and McGuigan have been lobbying the Tourism Minister, George Souris, in a bid to overturn the decision of the Treasurer, Mike Baird, to bin the subsidy in this year's budget. Mr Tyrrell met with Mr Souris again last week.

The spat has left Mr Souris in what a government insider described as a ''very sticky situation''. His National Party seat of Upper Hunter includes part of the wine-growing region and, as the Tourism Minister, it is his responsibility to see the area flourish.