Our Vineyard and Cellar Door lie on ancient rocky ridges just south of Mudgee, nestled in the hills of the Central Ranges at an altitude of over 500 metres. With spectacular views of the Cudgegong Valley, this is home to our Italian varietals that thrive on this terrain.
With an elevation up to 520 metres the vineyard is positioned on rolling ridges with a north westerly aspect. Our soils are extremely suited to viticulture, being generally volcanic; they vary from shallow topsoils with basalt and quartz rock to deeper loams over neutral clays. Moderately fertile, the soils are very friable and well drained. This produces fruit with great depth and flavour.
The climate in spring and summer can be categorised as mild with cool summer nights. This extends the ripening period, producing fruit with good acid and rich varietal flavours as opposed to the sugar ripeness experienced in warmer climates. Humidity is low and sunshine hours are high, which gives our wine incredible colour and mouth-filling flavour.
First Ridge planted the Italian Sangiovese and Barbera varieties in the late 1990s. These grow along hard, rocky ridges on the highest hills of our estate to produce lower-yielding vines with intense varietal flavour. In 2013 we introduced Vermentino, and more recently developed Pinot Grigio and Fiano on the North facing hill to maximise air flow from the valley below and to reduce the effects of the summer afternoon sun.
Our Italian varietal vineyard was established by John and Helen Nicholas in 1998 under the guidance of world-renowned viticulturist Dr Richard Smart. Richard considered the vineyard characteristics and the Mudgee climate ideally suited to the cultivation of selected Italian grape varieties.
The award-winning wines are true to their heritage, offering a vibrant and exciting varietal range that are perfect for any occasion, and like all Italian varietal wines, come alive with food. Our premium range includes Barbera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Vermentino, Fiano, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese Rose as well as highly regarded Prosecco.
In 2015, we decided that both the stunning vineyard location and premium quality wines deserved to be shared, and we opened our Cellar Door. Come and visit us, enjoy the wines, and absorb the ambience and stunning views from our modern and very welcoming Cellar Door.
WINE MAKER
James believes winemaking is a wonderful balance between art and science, with the challenge being to walk that line with a light hand and allow the vineyard and individual parcels of fruit to shine.
James came to First Ridge with wide ranging experience both here and abroad. Having made wine extensively in Mudgee for Orlando and Robert Oatley he has an all encompassing grasp of the region, and had some invaluable experience making wine at Inniskin in Canada and Domaine des Collines in Bordeaux. There’s no doubt he’s gained some deep experience as a winemaker and has a great knowledge of fruit and how to get the best out of it.
MANAGER
Graeme has a deep appreciation and love of Australian wines and has experienced most of the wine regions in Australia. To him, it’s all about the regional differences and nuances that can be found as a result of differing climates and growing conditions.
After juggling a number or roles at First Ridge, Graeme is now focused on the expanding sales market and handling the important administrative tasks.
While Graeme still enjoys a chat with visitors to the cellar door when he has time, on any given day you you’ll find him dealing with wholesale customers, looking for new distribution opportunities, showcasing our wines on the road, or simply making sure the First Ridge ship runs smoothly.
VITICULTURALIST
Paul’s passion for Agriculture goes back 34 years to his roots in Narrabri NSW, where he was first introduced to the many facets of farming and the critical importance of soil health and balance.
As a grower and as a consultant working across many wine regions across Australia and internationally, Paul’s passion is soil and vine health, both nutritionally and biologically and he believes this balance is integral to achieving premium wines.
Paul believes Italian varieties are well suited to this vineyard site and which have thrived in these soils producing premium grapes which in turn is processed into premium wines.
Look north-west from the First Ridge Cellar Door, it can be understood why the Wiradjuri people named this region Moothi, meaning ‘nest in the hills’. It is nestled with the Cudgegong Valley and, with its rolling countryside and stunning historic township, is home to a range of new and more established family owned and operated winegrowers.
Mudgee is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, dating to 1858 when the first grapes where planted. There are now over 60 winegrowers, and 35 cellar doors in the region. The region was named a UNESCO world heritage site due to the longevity and quality of its vinous history.
Mudgee’s reliable summer weather with hot days and long cool nights allows for slower ripening making Mudgee ideal for producing red wines with great intensity of colour and flavour. In addition, the region’s rich volcanic soils with quartz ranging from 430m to 1100m above sea level, assist to produce wines of depth and character.
Mudgee was a pioneer of Italian varieties and has some of the country’s oldest vines. In the 1970s Italian oenologist Carlo Carino established a successful vineyard in the region, producing Australia’s first Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Barbera.
We planted our Sangiovese and Barbera in 1998 and have since added Vermentino, Fiano, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Montepulciano. The moderately fertile, ancient, and free-draining soils vary from shallow topsoils with basalt and quartz rock to deeper loams over neutral clays which produce grapes with lovely depth of flavour.
The First Ridge Club has been designed to offer you a number of benefits including the flexibility to chose the wines you want, when you want.
As a Club Member, you will receive discounts on all wine purchased, including 20% on your subscription dozen.