Matthew James Webster, 45, of Crown Street, Crookwell, was driving a Holden Calais west along Bathurst Road, Orange, at 10.55am on March 24 when his car attracted the attention of nearby police.

Webster's car triggered the number plate recognition system because the registration expired in December.

Police did a u-turn to stop the car and Webster pulled over and approached the police who told him about the cancelled registration.

He was given a breath test at the scene and an analysis at Orange Police Station returned a high-range reading of 0.201.

According to police, Webster said he started drinking at lunchtime the previous day and drank three 750 millilitre bottles of port stopping about midnight.

He said he then had another glass of port during breakfast at 9.30am.

Webster was excused from attending court and solicitor Rebecca McIlveen presented a reference stating Webster had been through grief and family trauma and it was suspected he was self-medicating with alcohol.

"It's alarming that it's a day after offence and it's still such a high range," Ms McIlveen said.

"He's clearly self medicating, it's alarming for a day after offence."

Magistrate David Day said most port had about 17 to 18 per cent alcohol content, depending on the brand, and Webster had three bottles of port.

"That's a lot of port," he said.

"On the facts it appears, luckily for the rest of the community, there was no particular affect on his driving," Mr Day said.

"The vehicle came to the attention of people because the registration had been [expired]."

Mr Day disqualified Webster's driver's licence for six-months, placed him on a 24-month interlock order, fined him $550 and placed him on a 12-month community correction for high-range drink-driving.