A FEW WORDS FROM BEHIND THE SCENES
I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year with delicious food and some beautiful wines (by First Ridge of course!)…
We partnered with Alfie’s Italian Restaurant over at New Lambton in Newcastle on 26th November for a sensational long lunch which was paired beautifully with a range of our wines. The diners that attended all enjoyed a fantastic event, so thank you Ronnie and your team for all your hard work!
We’ve added a few new venues to the list of venues stocking our wines, which we thought you should know about…
A new restaurant in Cowra called Oak on Kendall is already doing some great things.
Over on the coast, Copacabana Cellars on the Central Coast and South West Rocks Cellars are now stocking some of our wines. Tony, our Newcastle based agent has (and by popular demand) held a couple of tastings at South West Rocks Cellars, which have been really well received by the locals!
Some of you may have enjoyed our Enzo over the years and you may have noticed that it’s no longer in our First Ridge range. The reason is that our Enzo blend is not a 100% Italian varietal, and therefore doesn’t fit in with the First Ridge Italian position.
The good news is that you can find our Enzo in our Mudgee Ridge Estate range, which is available through our recently launched website at mudgeeridgeestate.com. You’ll also find a Shiraz and Tempranillo, which are all produced from fruit grown on our vineyard.
Graeme - Manager
A word from our Winemaker
Despite predictions of a hot and dry Summer, period conditions have remained benign with moderate temperatures and some excellent rain fall events. The vineyard and countryside is looking lush and green and with good canopy balance setting the scene for a positive harvest.
Early base line maturity results are indicating an earlier start to vintage harvest than last year, with early February looking likely for some of the white varieties.
All in all a very positive start, but as always, it’s not over until the grapes are tucked away safely in the winery….I’m not about to jinx it now!
James Manners - Wine Maker
THOUGHTS FROM THE CELLAR DOOR
In our previous newsletter, we marvelled at the glorious weather at First Ridge.
Our vineyard is currently adorned with lush, green canopies, and the stunning views from our Cellar door have become even more breathtaking.
Amidst the summer splendour at First Ridge, excitement is brewing as we anticipate an early harvest, surpassing our initial expectations.
Stay tuned for the unfolding of this unexpected delight and continue savouring the beauty of shared moments over exceptional wines and the essence of a remarkable summer!
One more thing, since our last newsletter we have a new vintage of Fiano, just as delicious as the previous vintage with the nectarine and honey blossom being a little more evident with this one.
Oliver & The Team
A New First Ridge Stablemate
As mentioned in our intro, our popular Enzo wine has been re-released under our emerging Mudgee Ridge Estate range, and joins our Tempranillo and Shiraz.
Based on traditional classics, the Mudgee Ridge Estate range will allow us to cultivate and make wines that sit outside the First Ridge offering of premium Italian varietals, while also maximising our harvested fruit.
Still under the watchful eye of our winemaker, James Manners, you can rest assured that the growing Mudgee Ridge Estate range will be just as tasty as it’s stablemates, and while initially only available for purchase through select restaurants and bottle shops, we thought it was too good not to share. So if you’re curious to check them out, you can now do so at mudgeeridgeestate.com
2023/24 Summer Specials
SUMMER SPARKLES 6 PACK
$150 + Freight
2 X 2023 PROSECCO
2 X 2022 VERMENTINO FRIZZANTE
2 X 2022 SANGIOVESE ROSÉ FRIZZANTE
SUMMER SELECTION 6 PACK
$150 + Freight
1 X 2023 PROSECCO
1 X 2022 SANGIOVESE FRIZZANTE
1 X 2022 VERMENTINO
1 X 2023 FIANO
1 X 2022 SANGIOVESE ROSÉ
1 X 2021 SANGIOVESE