Peterson's Winery
This was recommended to us by a family friend back in Sydney (thanks Uncle Geordie!) and it was our first stop of wineries in Mudgee. The man at the counter was so friendly and a great introduction to Mudgee hospitality! He was very informative and gave us a great history of Petersons - they bought this winery in Mudgee as a hobby vineyard in the 1970s, while their main one was in the Hunter Valley. He directed us to other great wineries in the region and great places to eat as well. Peterson's of Mudgee are well known for their Shiraz wines. Definitely a great winery to visit!
This was recommended to us by a family friend back in Sydney (thanks Uncle Geordie!) and it was our first stop of wineries in Mudgee. The man at the counter was so friendly and a great introduction to Mudgee hospitality! He was very informative and gave us a great history of Petersons - they bought this winery in Mudgee as a hobby vineyard in the 1970s, while their main one was in the Hunter Valley. He directed us to other great wineries in the region and great places to eat as well. Peterson's of Mudgee are well known for their Shiraz wines. Definitely a great winery to visit!
Peter Van Gent Winery
This was a memorable visit! It was such a cool set up, with the original wine barrels set on display as we entered. We realised later that they were actually keeping wine in them. There was a sign on these barrels that said they were used for Penfold's wine in the QVB in Sydney in the early 1900's, how cool is that! I learnt that Peter Van Gent is from Holland and came to Australia to continue his business in whiskey making, but then learnt the art of wine making from Penfold's. We tried their wines but weren't really that impressed, unfortunately the lady at the counter didn't drink wine herself so we couldn't really talk to her much about Van Gent's wines, which was such a shame. But the winery itself was so interesting as it was surrounded by historical artefacts and different bits of history of the Van Gents.
This was a memorable visit! It was such a cool set up, with the original wine barrels set on display as we entered. We realised later that they were actually keeping wine in them. There was a sign on these barrels that said they were used for Penfold's wine in the QVB in Sydney in the early 1900's, how cool is that! I learnt that Peter Van Gent is from Holland and came to Australia to continue his business in whiskey making, but then learnt the art of wine making from Penfold's. We tried their wines but weren't really that impressed, unfortunately the lady at the counter didn't drink wine herself so we couldn't really talk to her much about Van Gent's wines, which was such a shame. But the winery itself was so interesting as it was surrounded by historical artefacts and different bits of history of the Van Gents.
Gulgong, NSW
We visited Gulgong, which is the town close to where we were staying. It was late Friday afternoon and everything was shut except for the local IGA supermarket. It was a cool town to visit as their buildings remained untouched since their construction in the late 1800s. It was founded as a town in the early days of the Australian gold rush, and you feel like you step right into that era when you visit. It felt like a town out of an old American cowboy movie! So amazing. It is a very small town and we didn't stay there long, we definitely felt like the only visitors and everyone else were locals and knew we weren't from around here - a bit creepy feeing like you're being watched. But it was great to visit and see a bit of Aussie history. Most of its buildings in town, if not all, are heritage listed.
We visited Gulgong, which is the town close to where we were staying. It was late Friday afternoon and everything was shut except for the local IGA supermarket. It was a cool town to visit as their buildings remained untouched since their construction in the late 1800s. It was founded as a town in the early days of the Australian gold rush, and you feel like you step right into that era when you visit. It felt like a town out of an old American cowboy movie! So amazing. It is a very small town and we didn't stay there long, we definitely felt like the only visitors and everyone else were locals and knew we weren't from around here - a bit creepy feeing like you're being watched. But it was great to visit and see a bit of Aussie history. Most of its buildings in town, if not all, are heritage listed.
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Pipeclay Pumphouse
This is where we went for dinner on our first night in Mudgee. Everyone recommended this place - from those in town and also from our friends in Sydney, so we were very excited to try it. There were many options we could go with and we decided for the 7-course degustation menu with matching wine. They also had a 10-course, which we thought we should've gone for, but after the 7 course we were absolutely stuffed. We were very happy with this option.
The food offered at Pipeclay is absolutely faultless and the wines to match each course are all from their vineyard called Robert Stein. It was great way to do a wine taste of a range of their wines, complemented perfectly with each course. We savoured every single mouthful and sip. We were back the next day to buy a few bottles to cellar.
If I had to choose, I would say my favourite dish of the night was their second one served, which was the Venison carpaccio with pear, hazelnut and rosemary. Absolutely delicious! All of their courses were delicious and so enjoyable. Pipeclay Pumphouse is definitely the same standard of the some of the best restaurants you'd find in Sydney.
I 100% recommend booking a table here for dinner, book in advance as we hear it is very popular and can be hard to get into. They also do breakfast and lunch, which we're very keen to try when we're back in Mudgee (yep - we'll definitely be back!).
This is where we went for dinner on our first night in Mudgee. Everyone recommended this place - from those in town and also from our friends in Sydney, so we were very excited to try it. There were many options we could go with and we decided for the 7-course degustation menu with matching wine. They also had a 10-course, which we thought we should've gone for, but after the 7 course we were absolutely stuffed. We were very happy with this option.
The food offered at Pipeclay is absolutely faultless and the wines to match each course are all from their vineyard called Robert Stein. It was great way to do a wine taste of a range of their wines, complemented perfectly with each course. We savoured every single mouthful and sip. We were back the next day to buy a few bottles to cellar.
If I had to choose, I would say my favourite dish of the night was their second one served, which was the Venison carpaccio with pear, hazelnut and rosemary. Absolutely delicious! All of their courses were delicious and so enjoyable. Pipeclay Pumphouse is definitely the same standard of the some of the best restaurants you'd find in Sydney.
I 100% recommend booking a table here for dinner, book in advance as we hear it is very popular and can be hard to get into. They also do breakfast and lunch, which we're very keen to try when we're back in Mudgee (yep - we'll definitely be back!).
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Alby & Esther's
We loved the atmosphere of this cafe! It is through a walkway to a hidden courtyard. The weather was perfect to sit outside - not to cold or hot. The coffee here is great and the menu isn't a typical breakfast menu, but really good and hearty. We came here for brunch on Saturday and weren't hungry until it was dinner time. I had slow cooked and home cooked "beans on toast" with a poached egg. It was a very heavy but tasty meal. Matt had their sandwich and loved every single bite. Definitely recommend this place to relax and enjoy - even if it's just for coffee. You will love the atmosphere at Alby & Esther's. Note: they aren't open on Sundays.
We loved the atmosphere of this cafe! It is through a walkway to a hidden courtyard. The weather was perfect to sit outside - not to cold or hot. The coffee here is great and the menu isn't a typical breakfast menu, but really good and hearty. We came here for brunch on Saturday and weren't hungry until it was dinner time. I had slow cooked and home cooked "beans on toast" with a poached egg. It was a very heavy but tasty meal. Matt had their sandwich and loved every single bite. Definitely recommend this place to relax and enjoy - even if it's just for coffee. You will love the atmosphere at Alby & Esther's. Note: they aren't open on Sundays.
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Where we stayed
We stayed outside of Mudgee, about a 20-minute drive at a place called Owl Head Lodge. Driving from Mudgee, you take a left off the main road on to a dirt road that leads you to the entrance of the homestead. It really felt like we were in the middle of no-where, and I absolutely loved it. The only thing surrounding you is farm lands and cattle. Everything was so green and lush, as Mudgee had experienced weeks of rain before we arrived. We stayed in the Glass cottage, which was an amazing lodge with glass walls giving you and amazing view of everything surrounding you. It was so quiet and peaceful, I really felt like we were on holiday and we got to relax. We mostly spent our time here reading, watching TV shows and movies. They also had a bath tub which I was really happy with! The stars at night were amazing and so bright. It was the perfect getaway!
We stayed outside of Mudgee, about a 20-minute drive at a place called Owl Head Lodge. Driving from Mudgee, you take a left off the main road on to a dirt road that leads you to the entrance of the homestead. It really felt like we were in the middle of no-where, and I absolutely loved it. The only thing surrounding you is farm lands and cattle. Everything was so green and lush, as Mudgee had experienced weeks of rain before we arrived. We stayed in the Glass cottage, which was an amazing lodge with glass walls giving you and amazing view of everything surrounding you. It was so quiet and peaceful, I really felt like we were on holiday and we got to relax. We mostly spent our time here reading, watching TV shows and movies. They also had a bath tub which I was really happy with! The stars at night were amazing and so bright. It was the perfect getaway!
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Zin House
We came here for dinner on our second and last night in Mudgee. Again, this place came highly recommended as a place to try in Mudgee so we were very excited for dinner!
The atmosphere and style of Zin house is a family-style one. It's as if you've come over to someone's home for dinner. You sit on communal tables and share the dish presented to you. The place felt like someone's home, with bookcases and arm chairs here and there. The restaurant isn't one main room, rather lots of different smaller rooms where people dine in.
We didn't realise that these dishes are designed to share, so when only one serving of the first course came out, we sort of waited for the second dish to come. We looked at others around us and noticed they were sharing so we thankfully started digging in.
You can see the main chef cooking in the kitchen, as if the mum of the house was cooking your meal for you. We asked the waiter serving our table about the idea behind Zin house. Little did we know he was the son of the owners of the restaurant and winery, and that he used to live in the house we were eating in! He said everything is basically left the same since he's lived there. Lots of restaurants spend lots of money to make it feel like "home", but Zin house took their home and made it into a restaurant.
To compare it to Pipeclay Pumphouse, they are two different leagues of their own. Pipeclay's food was absolutely flawless and classic restaurant feel. Zin house was like having a meal in a home, with delicious home cooked food.
Zin house source their food and wines from farms and wineries around Australia, some even in their own garden and winery. It was nice trying different wines of places around Australia. We found the first dessert wine we ever liked, and thankfully they were a winery in Mudgee called Bunnamagoo (love the name) - so we decided to visit them the next day to buy this desert wine.
We came here for dinner on our second and last night in Mudgee. Again, this place came highly recommended as a place to try in Mudgee so we were very excited for dinner!
The atmosphere and style of Zin house is a family-style one. It's as if you've come over to someone's home for dinner. You sit on communal tables and share the dish presented to you. The place felt like someone's home, with bookcases and arm chairs here and there. The restaurant isn't one main room, rather lots of different smaller rooms where people dine in.
We didn't realise that these dishes are designed to share, so when only one serving of the first course came out, we sort of waited for the second dish to come. We looked at others around us and noticed they were sharing so we thankfully started digging in.
You can see the main chef cooking in the kitchen, as if the mum of the house was cooking your meal for you. We asked the waiter serving our table about the idea behind Zin house. Little did we know he was the son of the owners of the restaurant and winery, and that he used to live in the house we were eating in! He said everything is basically left the same since he's lived there. Lots of restaurants spend lots of money to make it feel like "home", but Zin house took their home and made it into a restaurant.
To compare it to Pipeclay Pumphouse, they are two different leagues of their own. Pipeclay's food was absolutely flawless and classic restaurant feel. Zin house was like having a meal in a home, with delicious home cooked food.
Zin house source their food and wines from farms and wineries around Australia, some even in their own garden and winery. It was nice trying different wines of places around Australia. We found the first dessert wine we ever liked, and thankfully they were a winery in Mudgee called Bunnamagoo (love the name) - so we decided to visit them the next day to buy this desert wine.
Other wineries we visited
I had the best getaway a girl could dream of. It was so relaxing, fun, full of delicious food and tasty wines - I actually prefer Mudgee to the Hunter Valley! In comparison, the Hunter is a little more touristy whereas Mudgee seems to have more of an authentic small-town feel. Everyone you met lived in town. It was so refreshing visiting Mudgee and experiencing their hospitality.
I'd also just like to say I'm married to the best man ever, he thought of going to Mudgee and planned to go to every place we visited ahead of time - he even booked our restaurants for dinner weeks before we visited. He's so thoughtful and absolutely spoiled me for my birthday - I'm the luckiest girl in the world! In addition to this weekend getaway, he surprised me with more gifts of my favourite things! I'm so undeserving of you, Matty. This was the perfect getaway for me! We want to go back every single year if we can manage it!
Hope anyone reading this is inspired to visit Mudgee, you won't be disappointed if you decide to go. Let me know if you ever do!
Sincerely,
Tia
- Bunnamagoo
- Di Lusso
- The Olive Nest
- Logan Wines
- Huntington Estate
- Lowe Wines
I had the best getaway a girl could dream of. It was so relaxing, fun, full of delicious food and tasty wines - I actually prefer Mudgee to the Hunter Valley! In comparison, the Hunter is a little more touristy whereas Mudgee seems to have more of an authentic small-town feel. Everyone you met lived in town. It was so refreshing visiting Mudgee and experiencing their hospitality.
I'd also just like to say I'm married to the best man ever, he thought of going to Mudgee and planned to go to every place we visited ahead of time - he even booked our restaurants for dinner weeks before we visited. He's so thoughtful and absolutely spoiled me for my birthday - I'm the luckiest girl in the world! In addition to this weekend getaway, he surprised me with more gifts of my favourite things! I'm so undeserving of you, Matty. This was the perfect getaway for me! We want to go back every single year if we can manage it!
Hope anyone reading this is inspired to visit Mudgee, you won't be disappointed if you decide to go. Let me know if you ever do!
Sincerely,
Tia
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