SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER — First Ridge Wines

THOUGHTS FROM THE CELLAR DOOR

After enjoying some splendid weather at First Ridge, bud burst arrived a bit earlier than expected, resulting in our lush, green canopy. You're well aware of the stunning views from our Cellar door, and now, we're adding a touch of colour to the experience.

In our last newsletter, we gave you a sneak peek of the forthcoming 2023 Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, and we're thrilled to announce that they are both now available, and for all the eager Montepulciano enthusiasts, the wait is finally over.

Whether you prefer to visit our cellar door in person, or place an online order, the opportunity to enjoy our fresh vintage is right at your fingertips. With the festive season upon us, it's also the perfect time to restock your stores of sparkling wine.

Exciting news on our expansion front as well! We've completed the flooring, assembled tables and chairs, and are nearly ready to unveil our new space. Just a few more boxes to tick before we open the doors, so stay tuned for updates.

Oliver and the Team

An Update from our Wine Maker

Spring is always an exciting time in the vineyard, new growth and new possibilities. The promise of beautiful wine is the prize and the skill of the vineyard crew and the luck of the weather all play their part.
So far so good (touch wood) as the vines have burst evenly and put on significant growth, all in all the vineyard is an explosion of vibrant green.

Some exciting news from the winery too, with the 2023 Vermentino and Fiano scheduled for bottling towards December. Perfect timing for Christmas drinks. So, raise a glass and toast Spring and the beginning of the cycle that sees grapes evolve into wine.

James Manners - Wine Maker

A Few Words from Behind The Scenes

Welcome to our new commentary!

With Oliver settling into his role as Cellar Door Manager, I’ve been spending less time in the cellar door and more time “Behind the Scenes” or, more commonly referred to as sales and administration!

FIRST RIDGE has participated in a number of festivals over the past few months including The Sydney Good Food and Wine Show, Balmoral, Wines of The West (held at The Carrington Hotel Katoomba), Flavours of Mudgee, and most recently Norton Street Italian Festa, which was an excellent event for our Italian Varietal wines. By the time this Newsletter reaches you, we will have also attended Lane Cove by The River! A reoccurring theme at all of the events is how many people in attendance have also visited our cellar door, which is fantastic!

We’re often asked where are our wines are available other than at cellar door or on line, so we thought we’d try and keep you informed of new stockists as they come on board.

To kick things off, we’re excited to have recently had our 2021 Sangiovese added to the wine list at No 100 Flinders Lane in Melbourne’s CBD, and you can usually find at least one of our wines at the following venues outside the Mudgee Community…

Graeme - Business Development Manager

Regional

9inety 2wo Restaurant Bathurst
Vine & Tap Restaurant Bathurst
Avido Restaurant Orange
Charred Restaurant Orange
Lane Cellars Orange
Narrabri Golf Club
Olivette Bar Wagga Wagga
Avalon Restaurant Katoomba
Aunty Ed’s Restaurant Katoomba
Carrington Cellars Katoomba
Blue Fox Restaurant Lithgow
Hotel Etico Mt Victoria
Lawson Cellars (Cellarbrations) Lawson

Sydney

Amatos Bottleshop – Leichhardt
Sessions Bottleshop – Leichhardt
Cellarbrations Gladesville
Blue Door Restaurant Surry Hills
Bar Zini Pyremont
Lipari Pizza Bar Lilyfield
Rosso Italian Restaurant Gladesville
Porters Bottleshop Northwood
Royal Oak Hotel Balmain
ChouChou Restaurant Bondi Beach
Piccolinas Restaurant Hunters Hill
The Sailor Bar & Kitchen Northbridge

Newcastle

Vera Wines Hamilton
Alfie’s Italian Restaurant New Lambton
Islington Cellars
Morpeth Loquor
Nabiac Hotel
The Grand Hotel Newcastle
The Lambton Fridge
The Poyers Restaurant
The Wickham Boatshed

News from Among The Vines

Vines are jumping away!

Bud burst was even and very early this year, which means we’re heading towards an early vintage. It’s a busy time in the vineyard with irrigation and fertigation (injection of nutrients in irrigation water to block) taking up a fair amount of time. Minimal rain has seen the need for increased irrigation, and moisture probes are installed to ensure we can manage water input without over or under watering.

Canopy management has been a big focus over the last few weeks, which starts with sucker removal from the trunk of the vines, and is predominately a manual task which both Andrew and Nath are happy to see the back of. The next stage of canopy management is now being implemented, the vines are through flowering and set, which allows the canopy to be lifted to a VSP growing system (Vertical Shoot Positioning ) for improved shoot position, air flow and better fruit position which also helps pest and disease management. Flowering to set was very quick this year, which is what we wanted, but with variable temperatures, I’m a bit surprised at how quick it came through.

All up, the vineyard is looking very balanced, and judging by the growth stage, harvest could start the last week of January to first week of February for Rose and Bubbles. The vineyard looks fantastic, so drop in to the Cellar Door, taste some unbelievable wines and take in the amazing view that First Ridge has to offer.

Paul Baguley - Viticulturalist