Organic vines and wines
Scenic Mudgee is ringed by mountains and dotted with wonderfully preserved historic buildings. It’s a popular weekend destination thanks to its sophisticated food and wine scene, arts community and boutique shopping, all set within a down-to-earth region full of country charm. Wine-wise, it’s all about quality and innovation, with high-altitude vineyards and cold nights ripening grapes over a long period and allowing them to develop plenty of flavour.
Mudgee is well known for its close-knit wine community, architectural cellar doors and organic wines, and it’s home to New South Wales’ first certified organic vineyard, Botobolar Vineyard, planted in 1971. Botobolar was also one of Australia’s first makers of preservative-free wine. David Lowe of Lowe Wines is another passionate proponent of organic wine. His Mudgee vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, and he believes these practices are key to the future of quality wine. The Lowe family arrived in Mudgee in 1812 and their Tinja homestead, where David lives today, has housed six generations. David’s carved out an impressive career, and in 2014 was named the inaugural Legend of the Vine by Wine Communicators of Australia.
Region reborn
Until the late 1800s, picturesque Mudgee was home to a thriving wine industry, but economic pressures and the soaring popularity of fortified wines meant that by the early 1960s there was only one winery left. But in 1964, vigneron Alf Kurtz – who is believed to have made Australia’s first single-varietal Chardonnay wine – launched Mudgee Wines, marking the rebirth of the region. New vineyards and wineries opened up, including the region’s first large winery, Montrose.
In 2006 the burgeoning region was joined by one of the biggest names in Australian wine, Robert Oatley. The Oatley family of Rosemount fame – one of the biggest family-owned wine outfits in Australia – make a range of premium wines from Mudgee and across Australia. Today, the historic Craigmoor property in Mudgee is home to the prestigious Robert Oatley Vineyards.
Sustainable future
These foundations of innovation influence the current generation of Mudgee winemakers. Stuart Olsen, winemaker at boutique winery Eloquesta, uses minimal-intervention methods to make unique wines. “I don’t try to bend nature,” he says. “I let her do her thing, but read the signs and watch the lunar phases and cycles. I rely on my instincts, what I see, hear and feel and I don’t employ anymore technology or machinery than is necessary.” His wines are critically acclaimed, including his handmade, foot-trodden Shiraz Petit Verdot.
Mudgee’s flourishing wine scene is better than ever, and it has the region’s pioneers to thank, including those bold trailblazers who gave it a unique flavour and prioritised sustainability. Many of the wines here are still made in small quantities and can only be bought directly from wineries, creating a sense of discovery for visitors looking to unearth a unique Australian wine experience.
