Discover the Mudgee wine region with insider tips from the producers.
One of Mudgee’s top riesling producers is the Robert Stein Winery. In recent times they’ve established an enviable show record, snaffling trophies and gold medals for their wines – and for good reason. They are outstanding. The old riesling vines are planted on gentle slopes around 550 metres above sea level. It is cool and that comes through in the wines, which show scintillating focus and fruit purity with plenty of drive across the palate. From the fantastic entry wine to the Reserve Riesling, only released in outstanding years, they are gorgeous examples. Of course, the quality across the range, from sparkling to fortified, is excellent and the Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant is one of the region’s best.
The Lowe Wines cellar door is one of my favourites in the region. The vineyards are organically farmed and it’s got a relaxed country feel with a wisteria-draped outdoor area perfect for hanging out with a glass of wine and a few plates of local produce. Again, riesling is a star, especially the Icon Riesling, but there are many highlights. The Tinja and Nullo Mountain wines are uniformly excellent, and the Organic Zinfandel is a beauty; opulent and intense with incredible fruit purity.
Leave yourself plenty of time here to wander around the cottage garden, and check out the sculpture garden and farm walking trails. The winery's Zin House restaurant is an amazing place to eat and is at the top of its game. Few winery experiences beat a long lunch enjoying Kim Currie’s beautiful cooking and David Lowe’s wines. It’s a must-visit.
For wines from classic grape varieties that have a strong sense of tradition, Huntington Estate should be on your list of visits. Tim and Nicky Stevens’ wonderful estate produces a range of elegant, ageworthy wines of the highest quality. Among the highlights are classically structured, grassy-edged semillon, one of the region’s few grenache wines, plus vivid, rich merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon wines.
Keep an eye out at Huntington Estate’s cellar door for the Special Reserve and Museum Release wines, and don’t forget to check their website before you go as they host regular events. Included among these is the annual music festival, which features a dazzling array of prominent international artists alongside Australia’s finest musicians.
If the weather is fine, the large deck at Moothi Estate is a great place to stay a while, with its sweeping views over the Mudgee
One of Mudgee’s top riesling producers is the Robert Stein Winery. In recent times they’ve established an enviable show record, snaffling trophies and gold medals for their wines – and for good reason.
They are outstanding.
region. Excellent pinot grigio, riesling, merlot and shiraz provide the highlights, and there are great platters teeming with awesome local produce, including cheese from High Valley and house-made pastrami for those who need to refuel.
The stunning, contemporary Logan Wines cellar door lies down a side valley from Mudgee township. It’s bright and airy with super staff and a wicked range of wines to boot.
Highlights include the Ridge of Tears Shiraz, the great value-for-money Apple Tree Flat range and the particularly impressive Weemala range of wines, which are a bit more quirky and wild-eyed than the other offerings; think textured wines including skin contact whites and fruit-pure reds, and you are on the right track. There is also a solid range of wines from nearby Orange on tasting, and this is the place to grab a coffee and cake if you need a pick-me-up before heading to your next tasting. Sometimes, the most memorable visits are those you have to work for. Eloquesta Wines doesn't have a cellar door, so you’ll have to email or call to organise an appointment. But you will be rewarded with an awesome tasting of small-batch, handmade wines with winemaker Stuart Olsen.
The wines sit at the lo-fi end of the vinous spectrum – vibrant, nervy, textured wines that are exciting and display a dangerous drinkability. The A Boy With Fruit Chardonnay is great, as is the Mudgee Single Vineyard Chardonnay, while the reds show stunning fruit purity and clarity, in particular the A Boy With Fruit No 2 Red and Shiraz Petit Verdot blend.
It’s hard to do Mudgee justice in the scope of this article. The region has more than 35 cellar doors and we’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s Skimstone, The Cellar by Gilbert, De Beaurepaire Wines, Bunnamagoo, Thistle Hill, Robert Oatley, Blue Wren, Baker Williams Distillery… I could go on, but do just one thing: visit! You will be rewarded with wonderful food and wine experiences, and a cultural depth making it one of the great little towns of rural New South Wales. I certainly won’t be leaving it too long again before my next visit.