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A re you curious about the best wineries in Mudgee, Australia? Whether you are looking for the best winery for lunch, the best winery for casual wine tasting, or my top pick for sustainable wineries, this list of 10 wineries in Mudgee has you covered.
Mudgee is a well-established wine region in the hills northwest of Sydney, Australia. Yet, despite their years of viticulture expertise, it remains somewhat off the beaten path. But, that is perhaps what makes the Mudgee wine region so unique. Those who take a spectacular road trip from Sydney to Mudgee find themselves in a rural hinterland with small family-owned vineyards, boutique wine growers, exceptional hospitality, rustic agricultural charm, and surrounded by natural beauty. Since it is more remote than some of Australia’s other wine regions, it can be hard to find a list of all the best vineyards in Mudgee.
After spending five days wine tasting in Mudgee with my local Australian in-laws, we scoped out some of the best vineyards. We sampled everything from organic and biodynamic vegan wines, bold French-style reds, and small-batch, hand-picked wines. We even stopped at a one-stop shop for Mudgee’s small winemakers to support local small wineries without a cellar door. This guide covers some of the best wineries in Mudgee and even my honest take on a few of the more popular wineries. These top 10 wineries in Mudgee are a great launching point and a more detailed itinerary. Don’t miss my comprehensive 5-day itinerary from Sydney to Mudgee for all the details on where to stay, what to eat, and even things to do other than wine tasting.
Best 10 Wineries in Mudgee, Australia
1. Lowe Family Wine Co.
Lowe Family Wine ranks as one of my family’s top choices for wineries in Mudgee. The grand wisteria-covered tin barn entrance makes an incredible first impression as you approach their cellar door. The vintage shabby chic decor sets the mood for a fantastic wine-tasting experience. Before our tasting, we had pre-booked one of their vegetarian picnics. They have a spacious lawn next to a pond and scenic vineyard views perfect for a picnic. I loved that they went above and beyond to choose local products, nibbles made in-house, and sustainable low-waste options. You could pair this picnic with a bottle of wine and call it an afternoon – but there is still plenty to do and explore.
After the picnic, we had time to meander around the larger Tinja Farm complex, visiting farm animals like emus, horses, and chickens. You can also visit the olive grove, orchards and try your hand at some outdoor games, like bowling.
Their viticultural and agricultural practices prioritize biodynamic and organic methods, and they even have vegan-certified wines! To sample various wines, book yourself in for a wine tasting. Ask to try their vegan, preservative-free, bio Shiraz! While it might not be for everyone, I enjoyed it enough to take a few bottles home. We also tried their organic and biodynamic Dragonfly Rose and Red Blend, the Mudgee White and Red Gold, and one of their premium wines.
There are two different tastings you can book:
- The Lowe Flow is a daily offering featuring 9 wines from their current releases. This relaxed tasting enabled us to go at our own pace with just the right amount of description from the host. This is $20 per person and is easy to book.
- Lowe Show is a 90-minute immersive experience that takes you on a vineyard tour, followed by a tasting including unreleased bottles. This is only done on Saturdays. Your small group has access to a wine expert for an insightful discussion about flavor profiles and agricultural practices. This is $50 per person, and space is limited.
Lowe is great for families with plenty of farm activities to entertain kids or small groups of wine-loving friends. This is one of Mudgee’s larger and fancier cellar doors, making it a good option for larger groups. They still manage to maintain excellent customer service and a down-to-earth approach. They are the best value for the overall experience. I highly recommend them as my top choice for their commitment to sustainable viticulture.
2. 791 Estate
791 Estate caught my eye for catering to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets upon request. Another thing that 791 Estate excels at is cozy and welcoming customer service. Fiona is affectionately known as “the owner,” while Brendan is in charge of the grapes. You will feel right at home as you enter their charming cellar door that almost looks like it was converted from a container.
With indoor and outdoor seating, 791 Estate excels in creative food and is nearly a tie for the best food with Blue Wren. Whether you are looking for a roasted pumpkin salad, mushroom bruschetta, or just some nibbles, they have you covered.
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Of course, you’ll need some wine to pair with their tasty food. For those hot summer days, I recommend trying their Cuvée sparkling Chardonnay, which is crisp and fruity. If you visit in the cooler months, go for their Merlot or Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. After making a reservation, you can enjoy any glass of wine for $10 or indulge in a private group tasting led by Fiona for larger groups or special events.
This is an excellent winery for lunch in Mudgee. Order a bottle of wine, and let them know your dietary restrictions in advance for the best experience. What sets 791 Estate apart is the down-to-earth customer service and family-like atmosphere. We didn’t do the private tour with Fiona, but I would return in a heartbeat to book that with a group of my friends for a special occasion.
3. Walter Wines
I first discovered Walter Wines when we were at the Flavors of Mudgee annual wine festival. I was star-struck when Walter, himself, poured me a sample of their Chardonnay. Walter Wines has one of the more extensive selections of single vineyard wines in Mudgee, and you should stop by their tasting room for the grand experience.
Walter Wines cellar is a gorgeous modern, elegant design, with a chic farmhouse vibe and large windows that look out onto their property. Sit at their hightop bar for a proper tasting, and book in advance to pair your wine with their seasonal food menu. You can even explore their outdoor property for a more casual picnic.
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The tastings cost $10, redeemable if you purchase 3 or more bottles of their wine. I enjoyed their Chardonnay, which dates back to 1994 when it was first planted, and their Sparkling Shiraz. They are also known for their Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is another top contender for the best winery for lunch in Mudgee—book in advance to enjoy their fresh, seasonal food menu paired with their lovely wines.
4. Yeats Winery
Yeats is one of the oldest wineries in Mudgee, passed down through several owners. The vineyard is renowned for its historic and award-winning Mountain Blue wine. But, when the Yeats family acquired the winery in 2010, it needed a bit of love. They have been working hard to revitalize and breathe new life into the vineyards. One of the more notable aspects is their commitment to sustainability; they are a recognized organic vineyard! Yay!
Aside from their long and reputable history of excelling in old-vine varietals such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, they are now producing Albariño (which seems to be a best seller!) and Riesling.
Their cellar door is a lovely space with both indoor and outdoor seating. As with most wineries in Mudgee, they ask that you book in advance, and if you are visiting on a busy Saturday, be respectful and mindful of capacity limits. While they are closed Monday-Wednesday, if you see when they are open, you can pay $10 for a tasting of 4 wines or $20 for a full flight of 8 wines. Expect to spend an hour with them, sit back, and enjoy the wine. They have small snacks available on site.
With ample outdoor space, Yeats is a great sustainable winery for larger groups to grab a few bottles and enjoy a picnic. However, since seating inside is limited, ensure you are prepared to sit outside with a larger group regardless of the weather.
5. Slow Fox
Another winery I discovered during the Flavors of Mudgee festival was Slow Fox. They were a quick fan favorite among our family. Slow Fox is the perfect name for this small boutique vineyard that embodies the principles of the slow-food movement. One such example is the practice of hand picking their best grapes to hand make small batch wines. You can taste the result of this slow and meaningful creation, and these wines are meant to be enjoyed slowly over a nice meal with friends and good conversation.
As a fan of Malbec, I appreciate Slow Fox’s award-winning Malbec. They also blend Malbec grapes into their signature wine, The Blend. The blend is a Bordeaux-style Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet blend. Mmmm, it is tasty and likely to sell out! They excel in their bold reds, also producing Tempranillo and Shiraz. The white wine drinkers will enjoy the Chardonnay and Viognier. Slow Fox manages their wine with little intervention for a healthier grape and a delicious pour.
Their cellar doors are only open on the weekends, Friday-Sunday. You can also contact them for appointments outside those days. As they are a small-scale and slow vineyard, book a $5 tasting in advance and take home a few bottles.
This is my top choice for those looking for a boutique wine experience. Embrace those slow-food principles and savor unique and hyper-local wine with friends.
6. Mudgee Small Winemaker Center
This unassuming little shop feels off-the-beaten-path, but it is just outside downtown Mugee. It was my favorite stop during our time in Mudgee. What first brought me in was their guiding principles for featuring small wine producers from the Mudgee region that are too small or too rural to have their own cellar door. Curated and run by the Furlongs of Two Furlongs Wine, as soon as you step foot in this old-timey heritage building, you’ll feel like one of the gang.
Pull up a stool at the bar, and Johnnie will pour you a selection of his and other wine from various small-makers in the region. We did two different tastings here, and I left with bottles of the Two Furlong’s Shiraz, featuring artwork from Indigenous artist Cheree Stokes and their award-winning Merlot. We also sampled wines from other producers like David Hook, Black, and Rosebank. Tastings are $5 for 5 wines per person, making this one of the best deals in Mudgee. Plus, a little sweet talking with your host goes a long way. :)
While other cellar doors pair your wine with food, nibbles, or fancy experiences, your wine at the Small Winemaker Center is paired with good conversation and genuine insight into what life is like in rural Mudgee for small winemakers. We stayed here the longest, lingering to chat with Johnnie and a select few other patrons that meandered in for conversation and an authentic no-fuss experience. Make sure you stock up on plenty of wines to support the small local winemakers in the surrounding region.
This is my top winery in Mudgee for simple and authentic wine tasting. While the focus is always on wine, sitting at the bar with Johnnie and other patrons gives you a genuine experience we didn’t find elsewhere in Mudgee.
7. Blue Wren
Blue Wren The Tasting Room isn’t your conventional cellar door in Mudgee. Instead of a wine counter, you’ll be seated at a tasting table in a relaxed setting fostering conversation over wine. You receive a flight of 5 wines you can sample over 30 minutes. Or sit and savor a bottle or glass of wine with a scenic vineyard view.
Tastings are $10 a person, and if you purchase a box of 6 wines or more, the cost is transferred to your purchase.
Since we stayed at the Blue Wren Farmhouse for our 5-day Mudgee Itinerary, we didn’t drink at their tasting room. Instead, we booked a reservation for dinner at their excellent restaurant. The Barn restaurant focuses on serving seasonal, fresh, regional, sustainable, and ethical cuisine (yes, they have vegetarian options!). My favorite part about their restaurant is that they will take excess produce from local gardens and find creative ways to integrate it into their menu. Book a reservation in advance and pair some tasty food with their in-house Blue Wren Rose blend or single-origin Shiraz and Verdelho.
Because the highlight here, in my opinion, is The Barn restaurant, Blue Wren is one of my top choices for lunch or dinner. I suggest ordering a bottle of their Single Block Red wine with your meal and enjoying it with friends or family.
8. Peterson Winery Mudgee
The Peterson family is well established in Australia’s viticulture industry with four cellar doors, including one in Mudgee. For this, they are well-known and have a dedicated customer base. We visited their cellar door late one afternoon and sat on their covered patio wrapped around a historic building. We, unfortunately, stopped in on a whim without making a reservation, which is a well-known no-no in Mudgee. However, they accommodated us, letting us sample their Mudgee wines from the Pinot Gris and award-winning Durif, or Petit Syrah for my North American readers :). I think we paid between $5-10 for a tasting with an explanation from our accommodating host.
We didn’t stay long, as they were close to closing, so I felt like I didn’t get to appreciate their wines or the experience as much as I wanted. But with advanced reservations and more time to visit, their patio would be a lovely afternoon.
This would be a good choice for an older demographic looking for a more traditional wine-tasting experience with one of Australia’s older wind producers.
9. Naked Lady Wines – Rylstone
We had a delightful afternoon at Naked Lady Wines. As soon as we set foot on their small family-owned vineyard, we were greeted by a friendly dog. Time felt as if it slowed. As my in-laws and I sat down at our pre-booked table for an afternoon of wine tasting and live folk music, I imagined myself in a cheesy Rom-Com. Thankfully, my mother-in-law is lovely, but the Rom-Com vibes were there – the sun, endless bottles of Rose, and live music, all with a charming farm setting as the backdrop.
Naked Lady Wines, named for the flower that grows on their property, is run by a lovely younger couple, Mike and Diane. They are a two-person dream team making sure we had everything we needed. You can watch the chickens roam between glasses of wine and check out the other farm animals.
While I just drank copious amounts of Rosé by the bottle (with my family’s help), I highly recommend, they also have an in-house Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Book a cellar door tasting in advance and let them know if you want to indulge in one of their snack platters or wood-fired pizzas.
They are my top pick for a quiet, casual, and relaxed winery. Seating is minimal, and it was our most chill experience in the Mudgee wine region.
Naked Lady Wines is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Mudgee in the small town of Rylstone (yes, smaller than Mudgee). To make the most of your day, have a designated driver, combine this half-day trip with a stop at De Beaurepaire Wines, and a stop through historic Rylstone for coffee. Alternatively, you can book accommodation at Nake Lady for a no-hassle wine-tasting experience.
10. De Beaurepaire Wines – Rylstone
When I heard there was a winery owned by a family with French roots producing French-style wines in a terroir similar to Burgundy – I was thrilled! French-style reds are a favorite of mine. After leaving Naked Lady, we visited the nearby De Beaurepaire cellar door. The cellar door is at the end of a long dusty road lined with rows of grapevines. The brick single-story building housed their store and a tasting room with a vintage flair. Outside was a lush lawn and another single-room brick building for exclusive tastings.
We just grabbed a flight for a self-guided experience and took them outside to enjoy at the “lawn bar.” For $12 we each sampled 4 of their classic wines: Semillion, Rosé, Merlot-Cabernet, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They also have a deli pantry where you can grab some cheese, olives, and chutney to enjoy on the lawn.
While we certainly enjoyed our lawn bar experience, De Beaurepaire, specializes in intimate and guided tasting experiences for the French-style wine lover. Make sure you book in advance and bring a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 6, as they are private experiences. Their offerings range from:
- $20 per person for a guided 30-minute tasting with a small group featuring 6 heritage wines
- $40 per person for a 60-minute masterclass tasting featuring reserve wines
- $80 per person for a 90-minute vineyard tour, a reserve tasting, and in-depth knowledge about their viticulture.
While they grow their grapes on a streak of limestone with a terroir similar to Burgundy, the 4 classic wines offered at the “Lawn Bar” were not my favorite. Thus, I suggest you book a more immersive, guided tasting with their reserve or heritage wines for a better experience. These are their award-winning wines, and we missed tasting their very best offerings. The family is incredibly knowledgeable in French wine culture, so their private experiences are certainly where it is.
This is my top choice for true wine connoisseurs looking to spend money on a quality and in-depth experience with wine experts to sample some heritage French-style wines.
Bonus Experience: Flavors of Mudgee – taste them all!
The Flavors of Mudgee is an annual wine festival held every September in downtown Mudgee, signaling the end of their month-long food and wine festival. Join thousands of wine enthusiasts to sample more than 60 food and wine regional vendors. When I visited in 2022 on my first day arriving in Mudgee, it was a great launching point to discover and sample wines. Many of my favorites were the wineries I visited, and I curated for this list. While the event is technically free, you must buy drink tokens in advance. You can do this online when they go on sale or in person at the entrance. It is $25 for five drink tokens. Food is sold individually. There is live music and street performances to keep you entertained.
We visited in 2022, and it was busy but fun! So, prepare for crowds. The good thing is that we hardly had to wait in line for any of the wine samples. In contrast, the food vendors were totally overwhelmed, so eat before you visit or grab a cheeky kebab as we did after the event at a takeaway spot.
Share and Save the Best Wineries in Mudgee
While this is certainly not a comprehensive list of Mudgee’s best wineries, it is a curated list of places we visited that left an impression on us during our five days of wine tasting in Mudgee. I hope you also scope out the wineries in Mudgee that catch your eye and let me know if I missed any wineries that were your favorite in Mudgee.
You can make reservations for 2-3 tastings daily and fill in the gaps by visiting historic towns and nature reserves like Putta Bucca and Mudgee Honey Haven. We traveled with a large family group of 6 adults and 2 kids and found most places were very accommodating, allowing us to sit on the lawn and enjoy tastings at our own pace. Occasionally 4 adults would peel off and indulge in a more serious wine tasting. These top 10 wineries, cellar doors, and vineyards are all wonderful choices depending on what experience you’re after.
Bookmark and star these wineries so you are ready for your next wine-tasting holiday in the Mudgee wine region.
Remember always to book reservations and respect that most are small family-owned vineyards with only 1-2 staff working at some places. Slow down and enjoy the diverse flavors of Mudgee with these outstanding vineyards not to miss!
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