29 May 2024
7 mins Read
Described by Lonely Planet’s Wine Trails, Australia & New Zealand as a ‘region on the rise’, Mudgee takes its name from the Wiradjuri word ‘moothi’, which means ‘nest in the hills’ referring to its position on the flanks of the Great Dividing Range.
With its viticultural history stretching back to 1858, the Mudgee wine region, built around buttery chardonnays, robust shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, is according to the Mudgee Wine Association, also branching out and creating ‘new’ Australian styles of riesling, barbera, sangiovese, tempranillo, vermentino and pinot grigio.
Squeeze every drop out of your weekend getaway by taking up these top Mudgee wine tours and experiences.
Take the guesswork out of planning your perfect weekend in Mudgee wine country by leaving your itinerary up to the experts at Mudgee Wine & Country Tours.
Embark on a full-day wine tour with Mudgee Wine & Country Tours.
Indulge your oenophilia by booking a full-day wine tour with the family-run company that has six Mudgee cellar doors on the list as well as a long lunch in a vineyard.
After picking you up from your accommodation, your knowledgeable guide will teach you wine-tasting terms and their meaning, wine-tasting etiquette, and what makes the fertile Mudgee wine country so magical.
Hop between six cellar doors on a full-day tour and enjoy a long lunch.
Meander around Mudgee by bike by following a one-day self-guided tour with Tour de Vines or take it up a few notches with a Cycling Mudgee package that includes three different tiers of accommodation: Local, Comfy and Luxury.
Cycle the scenic vineyards with Tour De Vines.
There are more than 35 cellar doors in and around Mudgee and the self-guided and group cycling tours mapped out for you are designed to take in some of this stunning terroir. Best of all: if your tyre is flat or you have over-indulged at Logan’s Wines, the Tour De Vines team are on hand to pick you up.
The easy, self-guided cycling tour on quiet country back roads will steer you around some of Mudgee’s lesser-known wineries and cellar doors and on to a wine bar said to be Australia’s oldest.
Tour De Vines also offers a pick-up service if you’ve enjoyed your tastings a little too much.
A Vigneron Experience at the 1850s-era stallion stable that is now part of the De Beaurepaire Wines’ cellar door ranks as one of the best ways to experience wine in the sub-region of Rylstone, 45 minutes from Mudgee.
Travel to the charming town of Rylstone to visit De Beaurepaire Wines. (Image: Destination NSW)
The De Beaurepaire family established their first winery in Australia in the 1970s and drew on their Burgundy heritage to produce highly regarded French-style wines.
Soak up the beauty of the vineyard at De Beaurepaire Wines. (Image: Destination NSW)
Although visitors can choose from three exclusive vineyard experiences, it’s the Vigneron Experience that is most immersive. The private tour for two to six people goes for 90 minutes and includes a tour of the vineyard with someone from the De Beaurepaire family and finishes with a private tasting amid the vines.
The Vigneron Experience is held inside a reimagined 170-year-old sandstone stable. (Image: Destination NSW)
Mudgee, located just three-and-a-half hours’ northwest of Sydney, is the first Australian wine region to be known for organic wine thanks to pioneering work done at Botobolar Wine. That’s one of many reasons for conscious travellers to celebrate the region, which was first established as a wine-growing area by a German viticulturist named Roth in the 1830s.
Although it’s best known for its robust red wines, Mudgee is also known for its food and the best of the region’s bounty can be enjoyed at Mudgee’s signature events, from Go Tasting to Go Grazing and Flavours of Mudgee.
Celebrate the culinary traditions of the region with Flavours of Mudgee.
There’s a lot to be said for lounging on the lawn at Lowe Family Wine Co. which has become a destination in its own right. This Mudgee mecca is a must-stop during a winery weekender, with the hybrid hub offering everything from twilight tapas to guided farm tours, long dinners under a canopy of vines in the Tunnel of Lowe bush chapel, and garden gigs attracting some of Australia’s best musicians.
There is always a new reason to revisit Lowe Family Wines Co. (Image: Destination NSW)
Zin House is one of the best places to eat in Mudgee, and the accommodation offered here is also on point, making it one of the most luxurious places to stay in the region too.
Lowe’s organic wines are also served at the onsite restaurant, Zin House. (Image: Destination NSW)
If you’ve gathered a gaggle of oenophiles and it’s suddenly become all too unwieldy to herd everyone in the same direction, book yourselves onto a tour with Mudgee Explorer Tours. A fully organised tour complete with knowledgeable guides, this is the way to delegate a good time among the vines. With half- and full-day tours and a one-hour orientation tour on offer, you can choose your level of immersion. The full-day stretches over 6.5 hours with visits to five to six wineries, while the half-day checks out three wineries in three hours, both include snacks and drinking water and each stop is pre-booked for you. With a fleet of 8 buses and 10 guides, Mudgee Explorer Tours can accommodate large gatherings, such as hens and bucks parties, as easily as small groups.
Wear some comfortable kicks while channelling your favourite Kardashian with Mudgee VIP Wine Tours’ local guide Alyson Scarbrow. Alyson has extensive knowledge of local wines and wineries and loves to share her passion for talking terroir and demonstrating why Mudgee wines are so distinct. Alyson has been in the Mudgee wine industry for 14 years after moving to the region in 2006, where she managed the cellar door at both Petersons Winery and Huntington Estate.
Learn why the region’s wines are so distinctive with Mudgee VIP Wine Tours.
Mudgee VIP Wine Tours will take you to the region’s best wineries, including Logan Wines.
Absorb the wealth of knowledge shared during the tour.
Logan’s Wines is one of five wineries Alyson loops in on her full-day tour and the option to enjoy a tasting experience here is a highlight for keen quaffers as it looks over the terraced vineyards that tumble down to Appletree Flat.
Take in the lofty vistas of Logan Wines. (Image: Destination NSW)
If you fancy a wine flight with, well, an actual flight, you can splash out on a wine tour by air. Mudgee Tourist Bus offers a wine tour and scenic flight package that lifts you up and over the countryside for a view that puts the region into beautiful perspective. Included on the eight-hour tour is a half-hour scenic flight and stops at five-to-seven wineries in the region, as well as pick-up and drop-off to your accommodation. You’ll need a minimum of four flyers for lift-off.
Hop on a wine tour by air or land with the Mudgee Tourist Bus.
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