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We’ve always maintained that Mudgee is a friendly town. We’ve also been enjoying the fruits of its winemakers’ labours for many years too.

Until recently, we only ever thought of those two things when we think of Mudgee. And the amazing food there of course. And its stunning landscapes…

But before I go into some kind of ‘what have the Romans ever done for us’ style digression, let’s talk more about the other things you can do in Mudgee besides enjoying its wine scene.

5 things to do in Mudgee that aren’t wine-tasting

Check out our quick video montage of all the things you can get up to in Mudgee here:

1. Cheese tasting

Quite possibly the number one gateway substance to a wine session, cheese is always a good idea.

High Valley Cheese is the best-known cheese maker in the area and for good reason. This stuff is excellent—especially the pesto fetta. If fact there aren’t many menus in Mudgee that don’t include this one somewhere.

The stall in front of High Valley’s cheese factory on Ulan Road can give you a tasting (as well as sell you your favourites) and they also have a pitch at the Mudgee Farmers’ Market on the third weekend of the month.

2. Mudgee Art Trail

There’s a lot of art in and around Mudgee, harnessing the creative talents of its locals and of artists from around the country.

The best place to start your art odyssey is at the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre, which has a beautiful gallery space connected. Installations on the ground floor take up a huge room, but don’t forget to go upstairs as well and explore the rooms up there.

From the visitor centre, head down Douro Street towards the river and stroll along the banks of the Cudgegong River.

The town has commissioned sculptors and purchased other works to create an art trail that travels right along the waterway.

I know it sounds like I’m still pushing wine-tasting here, but make sure you also get to Rosby Wines. Apart from an excellent drop, Rosby is home to some superb artwork.

Some is by the lady of the house Kay Norton-Knight, while others are from the annual Sculptures in the Garden the Norton-Knights put on each year. In fact, some of the art purchased for the art trail comes from this yearly display.

3. Get around in Sabrina the split-screen Kombi

Well known to the locals, this mint condition classic VW Kombi is a regular sight puttering along the roads of Mudgee.

You can hire it out for the day and because it comes with a driver, it’s the perfect option for a day of wine tasting.

Oops. There I go again!

In all seriousness though, this is a brilliant option, especially if you’re travelling with a group of friends. Much easier than trying to organise a lot of taxis and so much more fun.

4. Roth’s Wine Bar Pub Quiz

Even if you’re not much of a factoid fan, the pub quiz at Roth’s is so much fun. It brings in a crowd every Thursday night and the vast majority are locals, which is always a good sign.

It’s the perfect opportunity to grab a tasty pizza, enjoy a glass of wine or two (don’t say a word!) and enjoy the show. Owner Jordan Rowelands hosts the quiz and everyone gets very excited.

Roth’s is a beautiful venue anyway, looking more like a little wine shop from the outside. But it’s one of those places that goes back for miles—a beautiful old building that’s been a wine bar or shop for over 100 years.

If you’re not in town for a Thursday, still head to Roth’s. Friday and Saturday nights have live music, and the food, drink and atmosphere here shouldn’t be missed. Just make sure you book yourself a table.

5. Pick your own cherries

If you’re in Mudgee in November, make sure you head to 10’s Estate. Primarily a winery (I know, I know), 10’s Estate is also home to some 3,000 cherry trees that are sagging under the weight of fresh fruit.

While you’re here, make sure you check out the cellar door too. It’s a beautiful spot.

Bonus: Wine tasting!

You didn’t honestly think I’d not mention wine tasting, did you?

With so many wineries on your doorstop, you’d be missing out on an integral part of Mudgee. Even if you don’t like wine, the settings many of these cellar doors are in provide unique views of the landscape.

And if you do like wine, you’re in for a treat!

The thing that sets the Mudgee wine scene apart from many of the others is how compact it is. And many of the wineries are close , making the town a central hub. Taxis or even just cycling is an ideal way of getting from one winery to the next and then back into town.

This link will take you to the Winery section of our Essential Guide to Mudgee if you want some recommendations.

And if you want to know more about what what we love about Mudgee, check out some of our other stories on this beautiful little country town here.

The post 5 things to do in Mudgee that aren’t wine tasting appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Double-height ceilings, comfortable en-suites and access to the wrap-around balcony so deep it covers the path below, the Parkview Hotel offers the perfect blend of heritage grandeur and modern sophistication.

It’s easy to imagine its first owner, wealthy pharmacist William Richards Lester enjoying his life in this house in the 1870s.

But the Parkview’s journey hasn’t been simple.

Over its 150+ years, the Parkview has seen many folk pass its threshold. You can see its fascinatingly varied history here, but the Parkview has been a private residence, a pharmacy, a boarding house, a guesthouse, a B&B and finally in 2016 the luxury hotel it is today.

You can see our video walkthrough of the Parkview here:

The Parkview location

Sitting opposite Robertson Park, which used to be Mudgee’s marketplace, on the intersection of Market Street, Duoro Street and the right angle turn of the Castlereagh Highway, the Parkview Hotel is perfectly located.

Only a couple of minutes’ walk to the nearest pub, and on from there Mudgee’s town centre—its shops, restaurants and iconic clock tower, you’re also right across the street from the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre.

You’re also only a walk from the Cudgegong River and the art trail that follows its backs towards the town centre.

The Parkview rooms

Our room—Suite 1—is enormous, taking up the whole northeastern corner of the building. The superior king bed looks more like a double, dwarfed by the lofty ceiling. There’s enough room here for a dining table for four, a three-seater sofa and coffee table, and minibar.

But it’s the details of the room that really add to the luxury and old-world charm.

The wrought iron candelabrum chandelier, the white marble mantelpiece and back fireplace, the ornate mirror, giant sash double-glazed windows looking down on the street.

A fully equipped modern en-suite with high-end finishes, a complimentary coffee pod machine and well-stocked minibar brings the room up to date.

There’s also a door that leads out onto the beautiful timber-decked saloon style wrap-around balcony that spans the width of the path beneath.

You get a real feel of that classic Aussie country hotel vibe leaning out on the balustrade watching the afternoon go by.

One downside to the room looking over a busy street: while it makes for great viewing, the traffic continues throughout the night.

However, the hotel has done well with clever double and triple glazing to mitigate noise. We didn’t notice it and I’m a very light sleeper.

The Coffee House at The Parkview

While there is no room service available at the hotel per se, the cafe that’s connected to the hotel—The Coffee House at The Parkview—offers some of the best coffee and breakfast options in town.

My loaded egg and bacon roll came with a big crunchy hash brown and rich chutney, while Christina’s roast trio of mushrooms was served piled high on a wonderfully dense polenta waffle under wilted spinach and a generous mound of the town’s favourite—High Valley fetta.

It took us a while to pick these two dishes.

The menu is replete with the likes of Biscoff pancakes, corn fritters with halloumi and avocado, breakfast enchiladas and a range of Turkish toasties.

The chocolate brownie here is also off the chart and the scones look like bankable options too!

Mudgee Visitor Information Centre

Having the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre right across the road from the Parkview Hotel is a bigger benefit than you might at first think.

Not only do you have the excellent centre staff, who know the region better than pretty much anyone on the planet, here on-hand to help you with your trip, they also have your back with last-minute souvenirs.

The centre has a great little shop with a well-curated range of handmade products from the region—from artwork to honey, olives to stationery. There’s even a good selection of wine, beer and gin from the region too.

Shopping here feels a bit like having crib notes on the whole area.

The centre is also home to the regional gallery, which has at least two exhibits at any one time of local artists. Well worth time in your day to look around.

You might also like some of our other stories on Mudgee:

– Mr & Mrs Romance’s Essential Guide to Mudgee, NSW

– Where to Eat in Mudgee – Pipeclay Pumphouse

– 7 Family-Run Wineries in Mudgee

We stayed as media guests of the Parkview Hotel, but our opinions remain our own.

The post Where to stay in Mudgee when you want luxury, history and convenience appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Tucked away in its own little corner of New South Wales about four hours west of Sydney and just the other side of the world’s second largest canyon (its bigger brother is quite famous), Mudgee has a special place in our hearts.

Not only is it home to the friendliest locals we’ve met anywhere, the food and wine on Mudgee tables is truly extraordinary, and much of it comes from family-run operations.

These three attributes work together to create the perfect storm for foodie travellers.

7 family-owned Mudgee wineries that locals love

We spoke to the owners of family-run Rosby Wines—the Norton-Knights—to get the lowdown on which other family-owned wineries in the area they loved.

These are the local secrets you only get from asking the right questions.

1. di Lusso Estate

Boasting Australia’s largest range of Italian wine varietals, di Lusso Estate and its owners Rob Fairall and Luanne Hill creates some of the best examples of Barbera, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Aleatico, Lagrein, Greco di Tufo, Picolit and Nebbiolo you’ll find in this country.

They also grow their own olives for oil and for the table, and their beautiful lakeside cellar door overlooking the vineyards serves delicious-looking pizzas and other Italian fare to match with their wines.

2. Huntington Estate

Over its fascinating history, which dates back to 1969 when its previous owner Bob Roberts founded the winery, Huntington Estate has carved an important and much-lauded reputation for excellent wine.

The winery’s current owners Tim and Nicky Stevens have made sure that Bob’s legacy continues, creating wine true to Huntington Estate’s style and quality while elevating it and making it their own. But whichever way you turn it, Huntington Estate’s wines are renowned for their elegance and sophistication.

3. Pieter van Gent Winery & Vineyard

With the impressive accolade of making Australia’s first Chardonnay in 1971, Pieter van Gent and his eponymous winery have won and done pretty much everything you can in the Australian wine world. And Pieter’s son Philip, who has taken up the reins, is carrying on his dad’s good work.

But it’s the cellar door at Pieter van Gent that really is exceptional. Set amongst the huge wooden barrels in the winery’s cask hall, you can’t help but fall in love with the wines that you taste. From the cobbled stone floor to the timber rafters, the history of this place fills your soul.

4. Robert Stein Winery

With a history going back to 1838 when Johann Stein brought the first successful Rhine Riesling cuttings to Australia, Robert Stein Winery (pronounced ‘steen’ by the way) is justifiably the destination for Riesling in Mudgee.

But beyond that—and the exquisite Shiraz and even the rum-barrel aged fortifieds that Robert and his son Jacob make—the Robert Stein Winery cellar door is wonderful. Set amongst the barrels and tanks of the winery, and with views out over the hills and vineyards through the doors, this winery is one to visit.

5. Slow Fox Wines

Working on a super small-batch basis Slow Fox Wines are all handpicked, basket-pressed and, whenever possible, wild-yeast fermented. Owners of this family-run winery—Kate Rose and Rob Gregory—carefully craft their wines to truly represent the style and grapes as much as possible.

Slow Fox’s low-key cellar door is designed for a welcoming, relaxing experience where you can sit and enjoy Rob and Kate’s delicious wines.

6. Yeates Wines

The Yeates family have been running this winery since 2010, but before that, the vineyard had a couple of previous owners making hugely successful and famously good wine known as Mountain Blue.

Sandy and Vicki Yeates have continued that trend, crafting superb wines with the help of Robert Stein’s son and head wine-maker Jacob Stein. Their cellar door, designed and built in 2020, is intimate and has a stunning outlook over the winery’s dam and vineyards.

7. Rosby Wines

Almost as much a sculpture gallery as it is a winery, Rosby Wines is a beautiful cellar door to visit. You’re guaranteed to find at least one member of the lovely Norton-Knight family there ready to guide you through the wine list or artworks—or both!

When we were here, we were lucky enough to meet Gerry and Kay and one of their four daughters Amber.

Amber told us a bit about the winery and cellar door, then Gerry lead us through Rosby’s beautiful wines (their Shiraz is unstoppable), which are made by Huntington Estate’s very own Tim Stevens.

Gerry also gave us the list—sans Rosby of course—that inspired this story.

Finally, Kay took us round the sculptures. Our timing was perfect as they were putting finishing touches to their annual Sculptures in the Garden festival. The family works all year round to bring together artists from all over the country.

It’s an amazing opportunity for artists—in 2021, of the 300+ sculptures on display, two thirds sold and a total prize haul of almost $46,000 up for grabs. It’s also a remarkable place to explore with so much superb art all in one place.

Kay’s knowledge of sculptures and their creators is profound and enthralling, but best of all—if you get the chance—find some of her excellent artwork and compliment her on it.

The usually eloquent Kay will mutter something and quickly change the subject. Great fun!

Check out some of our other stories on Mudgee, NSW:

– Our Essential Guide to Mudgee, NSW

– Where to stay in Mudgee – Glenayr Farm

– Fine-dining in Mudgee – Pipeclay Pumphouse

The post From The Wine-Maker’s Mouth – 7 Family-Owned Mudgee Wineries to Visit appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

There’s a lot to be said for staying a bit out of town when you’re travelling. Yes, it’s handy having everything in walking distance, but an easy 10-minute drive gives you so much more. Things that are often missing from hotels in town.

Space, privacy, peace and a sense of homeliness.

And that’s exactly what you get at Peppertree Hill Cottages in Eurunderee just outside Mudgee.

Check out our video walkthrough here.

Where to stay in Mudgee, NSW – Peppertree Hill Cottages

As with so much of Mudgee, you really are spoilt for choice here for accommodation. Everything from international brands and serviced apartments to digs above a pub or even beautiful farm-stay villas and glamping.

But our stay at Peppertree Hill Cottages really showed how comfortable you can be in Mudgee.

Bilgola – our two-bedroom cottage – had all the facilities for much longer stays than just a weekend.

The kitchen is fully equipped with everything from a dishwasher to a Nespresso coffee machine, and even a gas barbecue.

In the comfy lounge, there’s a log fire perfect for a winter stay and excellent reverse cycle air con for everything else.

A long veranda looks out on the expansive lawn with its sculptures to admire during the day, and as night falls and the stars blaze, you can enjoy the therapy of a fire pit all set and ready to go.

Gloriously soft beds bring a wonderful night’s sleep ready of the day of exploring the Mudgee Region the next day.

Perfect for a stay with friends or a small family

Bilgola, with its two bedrooms is ideal of two couples or a family to get away from it all. The only drawback is there’s just the one bathroom here, which may be problematic for some.

For bigger groups or for two couples who want their own space, the impressive array of accommodations options at Peppertree Hill Cottages.

With a total of 11 cottages, villas and homestead retreats, there’s room for everyone and every occasion.

From two-bedroom cottages like Newport, Avalon and Palmy to the impressive Stag’s Head Retreat that sleeps 15.

Alternatively, there are combos you can put together. For instance, Bilgola, Palmy and Avalon cottages are all set together, so a group of eight could rent all three and still have privacy.

How to get around Mudgee

Of course, you can self-drive around the Mudgee Region, which is a great way to enjoy the area and completely on your own time.

Alternatively, you could leave your car in its private carport at the cottage and hire Sabrina for the day.

Mudgee’s darling, this iconic powder blue split-screen VW Kombi takes you around the wineries of the region in style. It also means you can taste all the wine you want without having to spit.

Book Sabrina here.

Also check out the Visit Mudgee Region website for more ideas on what to do in this awesome part of NSW.

Other Peppertree Hill accommodation options

If you’re after more centrally located places to stay, Peppertree Hill also has a number of other hotels and retreats in their portfolio, all offering luxury accommodation to the same impressive standard that we enjoyed at Bilgola Cottage.

You can find out more about their other properties here.

We stayed as media guests of Peppertree Hill Cottages.

The post Where to stay in Mudgee, NSW – Peppertree Hill Cottages, Eurunderee appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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There’s something about exploring regional towns of New South Wales. There’s nothing quite like them; they’re very different to country towns in the rest of Australia – or the world for that matter.

And as for Mudgee specifically, it’s even more unique than that.

With a friendly culture you’d think inspired the famed hospitality of the USA’s Midwest and a culinary capability on a par with the most delicious parts of Europe, Mudgee really does punch above its weight.

And its rolling hills, misty mornings and busy broad streets rattling with life create a thriving oasis in a lush landscape of peaceful farms, beguiling wineries and well-mannered bushland.

*Mudgee took out the winner’s medal for Australia’s Top Tourism Town 2021.

Essential guide to Mudgee, NSW

Obviously this is not an exhaustive guide, just based on things we’ve experienced and really enjoyed.

For more detail and even more ideas, head to the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre. The staff are amazing and the centre is well worth visiting too.

We’ve broken this guide down into five sections – you can click on each of these headings to take you straight there.

1. Where to Stay
2. Where to Eat
3. Where to Drink
4. Wineries to Visit
5. What to Do

1. Where to Stay

– Parkview Hotel

Perfectly located in the centre of Mudgee, right across the road from the Visitor Centre and – as the name suggests – the park, the Parkview Hotel is a beautifully renovated 1870s building and once a pharmacy.

The huge rooms, lofted ceilings and runaround balcony give you a real sense of space and comfort, and the adjoining cafe downstairs does the best coffee in town.

– Mudgee Homestead Guesthouse

Just a little out of town, the Homestead is home to the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Aside from that, this grand country manor with kangaroos on the front lawn and beautiful views out over the valley provide such a relaxing stay.

You can read our full review on this beautiful guesthouse here.

– Peppertree Hill Cottages

In the nearby village (about 15 minutes’ drive) of Eurunderee, these spacious self-contained two-bed cottages are the perfect escape without sacrificing convenience.

Views from your own veranda over the hills and valleys of the countryside are spectacular, and a nightly fire pit amongst the sculptures on the lawn is a lot of fun too.

– Glenayr Farm – luxury villas and glamping

For true seclusion and romance, the villas on Glenayr Farm provide the ultimate digital retreat. Set on 340 acres, this option really gives you a feeling of space.

Bring all the food and drink you need with you and bunker down or make forays into town to come back and play with the fire pit or your wood-fire heated hot tub on the veranda. Bliss.

Check out our review and video walkthrough of Glenayr Farm here.

2. Where to Eat

Food in Mudgee is unbelievable. I challenge you to have a bad meal here. Venues like to use local produce and the skills in the kitchens here do justice to the amazing ingredients.

Breakfast and lunch

– Alby & Ester’s Cafe

Tucked away in a pretty little courtyard, Alby and Ester’s is a Mudgee institution. Everything is good here, but the jaffle toasties, which change all the time, are superb.

– Warakirri Cafe by Indigiearth

Owned and run by the incredible Sharon Windsor, who herself grew up in the scrublands between Gunnedah and Coonabarabran, Warakirri is a cafe with a difference: although the majority of the dishes appear to be regular cafe fare, Sharon has incorporated bush tucker into them in some form or another.

The food is delicious, the story behind Warakirri – an Ngemba word meaning ‘to grow’ – is fascinating and the shop here stocks all kinds of local produce and Indigenous crafts.

– Mudgee Corner Store Cafe

Stocking the best bacon egg rolls in the whole region (a big statement but I stand by it), this little cafe is well worth a visit when you’re hungry.

Behind the cafe is Olive A Twist – a little bakery where you can pick up artisanal sourdough and scrumptious cakes.

– The Coffee House at the Parkview

We might be wrong but at time of writing, this was the best coffee in town. The food is also excellent here – in fact their bacon egg roll also comes with a hash brown! Mudgee Corner Store, the gauntlet has been cast.

– 29 Nine 90 yum cha in Rylstone

Taking yum cha to a whole new realm, this unexpected treasure out in Rylstone, a village about 45 minutes from Mudgee, is quite something.

Na Lan makes all the dumplings herself by hand and they’re all delicious. There’s an a la carte option but you can also let Na Lan choose which ones to serve. Don’t worry, you can trust her! And remember to bring a cooler bag – you can buy pack of frozen dumplings to take home.

Check out our full review on 29 Nine 99 here.

– Zin House Long Lunch

The dining element of Lowe Family Wines, Zin House is the ultimate foodie extension to a winery cellar door.

It’s the sweet spot between fine dining and enjoying a hearty meal in a country manor, and the long lunch – a wonderful culinary journey through five courses – is simply incredible. You can also book this for a long dinner too.

Check out our review of Zin House and its Long Lunch here.

– Every winery in Mudgee

Pretty much all the wineries here offer an amazing cheese plate or charcuterie board at the very least, so if you’re on the wine-tasting trail and you feel a bit peckish, fret not!

– Eat where you’re staying

If it’s provided, breakfast – especially if you’re staying at the Mudgee Homestead – is always a good idea to agree to. They also do a killer afternoon tea btw.

Dinner

– Paragon Hotel

Homely, hearty, friendly and family oriented, the Paragon is a real centre point of Mudgee’s community. You see everyone here, from tradies to families, young couples to the more senior clientele, friends’ catch-ups to after-work soaks.

And the food is well matched to the pub’s hospitality: generous, fun and so good you’ll come back for more. The burger specials, by the way, are insanely good.

– Roth’s Wine Bar

Continually licensed since 1923 (and selling a drop or two from under the counter for quite some time before that according to legend), Roth’s Wine Bar is a lively, knock-about venue with great beers, a massive wine list and some superb food to boot.

The wood-fired pizza oven turns out an excellent array of Roma style pizzas as well as great American diner sides not to be missed.

– Cade Kitchen & Bar

The best restaurant in the town, Cade Kitchen and Bar is set in one of the oldest remaining buildings in Mudgee. Once a coachhouse, the restaurant still shows some of the old fixtures from its 1850s heritage.

Renée Cade – head chef and owner of this fine-dining eatery – has infused every dish with her remarkable skills and vision. This is a dinner to remember.

– Pipeclay Pumphouse

Long lauded as the best restaurant in the region, the Pipeclay Pumphouse really takes things up a notch and is where all the locals will recommend you eat when you ask them. And for good reason.

Just out of town near the Robert Stein Winery and perched on the edge of the property’s lake, the Pipeclay Pumphouse is beautifully romantic. The modern menu is full of tempting dishes, each one adding to the food theatre of the place with its immaculate plating.

You can read more about the Pipeclay Pumphouse in our full review here.

3. Where to Drink

We’ll get to the wineries in a moment – they deserve their own section really.

– Paragon Hotel

Fun and friendly, the Paragon is one of those great country pubs that manages to maintain the atmosphere of the place in spite of being so big. But plenty of space, great choices behind the bar and really well done classic pub fare sees this as our favourite Mudgee boozer for a cheeky few.

– Woolpack Hotel

Right next to Mudgee’s iconic clocktower roundabout, the Woolpack is right at the heart of town. This iconic pub is great for a couple of late-night pints – or lunchtime pleasers of course – with a bubbly atmosphere and a good range of drinks.

Breaking tradition, the food here is from adjoining Jumbucks – a modern Chinese fusion restaurant. It’s super popular with the locals and the grub looks excellent.

– Roth’s Wine Bar

From the outside, Roth’s looks like a pleasant little wine bar with a well-stocked bottle shop next door, but as you go in, you realise there’s nothing little about this excellent venue.

From the front bar, the place stretches back for the whole block through stone archways past a huge pizza oven to what’s known as The Shed. Grab a glass – or why not a bottle – and soak up the fun vibe of this the oldest running bar in town.

4. Wineries to Visit

There are so many great wineries in Mudgee and its surrounding area. These are some we’ve been to and can highly recommend. The best thing about this wine region is it’s quite compact and close to town.

You can visit quite a few cellar doors in a short space of time and pop back into Mudgee for dinner.

And if you want to visit the wineries properly, why not book Sabrina the split-screen Kombi through Country Kombi to tour the region in style?

– Burnbrae Wines

Especially if you’re staying at Glenayr Farm, this winery is your best stop. The wines are excellent and the platter they can knock up for you is the perfect dinner while you watch the sun go down from your private villa in the hills.

Make sure you give plenty of attention to Coco, Burnbrae’s cellar dawg. I think it’s the law.

– Rosby Wines

Rosby Wines brings together both excellent wine and wonderful art in one beautiful, unique cellar door. Relax beneath the trees and enjoy a tasting then wander through the gallery of local and national art. Gerry and Kay Norton-Knight and their daughter Amber make this a lovely experience – more than just a wine-tasting.

– De Beaurepaire Wines

Driving to this cellar door is an experience in itself as the road leads you through the incredible expanses of grapevines growing in this micro-terroir, said to be the closest to that of Burgundy in Australia. The story of how this winery came to be, hidden in the hills outside Rylstone, is fascinating, and the French-style Pinots and Chardonnays speak for themselves.

– Robert Stein

Sampling superb Chardonnay and Shiraz amidst the atmospheric barrels of this family-run winery is a wonderful experience. And with the outlook of grapevines leading to the low mountains in the distance, you get the real feeling of being in wine country here. Remember to try the rum cask tawny.

– 10’s Estate

This brand new winery is in fact much more than that. Although it does grow and make several wine varietals, there’s also an enormous cherry orchard here as well as olives and a host of other produce. The cellar door is unexpectedly grand, while the tasting service is Mudgee friendly!

– Lowe Family Wines

Perhaps the most striking cellar door, Lowe Family Wines has set up its enormous tasting lounge in one side of the wine-making barn. Behind a rack of barrels, you can hear the winemakers hard at work while you sip through the range and nibble on one of the expansive platters on offer here.

– Moothi Estate

Meaning ‘nest in the hills’ in Wiradjuri language (and possibly the corrupted origins of Mudgee), Moothi certainly is that. A beautiful cellar door overlooking a lake and vines with rolling land stretching out before it. The wine and food here are not to be missed – especially if you like a ploughmans.

– Logan

Just because this is one of the larger wineries nor because it’s the first you come to as you reach Mudgee, don’t think Logan’s isn’t worth a stop in. Awesome staff, bankable wines and actually a great way to lower yourself into the warm bath that is this friendly town.

5. What to Do

– Mudgee Visitor Information and Regional Art Centre

Even if you know what you want to do in Mudgee, your first stop should be the Mudgee Visitor’s Centre. The shop here is great, resources and info are amazing, the staff are really helpful, and the art gallery is really worth a look.

– Follow the art down to the river

From the art gallery at the visitor’s centre, you can follow the sculptures all the way down to the river and along the bank. They’re all by local or Aussie artists, and are a show of the talent that’s here.

– Sculpture garden at Rosby Wines

Each year the Norton-Knight family run an incredible sculpture exhibition on the grounds of the winery, pulling in artists and their works from all over the country, as well as showing off some of Kay Norton-Knight’s excellent work – though she’s too modest to admit it!

– Wine tasting – obviously

The close proximity of the wineries around Mudgee make this an easier spot to explore different cellar doors than the Hunter Valley or even the Barossa.

But if you want an even more stylish way to get about and not worry about having to drive, check out Country Kombi, where you’re driven from cellar door to cellar door in a beautiful split-screen kombi called Sabrina.

– Cheese tasting at High Valley Cheese

Sample some of the best cheese you’ll taste – in particular the pesto fetta, which you’ll find included in many a menu around town. The chilli fetta though is a bit of an unsung hero, and the blue is pretty good too.

– Mudgee Honey Haven

Of course, the honey they sell here is delicious, but there’s a huge range of local produce available at this store just outside town. We took our friend Jenna’s recommendation and bought a jar of the California style olives and now we’re hooked!

– Pick your own cherries, figs and citrus at 10’s Estate

Although 10’s Estate is primarily a winery, at the right time of year you can come and pluck fresh cherries straight from the orchard. And with 3,000 trees, there’s plenty of picking to be done! There’s also a fig orchard and citrus grove when the cherries aren’t ripe to pick.

– Trivia and live music at Roth’s Wine Bar

Roth’s Wine Bar is a lot of fun to visit anyway, but if you’re here on a Thursday, the trivia night is even more fun. Owner Jordan Rowlands does a cracking job corralling brainiacs as the competition heats up and the wine flows. And every Friday and Saturday night, Jordan gives up the stage to local bands with live music lifting the roof.

– Visit Rylstone

About 45 minutes down the road, the historic village of Rylstone is worth the drive. Its pretty streets have barely changed over the centuries, and the shops and eateries here are great to explore. Here are some of them:

– Homewares, art and furniture at Folkologie

Full of carefully curated and repurposed homewares, gifts, art and furniture by owners Carol and Kym Carslake. A beautiful boutique.

– Yum cha at 29 Nine 90

The handmade dumplings and speciality teas that Na Lan makes in her tiny kitchen in the middle of Rylstone are a hazard to any other yum cha joint you’ve been to: they’ll spoil you for life.

Check out our full review of 29 Nine 99 here.

– De Beaurepaire Wines

Hidden away amongst its own grapevines just outside Rylstone, this fascinating family-owned winery has a name that dates back over 1000 years to when the original family settling in Beaurepaire-en-Bresse in Burgundy. Its wines are as interesting as the story about how the family came to choose this specific location for the winery.

We visited Mudgee as media guests of Mudgee Region Tourism

The post Mr and Mrs Romance’s Essential Guide to Mudgee, NSW appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

There’s something about being closer to nature, harmonious with the land and away from the hard concrete and noise of the city, that brings incredible peace.

It’s hard to find for us urbanites and slickers.

We’re never far from a busy road or buzzing populous. And the night skies don’t stand a chance to show off their best.

But three and a half hours from Sydney, Glenayr Farm near Mudgee has the perfect tonic for an ailing city-soaked soul in need of that harmony.

It’s here you can feel free, like you’re the only people in the world amongst a melody of daytime birdsong and nestled in the heavens by night, and only the roos to keep you company.

Check out our video walkthrough of Glenayr Farm:

Glenayr Farm, Windeyer near Mudgee – where luxury meets solitude

Laid out on 320 acres of gently rolling land, Glenayr Farm in Windeyer (a short drive from Mudgee) has two types of accommodation options – private villas for a luxury romantic getaway and giant bell tents for glamping in style beneath the stars.

This property is completely off the grid, powered by gas and solar, and using collected rainwater. There is no phone signal or wifi – everything you need in a digital retreat and nothing you don’t.

Glenayr Farm Luxury Villas – Villa Rosé and Villa Merlot

We stayed in Villa Merlot, the most private of all the properties at the end of the track through the farm, though both villas are positioned in such a way that you feel like there’s no one else around. They also have the same facilities.

We were really impressed with Villa Merlot. Every detail has been thought through with lots of different places to sit and relax, and set out in pairs so there’s no need to move anything. It’s all here for you.

The veranda has a dining table big enough for four, amazingly comfortable daybeds, a saloon style sit-up bar looking out over the countryside and a big gas-fuelled barbecue.

Just off the veranda at the end of a gravel-paved path, there’s also a cast iron fire pit, fully stocked with wood. It’s so easy and safe to use even this soft-handed townie could get it going!

Inside, there’s a comfy sofa, an even comfier king bed made with bedding so warm that you can sleep with the doors and windows open – and fly-screens closed of course.

There’s a two-ring gas stove and kettle for your coffee, and a rain shower next to a full-length window so it feels like you’re bathing outside.

But the most amazing feature is the hot tub.

Heated by an integral wood-fire burner, this hot tub brings two elements of nature together to create the very pinnacle of luxury and relaxation. There’s nothing quite like soaking in your own spa with an outlook like this.

How to spend your time at Glenayr Farm

The best thing about Glenayr Farm is you have options.

You can either use this place as a base to explore further afield, even have dinner in Mudgee, which is only 25 minutes away, and come home to the serenity.

Or you can bring all the food and drink you need and bunker down for an incredibly romantic relaxing digital retreat with the one you love. Spend your time exploring the farmland, get the fire pit going and watch the sunset bring out the stars.

We chose the latter, taking owners’ recommendation and picking up a grazing platter from Burnbrae Wines on the way in.

We also made sure we chose the right wines to take with us by doing a wine tasting while we were there. Research is everything, right?

And if you feel like you need a bit more entertainment but you don’t want to move too far, the campsite side to the farm has a communal building with games, books, a kitchen and even a TV.

Glamping at Glenayr Farm

I grew up on camping holidays with my folks. This is nothing like that. No air mattresses or cramped sleeping bags here.

The four bell tents, with 25 square metres of space, three metres of headroom and a proper queen bed in each, are amazing. There’s even a powerpack and torches provided so you can keep charged and lit the whole time you’re here.

On your ‘doorstep’, you have your own table and chairs, there’s a communal fire pit and even a big dinner table on the edge of the dam.

The communal block is here too, which has bathroom and cooking facilities (including a pizza oven), pool table, TV, over 300 DVDs, a library and even a giant Connect 4.

With a motto of ‘disconnect to reconnect’, the idea of this entirely off-the-grid experience is to appreciate the beauty around you without any distractions and truly relax.

The opportunities for romance and privacy are hard to come by these days. But that’s exactly what a stay at Glenayr Farm provides.

Glenayr Farm featured in Issue 4 of our Hint Magazine. You can get your copy here for free.

For more things to do in Mudgee, check out our travel resources here.

We stayed as media guests of Glenayr Farm

The post Where to stay in Mudgee, NSW: Glenayr Farm – luxury villas and glorious glamping appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It feels like a very long time since we’ve been able to do this, but we’re finally able to do a bit of travelling!

In truth, it’s only been four months, but for travel writers and photographers, that’s a lifetime. On November 1st 2021, everyone in NSW with double-shot Covid vaccinations was allowed to travel freely within the state. So we hopped in a car and zoomed off to Mudgee.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the things we got up to while we were away for the week don’t worry, reviews of where we stayed, what we ate and drank and recommendations on things to do there are coming! We’re just excited to share with you a quick summary.

Also, we’re celebrating the launch of our amazing new magazine Hint – the Christmas compendium for gift inspo, recipes and stories on coping the silly season. 

We’re also excited to be tasting Australia’s latest craft gin and we’re celebrating a milestone birthday with an NZ winery. 

We hope you enjoy this Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

It’s been a long time since we were last in Mudgee, but we’re so happy to be here. And we’ve (accidentally) timed it perfectly: all the vines in the vineyards are green and beautiful.

We always seem to make it to wine country just as the wineries have snipped everything back for winter. 

Sight of the tramlines of greenery spreading out over the verdant hills around Mudgee give us a thrill of all the superb wines we’re about to try.

Indeed, our first stop as we get into the region is at Burnbrae Winery. We taste their wines, pick up a delicious platter and a couple of bottles and zoom off to our digs for the night.

This is our incredible outlook at Glenayr Farm in Windeyer. It’s only about 20 minutes out of Mudgee but it feels like you’re the only people on earth here.

You can see our full review and video walkthrough of Glenayr Farm here.

We’re staying in one of the two stunning villas Glenayr have built on their 320-acre property (look out for our full review and video), but you can also glamp in one of the four bell tents they also have here. Each one is big enough for a queen-size bed!

But here in our villa, we set up our fire pit, crack a bottle of vino and get stuck into the platter with one eye on the scenery, the other on the wood-fired hot tub on the veranda!

Mudgee really is a truly beautiful part of the world. And it’s not just the scenery that makes it. The people here are the friendliest we’ve ever met – personified when we head to Rosby Wines. 

Not only do we get an amazing tasting of their full range from owner-wine-maker Gerry Norton-Knight, we get a private tour of the incredible sculpture event happening at Rosby over the next three weeks from Kay Norton-Knight too.

This event – Sculptures in the Garden – is an annual gallery that brings together so many fascinating works of art around the winery, and Kay and the family work tirelessly all year to make it happen. 

Don’t miss out – we can personally vouch that this year is going to be quite something!

Today, we’re leaving the car keys in our hotel and hopping aboard Sabrina the beautiful split-screen Kombi for a ride round the wineries. This is a tour company called Country Kombi, and it’s really the only way to see Mudgee.

Our first stop – before we get stuck into the cellar doors – is at High Valley Cheese. Hot tip: take home some of their pesto fetta. You find it in at least one dish in every cafe and restaurant in Mudgee, and for good reason.

So this happened. 

As we pull up at the beautiful Robert Stein Winery, we’re roped (happily) into an impromptu photoshoot for the Daily Telegraph! They’re running a story on Sydneysiders getting back to regional NSW, so looks like we’ll be in print soon. 

Aside from the modelling (it really is a lot harder than it looks!) we get to hook into an excellent charcuterie platter (they make their own cured meats here) and taste some of the extraordinary wines with none other than chief winemaker Jacob Stein, whose family have owned and run this winery since 1838!

Such a nice smart man – and the wines he’s making are simply brilliant.

Our final stop finds us at Lowe Family Wines. The outlook at this cellar door, which is in the same huge building as the heart of the winery, is beautiful. 

The kitchen here, which is right next to much lauded Pipeclay Pumphouse that we’ve reviewed in the past, turns out one of the most incredible grazing plates we’ve seen. Glad I had my photoshoot before we came here at least!

Perhaps it’s because we’ve all been locked down so long, or maybe it’s just the Mudgee friendliness, but the winery dogs here are absolutely adorable. 

So many belly rubs and good bois this week – our endorphin levels have really been topped up. This is Pepper from Rosby Wines by the way. 15/10