Our Story

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.

James Manners — Winemaker

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.

Graeme Salt — Business Development 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.

Paul Baguley — 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.