Mudgee

A small Australian wine-producing area located about 160 miles northwest of Sydney and 100 miles west of the better-known hunter valley region. It's part of the Central Ranges Zone in new south wales. Mudgee is called Nest in the Hills by the Aborigines because it's nestled in the western hills of the Great Dividing Range. This area's cooler and drier than the Hunter Valley to the east. There are approximately 11,000 vineyards in the Mudgee area, with red varieties in the majority. Shiraz (syrah) is the most widely planted, but cabernet sauvignon consistently produces the best wines. chardonnay is the most widely planted white variety and does quite well in the area. sémillon, riesling, verelho, sauvignon blanc, marsanne, merlot, cabernet franc and pinot noir are also grown here.