Best wineries to visit in the Mudgee region

Best wineries in Mudgee

Drive from Sydney through the picturesque Blue Mountains and around three and half hours later you'll arrive in the historic township of Mudgee. Established in the mid-1800s, Mudgee is one of Australia's oldest wine-growing regions, with three German families the first to plant vines.

Today, Mudgee is brimming with passionate producers making diverse wines. These include organic wines, Italian varieties (such as sangiovese, barbera and montepulciano), as well as luscious shiraz and cabernet sauvignon styles. Similar to its famous neighbour, the Hunter Valley, Mudgee also produces semillon with great ageing ability. 

Complementing its spectacular wine offering, Mudgee also has a thriving food scene, with a range of excellent restaurants, pubs and cafes. It's not uncommon for wineries to have on-site dining either, so you can easily tour the numerous vineyards and have a great meal along the way.

Below, we spoke to four producers from Mudgee: First Ridge, Gilbert Family Wines, Robert Stein Winery and Bunnamagoo Estate. We found out which wine of theirs you need to try, and they told us some top tips for things to do in the region, including walking trails, sculpture parks and more.

Get to know the four wineries below. 

First Ridge

Winemaker James Manners and manager Graeme Salt say: Just outside the vibrant town of Mudgee and nestled in the hills of the Central Ranges, the First Ridge vineyard was established in 1998 under the guidance of world renowned viticulturalist, Dr. Richard Smart. Richard considered the vineyard characteristics and the Mudgee climate ideally suited to the cultivation of select Italian grape varieties that would thrive on this hillside terrain.

Our cellar door sits among the vines at an altitude of 500m, offering spectacular views of the Cudgegong Valley and a warm and contemporary interior which provides the perfect environment for sampling First Ridge wines.

Our range has something for everyone. For the red wine lovers, our core includes highly awarded barbera, sangiovese, montepulciano and a well-balanced blend named ‘Marco’ made from our barbera and sangiovese fruit.

If you prefer a something lighter, you can’t go past recent accolades for our vermentino and fiano, alongside pinot grigio and sangiovese rosé, and when celebratory bubbles are required, we produce a highly regarded prosecco, sangiovese frizzante, and a vermentino frizzante.

Our viticulturalist, Paul Baguley, and winemaker, James Manners, work in close collaboration to respectively produce the highest quality fruit and wines year after year.

These award-winning wines are true to their heritage, offering a vibrant and exciting varietal range that are perfect for any occasion, and, like all Italian varietal wines, come alive with food.

H. What do you love about making wine in Mudgee?
JM. Mudgee has an incredible diversity of sites, varieties and history. All of these, coupled with an average altitude of 500m above sea level, combine to allow for a broad range of winemaking styles, from delicate and aromatic vermentino and rieslings to modern expressions of chardonnay and fiano. The region was a pioneer of Italian varieties with plantings of sangiovese, barbera and nebbiolo in the mid '70s.

This tradition has continued and evolved since First Ridge took the lead in the production of and focus on Italian varieties. Additions to date have also included montepulciano, which is showing great promise and producing outstanding wines. Barbera continues to shine producing wines of great concentration and interest.

So, for me, it is the ability to make so many different varieties and styles within those varieties that makes Mudgee such an amazing winemaking region.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
GS. Open since 2017, the First Ridge Cellar Door is a must-visit when in Mudgee. Constructed from shipping containers, its external appearance is quite industrial which belies the space and warmth of its interior.

Perched at an altitude of 500m, it provides a striking hillside visual from below and amazing 180+ degree views across the Cudgegong Valley from inside. Bright and airy during the warmer months, and thanks to an internal pot belly fire, warm and cosy during the cooler ones, it's the perfect spot to savour our premium Italianate wines.

While we recommend bookings for larger groups, most visitors can just walk-in and sample the entire First Ridge range at their leisure in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Favourite local spot: Ganguddy Dunns Swamp, which is not far from Rylstone and just over an hour’s drive from Mudgee, is a stunning part of Wollemi National Park. It has an excellent camping ground and features spectacular pagoda rock formations, Indigenous rock art, and a beautiful waterway where you can swim or paddle a kayak. If you are feeling energetic, you can climb the Pagoda Lookout walking track to take in some amazing views.

Wine to try

2023 First Ridge Barbera

Best enjoyed: Perfect with roast lamb. As with many Italian varietal wines, serve slightly chilled between 14 and 16 degrees, in a large red wine glass.

RRP $45 | Drink to 2033 | firstridge.com.au | Shop this wine

Gilbert Family Wines

Winemaker Simon Gilbert says: Gilbert Family Wines, as it is today, was established in 2004. However our history goes back further, with our first production of Mudgee fruit occurring in the late 1980s. We handcraft small-batch wines from the best fruit each vintage to showcase the unique terroir of our beautiful region. As a fifth generation winemaker myself, I am extremely proud to now be working alongside my son, Will, the sixth generation of Gilberts dedicated to producing wines of elegance, structure and purity.

H. What do you love about making wine in Mudgee?
SG. The hum of vintage is the greatest time of the year – early starts in the crisp, cool mornings. The seasons of Mudgee are truly a thing to behold. The changes in the landscape and the vineyards are so clearly defined, each bringing its own beauty and joy.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
SG. First and foremost, our warm and knowledgeable staff delight in welcoming you to the Cellar by Gilbert – a striking sandstone building on the edge of town. Rich in heritage character, the space features antique stained-glass windows, reclaimed railway sleepers, and beautifully crafted timber accents throughout. Our courtyard is an inviting outdoor space with a shaded pergola framed by draping vines, garden herbs which are woven into our seasonal dishes, and comfortable seating nestled amount the greenery. Flights of award-winning wines are available every day and our lunch menu is available from Tuesday to Sunday every week, thoughtfully designed to showcase fresh, seasonal flavours.

Favourite local spot: A long lunch or dinner at the Barn restaurant is always guaranteed to impress with their thoughtful and delicious paddock-to-plate menu. Also, a visit to one of the local markets is a great way to see the variety of produce and creativity of the region, as well as support our local family businesses.

Wine to try

2025 Gilbert Family Wines gilbert Rosé

Best enjoyed: Watermelon, prosciutto and feta salad. Serve chilled in a large glass with friends and family. 

RRP $26 | Drink to 2030 | gilbertfamilywines.com.au | Shop this wine

Robert Stein

Senior winemaker Jacob Stein says: 2026 marks our 50th year of making wines that reflect the spirit of Mudgee – bold, sun-kissed days, cool nights, and soils full of character. The region gives us outstanding grapes, and our sustainable practices let us run a regenerative farm that supplies fresh produce for a true farm-to-plate experience. Riesling has always been our heartbeat, alongside reds, whites and fortifieds, all with a mix of tradition, innovation, and unmistakable Stein personality.

H. What do you love about making wine in Mudgee?
RS. Mudgee’s unique terroir, with warm days, cool nights and rich soils, gives our grapes incredible flavour and balance. But it’s the community that really makes it special. Everyone here celebrates the region when they can, and being part of that, while running a regenerative farm that feeds our kitchen and our wines, makes every vintage feel like a shared celebration.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
RS. A visit to Stein is about more than wine – it’s a full Mudgee experience. Guests can taste our range of wines, enjoy fresh produce from our regenerative farm, and soak up the atmosphere at the Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant. Seasonal events bring the community together, and, for something a little different, the motorcycle museum adds a fun twist. Every visit is a chance to taste, explore and celebrate the region with us.

Favourite local spot: We love kicking back with a unique, experiential beer at Three Tails or Small Batch, and wandering the farmers’ markets for fresh flavours and friendly faces. It’s the community, creativity and authenticity of Mudgee that make it such a special place to live, work and make wine.

Wine to try

2025 Robert Stein Dry Riesling

Best enjoyed: Right at home with fresh seafood, such as oysters, prawns, or something simple and seasonal. The wine is drinking beautifully now for its energy and freshness, but there’s plenty here to reward a bit of patience in the cellar. 

RRP $50 | Drink to 2035 | robertstein.com.au | Shop this wine

Bunnamagoo Estate Wines

HERO PIC  

Senior winemaker Rick Staniford says: Bunnamagoo is a family-owned vineyard and winery focusing on quality sparkling, white, rosé and red wines covering an array of varieties. Plantings of fiano, chenin blanc, sangiovese and montepulciano have recently been added to the more traditional riesling, chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot vines. Our 500-tonne winery uses modern equipment, while incorporating French oak hogsheads for maturation of reds and barrel fermentation for our chardonnay and pinot gris. We are evolving towards smaller batch red fermentation and embracing emerging varieties to encourage new experiences for our customers visiting our cellar door.

H. What do you love about making wine in Mudgee?
RS. Mudgee benefits from warm summers and cool winters, balancing natural acidity with pronounced varietal fruit characters in our wines. This balance is the challenge to my winemaking, while also providing the building blocks for structured, fruit-driven and elegant wines from a multitude of varieties. Bunnamagoo Estate Wines has a long history and love of chardonnay which aligns with my love of the variety. Our estate-grown Chardonnay, grown in two blocks with different soil types and fermented in French oak barrels, provides one of the joys of my job in blending both the Estate and 100 per cent new oak Paspaley Reserve wines.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
RS. The Bunnamagoo cellar door is set within stunning grounds surrounded by our vineyards, all while enjoying an immersive experience covering the history of Bunnamagoo Estate Wines, Pearling Heritage and, of course, the wines themselves. Choose a tasting of the Estate Range or upgrade to experience the Paspaley Reserve wines, then continue the experience on the grass with a platter, a glass of wine and picnic blanket.

Favourite local spot: A favourite on a weekend is to visit Old Wheels Grind on Pipeclay Lane. With great coffee and made-to-order cinnamon donuts, this is a great starting point for your wine tour of the Mudgee region.

Wine to try

BOTTLE SHOT  

2023 Bunnamagoo Estate Shiraz

Matured in French oak for 14 months. A wine that walks the line between some cool-climate spices, terracotta earth and a swirl of boysenberry and mulberry. There is a mixed berry roll-up sweetness to the centre, which then takes a left turn into olives and dried woodsy herbs. Some cedar and brown spices round out the finish.– Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion

Best enjoyed: 18 degrees or room temperature, paired with food and served glassware with a large bowl to enhance the sensory experience.

RRP $30 | Drink to 2030 | bunnamagoowines.com.au | Shop this wine

Top image credit: First Ridge