New South Wales (Western NSW)
Mudgee
The large old country town of MUDGEE, in the Kamilaroi language meaning “the nest in the hills”, is the centre for an often-overlooked wine region about 120km north of Bathurst. It sits within a region that's born of goldrush and rural booms, where colonial history still shapes the little towns we see today in the form of heritage buildings, museums, galleries, memorial tributes to brilliant poet and writer Henry Lawson, gold fossicking, and viewing sheep shearing. As a wine producing region for over 100 years, an opportune time to visit Mudgee is in June when for the Wine and Food Fair or in September for the Huntington Festival which fuses local food and wine with classical music.
The town is set along the lush banks of the Cugewong River, and the countryside appears to have more grazing cows and sheep than vineyards. The wines, once referred to as “Mudgee mud”, have improved in the past few years: the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines are the tastiest, although the area’s Chardonnays are gaining a good reputation. You can reach Mudgee via Hill End, but it’s a bumpy unsealed route, and you’re better off approaching via Sofala on an 88-kilometre sealed road (except for a small section) – watch out for sheep.

When you arrive, head for the tourist information centre at 84 Market St (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–3.30pm, Sun 9.30am–2pm) to pick up a copy of the Mudgee Region Visitors’ Guide, which has detailed winery information and maps. 

Mudgee’s proximity to Sydney means that accommodation is booked out at weekends, when it’s best to call in advance. Some suggestions are the central Woolpack Hotel at 67 Market St, with mediocre shared-bathroom pub rooms; the more upmarket but equally central Wanderlight Motor Inn, 107 Market St, which has a pool and spa and some units adapted for disabled travellers; and the Parkview Guest House, 99 Market St, a quiet, centrally located B&B built in 1859. Other heritage houses worth staying at for the charm factor include Bleak House, 7 Lawson St with private verandahs overlooking the Cugewong River, and the Lauralla Historic Guesthouse, Lewis and Mortimer streets a classic Victorian-style home offering “murder mystery” and wine weekends. 

Campers should go to the Cooinda Caravan Village, corner of Bell Street and Gulgong Road, 1.5km west of the centre, which has a pool, kiosk and barbecues. Mudgee isn’t really a town in which to eat out, so your best bet for a meal is the pub food at places such as the Lawson Park Hotel, a great old country pub on Church Street, which does roasts on Monday and Tuesday and pasta specials on Wednesday night for $6–7. You could also lunch at one of the wineries such as Craigmoor; or try Renditions (Wed–Sun only), the new tearooms attached to the Parkview Guest House, for refreshments on the verandah or in the courtyard.

Six of the best Mudgee wineries
  • Botolabar, Botolabar Lane (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–3pm; tel 02/6373 3840). An organic winery with self-guided tours (40min). Tastings on a shady terrace; picnic area and barbecues.
  • Craigmoor Winery, Craigmoor Road (Mon–Sat 10am–4.30pm, Sun 10am–4pm; tel 02/6372 2208). The original 1859 cellar, a vast space with a huge open fireplace, has a tin roof held up by tree-trunk beams. Upstairs is an equally characterful, expensive restaurant (daily lunch, Fri & Sat dinner), while outside, views of hills and vineyards are fronted by peaceful lawns fragrant with flowers and a perfect cricket pitch.
  • Lawson Hill Estate, Lawson Hill Drive (daily 9.30am–5pm; tel 02/6373 3953). A small, family-owned winery above the Henry Lawson memorial, on the site of the Australian poet’s boyhood home. Friendly, low-key tasting is in the hilltop tin shed where the wine is made.
  • Miramar Wines, Henry Lawson Drive (daily 9am–5pm; tel 02/6373 3874). Atmospheric tastings among old cobwebbed casks. The well-respected wine maker, Ian MacRae, established the winery in 1977; he’s serious about his wines, and specializes in delicious whites.
  • Montrose Winery, Henry Lawson Drive (daily 10am–4.30pm; tel 02/6373 3883). The largest and best known of Mudgee’s wineries: particularly for its Poets Corner, a good table red, and its prize-winning Chardonnays, Cabernets and Shiraz. The modern white, brick building covered in ivy has picnic tables outside and beautiful views.
  • Pieter Van Gent, Black Springs Road (Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 11am–4pm; tel 02/6373 3807). Tastings in a delightful setting: beautiful nineteenth-century choir stalls on cool earth floors, overshadowed by huge old barrels salvaged from Penfolds. Try their Pipeclay Port, a tawny port aged in wood, a blend of various vintages. The winemaker is Dutch, and the herbs he uses in his traditional vermouth are specially imported from Holland.