Everyone has heard of the Hunter Valley, but by comparison Mudgee is positively
obscure. The two regions, separated by the Great Dividing Range, have completely different
characters. The Hunter Valley is bustling with wineries, restaurants and self-promoting,
larger-than-life characters. Mudgee is quiet, has a rural feel, and in general the
vignerons tend to be a bit humbler. It's also probably a better place to grow grapes than
the Hunter: although it is hot, the summer temperatures are tempered by the altitude
(about 500 m), and because it is much drier, the harvest is rarely interrupted by rain, a
perennial problem in the Hunter. Because of Mudgee's low profile, until fairly recently
only a smallish proportion of the grapes grown here ended up in bottles with 'Mudgee' on
the label. Instead, they were used to beef up the production in the Hunter, where the
tourist traffic and international fame of the region meant that higher prices could be
obtained for the wines. In recent years, however, Mudgee's star has been in the ascendant,
and it is gaining a substantial reputation for its bold, earthy flavoured reds. This has
led to a mini-revival in the region, with more and more Mudgee grapes being bottled with
their origin proudly displayed on the label. Indeed, Rosemount of the lower Hunter
have recently achieved international celebrity status for the stunning Mountain Blue
Shiraz Cabernet, a Mudgee wine of thrilling concentration and character. This is simply
one of Australia's finest wines. Not far behind are their Cabernet and Shiraz from the
Hill of Gold vineyard (also in Mudgee), which are almost as impressive and significantly
cheaper than their big brother. Other top-quality producers have steadily been working
away, producing excellent wines at extremely fair prices: these include Huntington
Estate, Miramar, Thistle Hill, Botobolar and Montrose. In
this area, scene of a gold rush in the 1870s, wine is the new gold.
When I visited, though (vintage time 2000), an air of depression was hanging over the
region. According to Ian MacRae of Miramar, this was the worst vintage in living memory
(he's been running a winery here since 1975). This year the tables had been turned: while
the Hunter vignerons had picked their grapes before the rains, Mudgee had just experienced
two weeks of solid rain right at harvest time. This is unheard of in Mudgee, where in
March you can pretty much guarantee warm, sunny weather. Instead the weather was really
crappy: grey skies, constant drizzle, and winter temperatures. At Thistle Hill, they had
already lost the entire Riesling crop, and were sweating on the reds. At Rosemount, they
were trying to harvest what they could from the Hill of Gold vineyard, and at Botobolar
the bloated grapes hung heavy from the sodden vines. The overall verdict was that even if
it was going to be possible to harvest any grapes, the quality would be pretty poor: 2000
truly was a disastrous vintage in Mudgee.
But even in the constant rain, Mudgee is an appealing place to visit. Set in the
Cudgegong Valley, surrounded by a ring of gently sloping hills, Mudgee is an attractive
small town with a bit of a sleepy feel to it. And despite their obvious despair with the
lost vintage, the vignerons were all friendly and welcoming. Most importantly, the red
wines in particular were quite special, with deep, earthy fruit and firm, dusty tannins:
regional characters that seem to transcend the grape variety used and wine making
techniques. It has to be said, these wines also represent excellent value for money. For
those visiting wine country in New South Wales, the detour over the dividing range to
Mudgee is well worth the effort after you have had enough of the hype and bustle of the
Hunter.