The drive from Tamworth to Mudgee took us away from the main highways, across more remote areas of NSW and through the black earth of the fertile Liverpool Plains punctuated by vast and isolated farm stations. As in Tamworth, the weather was great - mid 20s and mostly sunny; far more comfortable than either the torrential rain we had experienced earlier in the week or the sweltering 35 degree days we had when I was in Mudgee last December; all in all far more pleasant for a tour of the region's wineries. We checked in to our motel and walked in to town for the evening, going to the Red Heifer Grill in the Lawson Park Hotel, where Andrew demonstrated his bbq skills with the 'cook your own' steak, and sampling the beers in the Oriental and Waratah hotels.
At 10am on Thursday morning we were picked up by Brian in a minibus that we had entirely to ourselves for the day. Our tour continued after lunch with Roger, Brian's mate, as Brian had to take a large group of bankers on their own wine tour; not difficult to work out which bus I would rather have been on.
Vinifera was our first port of call; a winery specialising in Spanish styles, with a particularly good value Tempranillo.
Vinifera's cellar door
Vineyard dog in Vinifera with broken leg
Andrew ponders a pinot in Elliot Rocke, our second cellar door
Breathing in the bouquet at Robert Oakley Wines
(I've no idea what this is)
After three wineries in the morning, we were ready for a break from all that wine. So what better place to go than the Mudgee Brewing Company for lunch?
Pipes and drums behind the bar at the Mudgee Brewing Company
After lunch it was time to bring out the big guns of Mudgee Wineries - with no better place to start that Di Lusso's; one of the best Italian style winemakers in the country. Apart from some outstanding light reds, Di Lusso's topped our list of excellent service - the guy serving us was attentive, friendly and informative, but not intrusive; the upside at visiting out of season is that you're not competing with large tour groups, but the downside can be that the staff stand and watch you test the wine and listen to what you say about it. The hardest thing about winetasting is not sounding like a complete wine snob (I would have used another word there).
Andrew works out how to offer his opinion without sounding like a pretentious wine snob
Next stop was Peter Van Gent's; a winemaker famous for outstanding white port.
Winery number six was Peterson's; bold reds are their flagship wines and their cold climate shiraz and 'Old Block' Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were certainly up to their billing.
The seventh and final winery (no photo) was Farmer's Daughter Wines, where, for some reason, we were given a two for one offer, which meant stocking up on some sparkling whites and easy drinking reds.
Despite a full day wine tour, we were still in pretty good shape and walked out to the old Mudgee train station where a new Indian restaurant had recently opened, for what proved to be an outstanding curry.
Mudgee gets the thumbs up from me and Andrew; there's historic architecture, atmospheric pubs, a cool wine bar and an excellent vine-sheltered cafe tucked away in the back streets that would not be out of place in Newtown. Not to mention two Indian restaurants. It's a little small unless you're looking for a quiet place to retire, but its proximity to Sydney, character and beautiful setting make it an attractive option nonetheless.
On Friday we drove the four hour trip back to Sydney via the Blue Mountains, stopping for a late lunch at Apple Bar in Bilpin; the heart of cider making in NSW (though I stuck to the apple juice). We arrived at the Hertz office in Five Dock, a few km from Rozelle, about 10 minutes before they closed on Friday afternoon.
Luggage plus a reasonable amount of wine outside the Hertz compound in Five Dock
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