Australia’s Mudgee region offers delicious wines and warm hospitality

The people of Mudgee, Australia, have been cultivating wine grapes since 1858. The downtown is full of two story buildings with upstairs porches and arcaded storefronts that have a romance of yesteryear.

There is plenty of charm in both the town and the extensive wine region – wineries in cozy wooden structures, but also modern marvels with floor to ceiling windows providing achingly beautiful views of the lush vines in the valley and brown undulating hills in the distance.

A small group of wine writers from the Wine Media Conference had the chance to explore the rugged terrain and visit a group of producers from the region. Here are some highlights of a trip through the area:

Gilbert Family Wines

The winery offers a range of wine, heavy on the whites. I found their 2015 Riesling Single Vineyard to be particularly noteworthy with a nose of white flower, palate of zesty lime, and high acidity.  A 2016 Chardonnay L.C.R. was a contrast to this – nutty notes, yellow apples, with rich texture.  Interesting bottles included a couple of petillants and a delicious skin-contact Gewurztraminer.

Logan

Highlights of this winery, which offered a modern, glamorous tasting room were Pinot Gris.  The winery offered some wines that were labled “Adventure.”  These included the Weemala Pinot Gris 2019, which had light body with hints of melon and refreshing acidity.  The Clementine Pinot Gris 2019 was an orange wine that had savory notes, spice, and tangerine.  The winery had made some ambitious moves to offer unexpected flavors including an “Orange Shiraz” – Ridge of Tears.  It’s a beautiful wine tourism destination.

Burnbrae

This is a rustic tasting room that offers an authentic outback vibe, with a big open porch and natural wood tasting room.  A light-hearted approach to the wines is evident in the fanciful names. My personal favorite was the first sparkling wine we tried – Twinkle Toes – what a marvelous name for a sparkler. The full range of their wines were tasty, uncomplicated, and winning.  Worth the drive to visit.

De Beaurepaire

Truly a world apart – the winery tasting room lies down a dusty road surrounded by hills.  There a gentile sensibility derived from a Burgundian ancestry provides a refined wine experience.  Some of their most outstanding pours included a sparkling, 2018 Blanchefleur Blanc de Balance; 2017 Perceval Pinot Noir, which had a tart sour cherry palate; and 2016 Leopole Reserve Shiraz Viognier, which had a rich mouthfeel, loads of black cherry fruit, and lovely balance of tannin and acidity.

Mudgee is only a few hours north of Sydney, and the drive there takes you over some beautiful stretches of the Blue Mountains.  Once you arrive in this rolling landscape of vines visited by kangaroos at sunset, you’ll know you’ve arrive at truly a world apart.  I recommend making it a weekdend wine trip during a vacation down under.