This is a cracking example of the grape
WINEPILOT, Ken Gargett 93 Points “The Mudgee region in New South Wales is proving to be an excellent source for local wines made with Italian varieties, especially from the elevated vineyards. The fruit here was cold soaked for two days before fermentation. 2023 was an excellent vintage. A bold opaque purple hue, the nose gives […]
Young Gun of Wine: Barbera
The Young Gun of Wine team recently gathered to taste their way through some of Australia’s Barbera. The following is a short extract, but click on the button below to read the full article; it’s well worth it. “We gathered every Australian barbera that we could find and set our expert panel the task of […]
Give us a Break! Mudgee Monday
Spring is in the air, and the vines are starting to feel like they will soon awaken from their winter hibernation. It’s a beautiful time of year in Mudgee, and we reckon the region is on to a good thing with the planned ‘Mudgee Monday’.
Winter signals bottling time and new wine adventures
When there is a chill in the air and frost on the ground it can only mean one thing…bottling time. With the 2025 reds tucked away in oak to mature we have prepared and recently bottled our whites and Rosé ready for Spring. This year the Pinot Grigio and Vermentino are looking bright and […]
Winter in the vinyard
Winter’s well and truly here, though the ‘warm and dry’ forecast hasn’t quite played out! We had a slow start to frost season, but the last few weeks have certainly made up for it, and we’ve also had some decent early rainfall along the way. The late arrival of frost meant the vines held onto […]
First Ridge continues to lead Mudgee’s Italian wine evolution
Mudgee’s First Ridge Wines has unveiled two exciting new vintage wines: the 2024 First Ridge Pinot Grigio ($28) and the 2024 First Ridge ‘Alira’ Prosecco ($32). The 2024 vintage in Mudgee arrived earlier than usual, with a notably dry season ensuring minimal disease pressure. This allowed the First Ridge winemaking team to harvest at […]
Must visit cellar doors of Mudgee
Wine Companion “Dating back to 1858, Mudgee wineries have been creating innovative styles of wine that have become iconic to the region. Otherwise known as Moothi, which is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘Nest in the hills’, get to know this wine region nestled in New South Wales. “Perched against the ancient, rocky ridges south of […]
Fiano continues to make an impression
WINEPILOT, Ken Gargett 92 Points “Fiano continues to make an impression – a good one – seemingly wherever it is grown in this country. An Italian variety originally from Campania and Sicily, it just loves our climate. This example sees a little barrel fermentation included, 30%, by way of wild yeasts. Deep straw, this is […]
Following in the footsteps of Mudgee’s pioneer
“Mudgee was a pioneer of Italian varieties and has some of the country’s oldest vines,” says owner and vigneron John Nicholas. “In the 1970s Italian oenologist Carlo Carino established a successful vineyard in the region, producing Australia’s first Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Barbera.
Culinary: Spaghetti Vongole paired with Vermentino
It’s no secret that Italian wines pair beautifully with Italian food, so we thought you’d enjoy some of these recipes next time you open a bottle of First Ridge.