Mudgee

Mudgee sits in a valley of the central west where vines have been grown since the 1850s, and the modern wine industry here is built on shiraz, cabernet and increasingly on Italian and Spanish varieties suited to the warm days and cool nights at around five hundred metres. More than forty cellar doors operate within a short drive of town, many of them small family operations rather than corporate estates. The town itself kept its nineteenth-century core: wide streets, a sandstone courthouse, verandahed pubs and a church spire visible from the surrounding hills. A monthly farmers market, a strong food scene and honey, olive and lavender producers fill out the weekend.

History

The Mudgee and Dabee clans of the Wiradjuri lived on the Cudgegong River here, leaving sites such as Hands on the Rocks, The Drip and Babyfoot Cave, and the town's name is theirs, translated as resting place, nest in the hills or friend. James Blackman was the first British colonist to enter the district, late in 1821, followed by Lieutenant William Lawson, commandant of Bathurst, and in February 1822 George and Henry Cox brought 500 head of stock to Menah, three kilometres north of the present town; violent conflict with the Mudgee clan followed and worsened in 1824 (Wikipedia, Mudgee).

Highlights

• The cellar doors - more than forty wineries, mostly small and family run.
• The heritage town - wide streets of Victorian pubs, courthouse and churches.
• The food producers - honey, olives, cheese and the monthly farmers market.
• The valley landscape - vineyards and hills around the town.

When to go

Autumn from March to May for vintage and colour, spring from September to November for green vineyards and mild weather. Summer is hot at over thirty-five degrees. Festival weekends fill accommodation, which should be booked ahead.

What to expect

Cellar doors are spread out and a car is needed, which means either a designated driver or a paid tour. Many small wineries open only Friday to Sunday. Accommodation prices rise sharply on event weekends, and the drive from Sydney takes around four hours.

Nearby

Gulgong, a preserved gold town, is thirty kilometres north; the Capertee Valley lies south.

Key facts