Our Story
Since 2010, the Yeates family has proudly owned and revived one of Mudgee’s pioneering vineyards, Mountain Blue.
Originally established by Rosemount, this vineyard gained a loyal following for its acclaimed Mountain Blue wine, which amassed numerous awards under Rosemount and Foster's (now Treasury Wine Estates). Despite the wine’s success, industry challenges led to the vineyard being placed on the market—an opportunity we embraced. Today, we continue the legacy of Mountain Blue with a fresh, sustainable approach, staying true to its roots while crafting premium wines from our heritage vines.
Curious to learn more? Read on to learn more about our vineyard’s rich history, and the team behind our wines.
OUR VINEYARD
Located just five minutes from Mudgee, our 20-hectare vineyard is nestled in a valley at 500 meters altitude, perfectly positioned in the "nest in the hills" that inspired Mudgee’s name. The warm summers, long autumns, and cool evenings create ideal conditions for grape growing, while our fertile, distinctive soils contribute to the exceptional quality of our wines.
Planted without irrigation in 1968, our vines - some of the oldest in the region - have developed deep roots that ensure consistent fruit quality year after year. While renowned for our old-vine Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, we’ve expanded to include Riesling and Albariño since 2018, cultivating these four varietals across 11.5 hectares.
THE VINEYARD’S HISTORY
On the edge of Mudgee, the vineyard was first planted in 1968 with 9 hectares of Shiraz by local farmer John Roth, using cuttings supplied by his brother Jack Roth. Cabernet and more Shiraz followed soon after.
Rosemount later purchased the site and created their single-vineyard flagship, Mountain Blue. In 2009, amid the global financial crisis and a wine glut, Foster’s sold off many vineyards by tender, including Mountain Blue. With values at record lows and vines being pulled out across the region, Sandy and Victoria Yeates stepped in to secure the vineyard. With help from their children, Yeates Wines was born.
In 2020, as lockdowns eased, we (the Yeates family) opened the cellar door and on-site accommodation, welcoming visitors to enjoy our wines amongst the vines.
THE YEATES FAMILY
Led by Sandy and Victoria Yeates - in what is best described as a retirement plan gone slightly pear shaped - this is a proudly family-owned and run operation. Sandy looks after the vineyard, while Victoria has made the move from running her own legal practice in Mudgee to managing the cellar door and accommodation side of Yeates Wines.
Their eldest son James and his wife Gemma (née Skerrett) are our Sydney-based “chief quality controllers”. Their son Harry created the artwork on our cordial label, while his little brother Ollie is pretty handy to have around too.
Of the three daughters, Sar is the eldest and can often be found in the cellar door or vineyard, with her daughter Penny in tow. Anna, one of the twins, played a big role in setting up the cellar door, putting her interior styling skills to work. Today she manages the books and helps out wherever needed. Edwina, her identical twin, comes from a communications background and now works full time at the cellar door - usually with her golden retriever, Tipsy, close behind.
ROSEMOUNT’S ‘MOUNTAIN BLUE’
Mountain Blue is one of the most awarded wines in Mudgee’s history and was, for a time, Rosemount’s most successful export wine—particularly in the USA. Produced between 1994 and 2006, it collected 24 trophies and 75 gold medals, with critics like James Halliday and Jeremy Oliver scoring it as high as 96 points. Highly collectable, these wines still have a devoted following today, though they’re now rare to come by.
In 2005, Rosemount was taken over by Foster’s, who produced just one final vintage of Mountain Blue in 2006 before the label was retired. When we first took on the vineyard, some of the old vines were temporarily leased to Lowe Wines, who released a wine called Mudgee Blue from this fruit. Today, these historic vines live on in our Yeates Wines Reserve blend.
OUR VITICULTURIST - SANDY YEATES
Hard to believe, but our viticulturist and head honcho grew up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs—about as far from vineyard rows as you can get. A green thumb from the start, Sandy studied Agricultural Science at Sydney University, then added a Masters in Behavioural Science at Macquarie for good measure. After marrying law student Victoria, the two headed for the Hunter Valley where Sandy managed a cattle and chicken farm before lecturing at Tocal Agricultural College. A stint with NSW Agriculture brought them to Mudgee, where he established Patawalla Angus Stud near Rylstone, launched a consulting business, judged at shows, and even picked up the award for NSW Seedstock Producer of the Year.
By 2010, Sandy was ready for a change of pace - though “retirement” was never really his style. When Mountain Blue - his favourite Mudgee vineyard - came onto the market, he jumped at the chance to swap cattle for Cabernet. After a crash course in viticulture, he threw himself into regenerating the old vines. Today the vineyard is thriving once more, and when he’s not in the cellar door you’ll find Sandy out in the vines - his happy place, and the best excuse he’s found yet for avoiding paperwork.
SUSTAINABLE VINEYARD MANAGEMENT
Since purchasing the vineyard in 2010, we’ve worked hard to restore the vines to full health with a focus on long-term sustainability. Our approach is careful and considered, drawing on both traditional practices and modern techniques to keep the vineyard in balance.
We continue to introduce environmentally responsible measures, from improving soil health and using minimal intervention methods, to planting a biodiversity corridor that attracts beneficial insects and deters pests. These initiatives help reduce disease pressure, strengthen vine resilience, and encourage a healthier ecosystem overall.
Ongoing biosecurity measures are also in place to protect the vineyard and safeguard its future, ensuring the vines remain strong for generations to come.
OUR WINEMAKERS
Jacob Stein is a third-generation Mudgee winemaker whose family has been crafting wines in Australia since the 1800s. After university, he honed his skills across seven vintages both at home and abroad before returning to the family winery in Mudgee in 2009. Since then, he’s been named Mudgee Wine Show’s most successful exhibitor more times than we can count, picked up Gourmet Traveller’s Young Winemaker of the Year in 2012, was named a finalist in Young Gun of Wine’s Winemaker of the Year in 2025, and has collected a long list of other accolades along the way.
Alongside Jacob is the talented Lisa Bray of LMB Wines, who has also been recognised as Mudgee Wine Show’s most successful exhibitor. Lisa’s quiet precision and unwavering standards are a driving force behind the quality of Yeates Wines.
Together with an incredible crew who share the same hardworking, humble and community-minded spirit, Jacob and Lisa bring passion, skill and a good dose of humour to every wine that carries the Yeates name.