A road trip with wine, food, fresh country air, wine, rolling green hills, more wine… 48 hours of that doesn’t sound too bad. You’ll find it about a four hours’ (mostly scenic) drive northwest of Sydney in Mudgee, one of our state’s loveliest wine regions. There are more than 35 cellar doors in the Mudgee wine region. It’s far enough to avoid the hordes of hens and bucks parties that frequent the Hunter Valley, but close enough for a long weekend trip.
Here’s our tips for 48 hours in marvellous Mudgee. If you’re in Sydney and can’t get to Mudgee anytime soon, head to Balmoral Beach on 13 August for the annual Mudgee Wine & Food Festival and get your fix.
Saturday
9 am: put the pedal to the metal and power on through Lithgow and over the gorgeous Blue Mountains into what is quite foreign to us inner city folk – wide open spaces with clear skies and, life!
Tip: pack road trip supplies as there’s a noticeable lack of roadside snack options. Also, travel with someone you like as there isn’t a whole lot of phone reception.
1 pm: stop by The Cellar by Gilbert, part of Gilbert Family Wines, for one of the best cheese boards, ever. Local producer, High Valley Mudgee Cheese Co with homemade apple jelly, candied nuts, dukkah flatbread and lavosh ($35). Add terrine, pork rillettes, smoked salmon and a few other delicious goodies for the ‘paddock to plate board’.
2 pm: check in to the charming two-bedroom, self-contained Winemaker’s cottage (pictured up top) at Burnbrae Wines. Overlooking the Burnbrae Cellar door and garden, the cottage retains its original features and charm and is super cosy.
2.30pm: wander about 10 metres over to Burnbrae Wines’ cellar door and taste your way through their hand-picked, basket-pressed range of wines. The bubbles and rose are our pick as well as the one and only beer, 548 Lager.
4 pm: take a bottle of Burnbrae shiraz and local chocolate out to your back deck and revel in the afternoon sun and tranquillity of being surrounded by greenery and space.
6.30 pm: one of the best spots for dinner has to be Pipeclay Pumphouse at the Robert Stein Winery. Not only do they have a stunning location and fit out, there’s also real substance when it comes to food and service. The tip is to opt for a set menu of the chef’s faves: six, eight or ten courses with an option to match wines. The best bit? The produce is sourced locally and to prove it, they list the local producers in the menu. Their cured meats even come from their own pigs on the property.
Sunday
9 am: Mudgee is filled with former Sydneysiders seeking greener pastures who moved their lives there. With them, they’ve brought some pretty terrific cafes and coffee. This morning you can opt for the Burnbrae breakfast basket in the cottage that’s filled to the brim with local produce. Or, head into town for breakfast in the leafy courtyard of local coffee house and wine bar (what a combo!), Alby & Esthers. Try the ‘famous jaffle’ ($10) oozing with cheese, locally smoked ham, farmer brown egg, and tomato relish. Coffee is pretty good too.
10.30 am: it’s wine time, so head to First Ridge wines’ pretty unique, architecturally-designed cellar door made from two intersecting shipping containers. It’s perched on top of the hill so the view over the vines and down into town is magnificent.
These guys are all about Italian varietals – sangiovese, vermentino, and fiano among others. Admire the view while you taste your way through some lovely wines that are a little different for Mudgee.
11.30 am: next, check out Logan Wines, voted Best Cellar Door Experience in 2012 by Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. All glass and light, the ‘Tasting Room’ is hovering on the side of a hill with uninterrupted views over the Mudgee vineyard and Apple Tree Flat.
Taste your way through the full range of Ridge of Tears, Logan, Weemala, Apple Tree Flat and Vintage ‘M’ Cuvée new releases. If feeling a bit peckish, there’s a cheese plate or big slice of freshly baked cake on offer.
1 pm: pick up some local supplies for dinner in town and then it’s time for pizza, more wine, and tunes. Head back to the cottage and get amongst Burnbrae Wines’ famous Lazy Sundays. Every Sunday from 12pm – 3pm, there’s woodfired pizzas, bottles of wine, and anyone who’s anyone in Mudgee sprawled out on the back deck and Burnbrae lawn kicking back. Every third Sunday there’s live tunes with some of the best local artists.
Grab a bottle of bubbles or rose, a couple of pizzas and chill. This is what Sunday is all about.
6 pm: get that open fireplace cranking and put your MasterChef skills to the test in the self-contained kitchen. Enjoy a night in at the cottage with some wine by the fire or if it’s warm, out in the courtyard under the grand Peppertree and stars (which you can actually see because you’re out of the city!).
Monday
10 am: the dream is over. Check out of the cottage and head into town for one last taste of Mudgee, sans wine. Market Street Café is a local gem right in the heart of town. Terrific coffee, super satisfying breakfasts and one of the most amazing sausage rolls you won’t be able to resist.
Then it’s bye, bye Mudgee and back to the big smoke.
