History
In 1975, sustainable farming enthusiasts David and Lesley Robertson came across a 110-acre block on what they comically described as “a hill full of thistles”, nestled in a fertile valley known as Erudgere, just outside Mudgee. Picking up clues from an established and highly productive vineyard right next door, David soon discovered the property was perfect for growing grapes, boasting well-drained, rich basalt soils over thick veins of limestone.

The couple moved in the following year, with the aim of planting the area’s first organic vineyard. They started literally from the ground up: ploughing organic matter into the soil, planting tracts of native trees and shrubs, creating natural waterways and encouraging helpful bird and insect life into carefully balanced ecosystems.

Cabernet sauvignon grapes were planted in 1977, followed by chardonnay, pinot and riesling vines, all from root stock carefully selected from the Riverina in South Australia. Thistle Hill’s first commercial vintage was made in 1984, using a hand-operated wooden basket press and individually bottled in a small, dirt-floor winery that the Robertsons built themselves. All four varietals were quickly met with widespread acclaim, consistently winning gold and silver.

Today, Thistle Hill is one of Australia's best-loved wineries and a respected brand around the world, exporting to several international wine-loving regions. The vineyard was first certified Grade-A organic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) in 1993 and has met the certification's stringent testing criteria ever since, making it one of the oldest organic wine labels in Australia.

History in the making
In a recent exciting move, Thistle Hill Wines has merged with neighbouring vineyard, Erudgere. The wines from Erudgere are rich and full-bodied, and for many years, their grapes were selected for Rosemount Estate's famous Mountain Blue range, one of Australia's most respected wines. The merger will guarantee access to the best-quality grapes in the Mudgee region and a long future of award-winning wines. Visit the newly combined cellar door for an experience in great wine making from quality vines.

Meet Rob & Mary Loughan
The merger between Thistle Hill and Erudgere introduces two new faces to the label, Rob and Mary Loughan. With a passion for great wines the Loughans bring an exciting new vision for the future and an expansion of quality organic wines to the international market.

Michael Slater
Our winemaker, Michael Slater, graduated from Charles Sturt University in 2000, with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) and began working at Robert Stein Winery in Mudgee in 2001. During his four years in Mudgee, Michael made some of Mudgee’s finest red wines, including the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Reserve Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2004, Michael moved to Griffith to work as white wine winemaker for McGuigan Wines at their Miranda site, and in 2005, he became senior winemaker there.

After gaining this corporate experience, Michael has returned to Mudgee to become winemaker / general manager at Thistle Hill and Erudgere Winery, with the vision of making some of the best wines in Australia.