Mudgee has its own magic

MUDGEE is the town many of us secretly wished we grew up in, writes Craig Ransley after a weekend of wining and dining in the fresh country air.

Sleepy ... a quiet midday in the main street of Mudgee, yet outside the town lie gourmet food and wine trails

NEVER trust your friends. In fact, let's not leave it there. Don't trust people when it comes to recommending holiday destinations. Or recommendations on time you must spend at holiday destinations because it's all so subjective.

The case in point: Mudgee. I have friends – yes, friends – who told me I wouldn't want to spend more than two days in Mudgee.

I'd hate to see you go through what I went through as a magical sunset burned itself out behind rows and rows of grapes, and kangaroos bounded about, while I frantically tried to reschedule my stay.

Wine areas can often leave you feeling a little flat. First, there's the hype that often makes it hard not to feel a little ripped off by reality, even when reality looks pretty darn lovely. Then there's the commercialisation that all too often follows.

Mudgee, a thriving country town only an hour or so further away from Sydney than the Hunter Valley, suffers from none of this.

Mudgee is the town many of us secretly wished we grew up in: where kids roam free; where double parking earns a polite wave, not a death sentence; where word spreads like brushfire, and everyone knows everyone else's business.

But if all that suggests hickness, that's where you're mistaken. Mudgee is actually a cultural hot spot even if, at times, you have to dig below the surface to find that out.

The characters are more colourful than comic-book heroes. Even those who you thought were the biggest country bumpkins probably had a city medical practice, or a story to tell about the week they spent photographing supermodels for the big, glossy magazines.

What sets Mudgee apart is the fact it promises so very little, but delivers more than you could possibly expect.

I'd have to admit, choosing to stay at Evanslea bed and breakfast probably made our trip, waking as we did each morning to perfect crisp sunrises and mouth-watering breakfasts.

In the evenings, we retired after a great meal (the restaurants are truly wonderful) to our huge farmhouse-style room to sit by the wood fire drinking our favourite local wines.

Mudgee calls itself "the most underrated wine escape in the country" – and that's as close to pretentious as it gets out here in the west.

For me, it rivals the Mornington Peninsula as Australia's most underrated wine region.

Wine is not new, though, as viticulture was established in 1858 by German grape growers and now accounts for 3000ha of terra firma. You can choose from 35 cellar doors, and the majority of wineries are owned by small-time growers. Some of the wineries are the quaintest I've seen in the country.

Special mention must go to the converted historical shearing shed tasting room at Andrew Harris Vineyards and the wines at Simon Gilbert Wines, Willow Lane Vineyard, Lowe Family Wine Company (their 2003 Zinfandel won a Gold Medal in London, making it the best of its variety in the world) and Robert Stein Vineyard.

A sceptical friend of mine once asked me why so many people spend so much time on holiday tasting wine after wine after wine. "Doesn't it get boring?" he asked.

Again, it's subjective, but I don't think it could ever get boring out here in the fresh air, eating three-course meals at Blue Wren Wines out among the vines while kookaburras laugh and crows ... well, crow. Or, after a day of touring, eating scrumptious meals at night at cosy restaurants such as Eltons and the Wineglass Bar.

But, if you need more action, it's here too. The cheeses at the High Valley Wine and Cheese Company are tantalising, as are the olive oils at the nearby Olive Nest, while gourmet products are everywhere at Mudgee Gourmet@Heart Of Mudgee, Mudgee Honey Haven and Oakfield Country Store.

Even the nearby historic towns, such as Gulgong and Rylstone, literally drip character from their streetscape.

The wilderness has to be explored too. You can take a river cruise (with Wollemi Afloat) through the unfortunately named Dunn's Swamp, one of the cleanest waterways in Australia, through ancient Aboriginal lands – or get close to nature, without even having to leave your accommodation, at Evanslea.

We ended up spending four nights in Mudgee. It wasn't enough. As usual on holiday, we'd forgotten to actually slow down and smell the roses.

So, don't listen to friends when they tell you how long you must spend here. Humour them, pretend to listen. Or listen – and then add a night or two.

The Sunday Telegraph