Five Mudgee wineries to visit this weekend
Anyone wishing to escape Sydney’s somewhat variable weather might want to think about jumping in the car and heading 260km north-west to Mudgee where it's usually sunny and warm.The town itself is a thriving rural community but the bonus is that the weather and rich soil mean it’s surrounded by vineyards. And with excellent cellar doors and restaurants, all you need is a few days, a designated driver and our list of the best five wineries to visit.
Lowe Family Wine Co
Winemaker David Lowe lends his name to this extensive enterprise that includes a farmyard, tasting room, top restaurant and, of course, some of Mudgee’s best wines. Lowe Family Wine overlooks a lake and under shady umbrellas you can book and enjoy a standard (six wines) or premium (nine!) tasting. A long lunch at Zin House restaurant beckons, followed by a walk around the biodynamic gardens and you can even take away goodies from the Althea by Zin artisan bakery. Definitely a full – and filling - day.
Robert Stein Vineyard & Farm
The hills of Mudgee are a feature of Robert Stein winery – the views of them across farmland are long and comforting – but then so are the award-winning wines, the Pipeclay Pumphouse fine-dining restaurant and the friendliness of the place. Founded in 1976 by Robert Stein (whose ancestor Johann brought Riesling vines to Australia back in 1838), the winery’s signature is its powerful Shiraz which can be tasted at the cellar door. Another option is to browse the collection in the motorcycle museum or put aside some serious eating time for chef Andy Crestani’s six-course degustation menu.
Moothi Estate
Another friendly, family-owned winery, Moothi’s name is well earned coming as it does from the local Wiradjuri language meaning ‘nestled in the hills’. That’s exactly what the sprawling winery building including the cellar door does: it’s backed by rocky outcrops and looks across vineyards to the valley beyond. Enjoy a glass of excellent and well priced Pinot Grigio, Shiraz or Viognier (plus many more) from the wide veranda, and the Moothi grazing platters are renowned for their generosity.
Logan Wines
If you’re driving in from Sydney, Logan Wines is the first Mudgee winery you’ll see and it’s difficult to miss. The tasting room is an architectural confection of stone, timber and above all glass with a big windowed box giving fishbowl views of the vineyard. Proudly non-traditional Logan nevertheless champions familiar Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Shiraz at startlingly reasonable prices, so enjoy tasting one or two with a cheese platter or feta tart in or around the tasting room.
First Ridge
Simplicity is the key to First Ridge’s exclusively Italian varietal wines and when the winery was opened to visitors in 2015, the new cellar door followed suit. The glowing red shipping containers jutting over the view that form the tasting room’s backbone may look simple but, like the wines, are also complex and well balanced. Mudgee’s Italian climate was deemed perfect for wines such as Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Fiano and Barbera and after a few sips while enjoying the Tuscan-esque view, you’ll agree.
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