Mudgee, A Visitor’s Guide…
Located an easy three and half hour drive from Sydney, the Mudgee region is far enough to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, yet close enough to make quick weekend trip out of it.
As one of the state’s first established wine districts, Mudgee is home to over 40 family owned boutique wineries including Burrundulla Wines, Robert Stein Vineyard, Lowe Wines, and Huntington Estate. You have the opportunity to sample the products of many of these cellar doors at the Pyrmont Festival, but the region is best experienced as a whole. With more than incredible wine to offer, Mudgee also hosts charming dining, art, music, nature and history experiences.
Sydney-siders can expect to cruise into town through a rolling expanse of vineyards, to be met with country hospitality and more delightfully unique cafes, restaurants and pubs than you can poke a visitor’s guide at.
The Mudgee Brewing Co. is the perfect stop-off to appease the beer lover you’ve dragged along on your wine expedition. In addition to an eclectic restaurant interior showcasing a functioning microbrewery, they are also known as Mudgee’s home of live music in the town centre. Choose from a mouth-watering selection of beers on tap including the iconic Mudgee Mud, a rich and smooth stout weighing in at 8.5%. Those who’ve grown accustomed to inner-city craft beer prices will be pleasantly surprised at their bill. Their maple bacon pizza also deserves a honourable mention.
If you want peace and quiet bathed in luxury, you cannot bypass the Old Post Office Cottage for your accommodation. Situated amongst sprawling vineyards, the location has a secluded feel yet is only a hop, skip and a lazy five minute drive away from Mudgee’s town centre and bountiful selection of over twenty cellar doors. The original cottage was erected in the mid-1800s, the current owners Jim and Barbara Muller bought the property in 1995. In a massive labour of love they have transformed the cottage into luxury self-catered accommodation, seamlessly combining historical aspects of the original structure with stylish extensions and modern comforts. Think polished wooden floor boards and a claw foot bathtub. Gather your crew for a reunion; this is ideal for two to three couples with three boutique bedrooms and a spacious integrated kitchen, dining and lounge space.
Before you hit the road to return to the daily grind, you’ll need a hefty hot breakfast to fuel you up for the ride. The Butcher Shop Café in the town centre will have you sorted. They do the simple things well, serving up coffee brewed from house roasted beans and humongous piping hot breakfasts in their small but funky and historic shopfront. The décor includes throwbacks to the building’s past as a butcher shop dating back to 1875; you can expect stained glass windows, original tile work and reasonable prices.
After one weekend in Mudgee your appetite will only be whetted for more country air, historic charms and fine food, wine and beer…
