THOUGHTS FROM THE CELLAR DOOR
As the leaves on the vines begin to colour, there’s no doubt that Autumn has arrived!
The nights are starting to cool down and we’re warming up our wood fires to sit by and enjoy a glass of First Ridge Wines!
As everyone knows, the view from our cellar door is quite amazing. It’s also a great spot to watch all the activity in the vineyard, with our harvest having been completed some 2 weeks ago.
Easter was again, a very busy time for us at the cellar door and great for the Mudgee region on the whole.
Our recently released 2022 Fiano is already a big hit at the cellar doors, although as the weather cools, our red wines are typically increasing in popularity.
We’ll be participating in a number of events over the next few months, starting with The Urban Wine Walk in Newcastle on Saturday the 6th of May. It’s a ticketed event, spread across 8 venues, and as the name suggests, once you have your ticket, you can wander from venue to venue tasting some great wines and having a bite to eat along the way. We’re partnering with The Great Northern Hotel, so if you’re in the area, you might want to get your ticket and drop by and say hi…., and try some First Ridge wines of course!
In June, we’re excited to be attending MudgeeQue here in Mudgee, and the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show. So, it’s a busy schedule coming up!
See you at the Cellar Door!
Graeme and the Team
A word from our Winemaker
Autumn is the most glorious of seasons in Mudgee. The slightly cooler chill in the air and the turning of leaves are all indicators that warm fireside glasses of wine and slow cooked meals are not far away. It is however, the business end of the growing year with the grapes ready for harvest followed by their transformation into wine. Nervous growers and winemakers keep one eye on the weather and the other on the fermenting vats and barrels.
2023 can be classified as one the latest Vintages we’ve had in some time, due in part, to the cooler and wetter Summer season. The cooler ripening period has produced whites with excellent natural acidity and fresh varietal characteristics. The reds display amazing depth of colour and lovely bright fruit. It wasn’t the easiest season to navigate, however, for those with the expertise and a little luck, it’s one worth the wait. Another successful First Ridge harvest, I’ll drink to that!
James Manners - Wine Maker
Viticulture Report - News From Among The Vines
Vines are harvested, all grapes were picked, and excellent quality was achieved in what was another extraordinary vintage.
Climatic conditions were at times difficult to manage, but things turn around and we had a great ripening period with excellent conditions to harvest. With vintage 2023 now completed, there’s no real rest period as vintage 2024 starts immediately after harvest with post-harvest programs in play and key nutrients being applied to allow the vines to draw these in and shut down over winter ready for bud burst in September 2023.
Winter programs are being planned, and sees the focus on soil testing to ensure we apply correct nutrition across winter and into next growing season. A bud fruitfulness test is collected to assist with gaining and understanding of the yield potential for vintage 2024 which allows us to make correct pruning decisions to ensure we leave the required number of buds per vine to achieve the target yields.
The big job of pruning will start on the 12th of June, which is a critical component to ensuring we continue to produce quality fruit. On top of that, trellis, irrigation repairs and maintenance programs are implemented to ensure all is ready to go in Spring. We always think we have time on our side, but before we know it we’ll be seeing the first signs of new growth, which is always exciting.
Paul Baguley - Viticulturist
First Ridge’s First Video’s
For a couple of days in February we were run off our feet by a small film crew who were shooting a video to showcase our cellar door and amazing surrounds, and the results were awesome! We captured lots of footage and edited them down in to two short clips, one which you can see on our websites landing page, and the other on our Weddings page.
We’d like to thank all the talent and extras who were involved and also give a special nod to John Fryz, our talented videographer, for his keen eye.
Head to the pages to check them both out!
2023 Autumn Specials
AUTUMN PICNIC PACK
$145 + Freight
1 X 2022 PROSECCO
1 X 2021 SANGIOVESE FRIZZANTE
1 X 2021 VERMENTINO
1 X 2022 FIANO
2 X 2021 ROSÉ
AUTUMN REDS
$180 + Freight
3 X 2021 SANGIOVESE
2 X 2021 MARCO BLEND
1 X 2021 BARBERA