Last weekend we went on a road trip to the Granite Belt, which is the main wine region in sunny Queensland. Mostly it is far too hot in Queensland for wine, but luckily this pocket of gold has hit the sweet spot. Fertile granite soils, cold winters and warm summers make it the perfect spot for growing Mediterranean varieties – some of which I can guarantee you will have never heard of! I had so many requests for tips, so I’ve created this post with my top things to do in the Granite Belt.
The Granite Belt is the perfect spot to head to if you want to try new wines and love discovering small producers. This wine region is full of small, boutique wineries each offering something unique. When you head to the cellar door you will normally be served by the owners or the winemaker, making it a great spot for conversation. I absolutely love the intimacy of this wine region, the passion of its people and the incredible wines they produce.
The Granite Belt has had a hard few years, and so there is no better time to offer our support. With a few years of awful drought and devastating bush fires late last year, for some, it has rendered what little wine they could produce undrinkable. It was so sad to hear some of the wineries are not even opening next year because they have nothing to sell. But the good news is that they have some incredible wines in their back vintages which you can try and fall in love with as much as we did!
So let’s jump into my trip highlights and top things to do in the Granite Belt!
Where we stayed
At the moment the Granite Belt is in high demand from local Queensland tourists because we can’t get on a plane, so bookings are hard to come by! We really struggled to find a place even on a weekend that wasn’t a public holiday – so make sure you book well in advance (and set up a wine tour as soon as possible).
I stumbled upon Quaffers on Storm King by pure luck. We had completely run out of options and was desperately trying to find something for any weekend in August, and happened to find this great little spot that was available by some miracle! I booked without even checking with my partner because I was so surprised. I wasn’t sure what we were going to show up to, but I was completely blown away by this place and highly recommend you check it out!
Quaffers on Storm King is relatively new and just out of Stanthorpe. It is on the Storm King dam and has only a couple of cottages, so it feels very private. Our one-bedroom cottage was so spacious and had beautiful modern finishes. It also had a fireplace to cosy up next to, or you could head down to the lake to make a bonfire if you braved the cold. You also got to choose what breakfast supplies they provided each morning (all included) and they would even sort out a slow cooker meal for you to pop on in the morning for an extra fee. I loved this little addition as it made our lives so much easier on our Saturday night stay.
If you are looking for accommodation, definitely check this one out! It was one of the best places we’ve stayed in, and Deb and Paul were the loveliest people.
Spots for great food
There is so much great food in the Granite Belt – you will be spoilt for choice! Whether you are after something for lunch, something to takeaway or a nice dinner, there are some great restaurants in the area. This time around we opted to eat dinner at our cottage because of COVID-19. Not that we were worried – it was just difficult to find a booking! We also liked the idea of cosying up by the fire with some fresh produce and a glass of wine rather than going out.
Here are some of the places we went on our trip:
The Barrelroom at Ballandean Estate
If you are looking for a great meal, look no further than the Barrelroom at Ballendean Estate. It is set amongst their giant barrels and has an absolutely delicious menu. At lunch, you can order a la carte, and at dinner, they have a set menu. Although it isn’t the cheapest place you can go, the food is such high quality and their menu is always changing. I also love that their wine list is very reasonably priced. Pro tip: head to the cellar door for a tasting beforehand and then order a glass of your favourite wine to go with your lunch!
If you are looking to head to this restaurant, particularly at the moment, make sure you book ahead. It gets very busy, and it isn’t hard to see why! This is a must-visit for me every time we go to the Granite Belt, and has always been my favourite restaurant in the area.
Heavenly Chocolate
Heavenly Chocolates is also a place we go every time we head to the Granite Belt because my partner is obsessed with is a little out of the way but the perfect pit stop if you are heading to the National Park to work off all your wine and food with a bushwalk! They have a cute little garden with chickens and cows to see and heaps of flowers. It’s the perfect spot to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine in winter!
The must get at this place is their hot chocolates. Who doesn’t love a hot chocolate in winter? Well, you are in for a treat here. Their hot chocolates are so good, we almost went back for a second one. They have every flavour you could ever dream of having, and all of them are delicious. Our favourite has to be coconut, but their dark chocolate is great too!
Not into hot chocolates? You are strange, but don’t worry. There are also a bunch of chocolates available for purchase, as well as coffees and tea. We grabbed some chocolate covered coffee beans which really helped on the drive home!
Granite Belt Brewery
Now, I am not really into beer, but I have to say the Granite Belt Brewery does a great lunch. My partner loves beer, but luckily they have plenty of local wine on offer too. Their lunch menu is full of great options that are sure to warm you up on a winters day. It is the ultimate comfort food menu, which is what you want after a few wineries under your belt! At the moment they have a very reasonable set price menu of 2 courses and a glass of wine or beer for $35. I couldn’t believe how much food we got for this price! We were able to get a table without booking but I would recommend giving them a call before you go so you aren’t disappointed.
Brinx Deli
Brinx Deli is in Stanthorpe and a great spot for stocking up if you are looking at eating at home. We went absolutely wild in their cheese and meats cabinet. I mean, they had freshly shaved prosciutto and blue cheese stuffed olives – what’s not to love? We also picked up some supplies to make a quick and delicious pasta at home which was perfect after a long day at the wineries. This spot is also great for getting local produce for yourself or as gifts. They do have a cafe but it isn’t operating at the moment, so best to head here to stock up before heading home to your fireplace and glass of wine.
My favourite cellar doors
We went to so many cellar doors, I wish I could put them all in here! They all offered something different and an incredible experience. Here are some of my highlights:
Moonrise Estate
Go there for: Great views and beautiful red wines (oh and two very cute wine dogs)
Wine picks: 2018 Tempranillo and 2017 Petit Verdot
Moonrise Estate is one of our favourite wineries on the Granite Belt. The last trip we arrived on a day they weren’t open and were very devastated, so we made sure that we hit up Moonrise Estate first up! A few years ago this winery won best Tempranillo in Australia which was a wine we bought one of. We then drunk it, and were very sad that we didn’t have another to enjoy! Determined not to make the same mistake twice, this time we bought two of everything. Let’s just say it wasn’t the cheapest start to a trip in wine country, but my gosh was it worth it!
Moonrise Estate produces a broad range of white and red wines with something to suit everyone’s taste. They believe in making their wines as natural as possible avoiding harmful additives to bring you quality wines without the fake stuff. All their wines were great, but the standouts were definitely the red wines. We didn’t find any of these we didn’t want to take home, and as a result, we ended up taking most of them! Top of the list was the newest Tempranillo which hasn’t yet won as many awards, but after a little more time in bottle is set to be a stunner!
Balancing Rock wines
Go there for: A beautiful cellar door, refined wines and great conversation
Wine picks: Their Rosé and their ‘The Rock’ Shiraz
Balancing Rock Wines is a little out of the way but 100% worth the trip! We had never been there before but were in complete awe of the site the winery was on when we got there. It’s set against a beautiful lake with olive trees and rolling hills. The cellar door is also very cosy and well designed, however, it is about to be renovated and will be even more incredible once that is done.
Balancing Rock Wines was recently purchased by a new owner and we were lucky enough to be served by him. The winemaker Mike Hayes popped into the cellar door while we were there too, and gave us a try of the new vintages! It was so great having a chat with him about the wines and the plans for the new vineyard. I can also tell you that the next vintage is absolutely delicious! Next time we are in the area I’ll definitely be heading back to try more of their wines and also to see their dream cellar door come to life.
Whiskey Gully wines
Go there for: Great conversation and a beautiful cellar door (oh and their wines of course!)
Wine picks: Piazza Red and Parliamentary Blend
Whiskey Gully Wines is set in a beautiful old house that has been lovingly restored into a cellar door and restaurant. Last time we visited we huddled around the tasting bar, but because of COVID this time we got to sit outside. Sitting on the veranda of this house sipping on wines was one of the most relaxing moments of the trip. It was perfect sitting out in the sunshine on a cool winter afternoon having great conversation.
John is the owner and he does a lot of the tastings at the cellar door. He actually took a seat with us and spent ages chatting us through all the wines – their stories and how they came about. I absolutely loved how passionate he was about his wines, and that he took the time to immerse us in their stories.
The wines are also great! I really enjoyed every single one for different reasons, but there were a few that we absolutely loved. We took a bottle of the Piazza red home to enjoy with dinner – it was absolutely delicious and very easy drinking. However one of our favourites has always been the Parliamentary Blend – so we picked up another one of these too! It is a blend of their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec and is truly delicious. You can’t really go wrong with their wines!
Robert Channon wines
Go there for: A wide range of wines and a cute wine dog
Wine picks: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon and the Singing Lake Chardonnay Verdelho 2019
We visited Robert Channon wines for the first time after being introduced to them at the Urban Wine Walk last year. They have so many great wines to try and a very cosy cellar door. We sat by the fire with a wine glass in hand and patting their gorgeous dog with the other. Pretty perfect if you ask me!
Robert Channon has a great range of wines and I really think there is something that everyone will love. They do have a guide for things to taste, but there are plenty of other wines they are happy to give you to taste. This meant you could try their full range – which is what we ended up doing. The wines we took away were their Chardonnay Verdelho which really surprised me, and their Shiraz Cabernet blend and Cab Sav Reserve. These wines are so good that we had to nab two of each!
Savina Lane wines
Go there for: A unique tasting experience
Wine picks: Tempranillo and Shiraz Millenium Reserve
Savina Lane isn’t open to the public, but if you email them they can book you in for a great tasting experience. They have two options for tasting, and we opted for the Strange Bird one which went for about an hour. They also have a two-hour tasting which is done in their cellar, but there isn’t as much availability for this one. Their cellar door is modern and absolutely stunning, with sweeping views across their vineyards.
The wine tasting was really structured but very interesting. They provided heaps of handouts to help you understand what the Strange Bird wines are (something unique to the Granite Belt), and even gave you a list to start ticking off! They also provided some great food pairings for each of the wines you tasted, which made me very hungry. Their wines are more on the premium price point, but they are absolutely delicious. I loved every single one we tried, and really wanted to purchase one of each! We ended up opting for the Shiraz Millenium Reserve which was full of refined flavours and one I cannot wait to enjoy.
If you are looking for a unique experience, this is definitely my highlight. Make sure you book in advance!
Tobin Wines
Go there for: A great range of wines
Wine picks: Kate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Tobin Wines is one of the larger producers in the area and you definitely have to book before you arrive. They were absolutely packed when we arrived after lunch, and when you try their wines you can see why. Despite how busy they were, we were taken through the wines with so much care. I loved how even though they were packed, we were still able to chat about the wines and ask plenty of questions. Their cellar door is also quite nice. You sit surrounded by their barrels which felt really nice and cosy.
The wines at Tobin Wines were delicious, and there was plenty to choose from. The one we ended up bringing home was their Semillon Sauvignon Blanc which surprised me. I normally am not a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but the blend with Semillon turned it into something completely different. Their red wines were great too if you aren’t in the mood for a white!
Pyramid Road Wines
Go there for: Great wines and conversation
Wine picks: Merlot and Shiraz
Pyramid Road Wines is on the way to the national park so is a little out of Stanthorpe. But is definitely worth adding to your list. We have been there before and had a great experience, so had to come back and check it out again. Their wines are absolutely fantastic, and we had so much fun in the tasting. We even got to try some wines from the barrel!
This winery was quite busy so I would recommend booking, especially if you are more than 2 people. We were taken through the wines by the winemaker which was a great experience. I loved speaking to him about all the different wines and finding out more about the winemaking behind them. The wines are absolutely delicious, and you’ll find it hard picking just one!
Casley Mount Hutton
Go there for: Their vertical tastings
Wine picks: 2018 Merlot and 2010 Shiraz
Casley Mount Hutton was a winery I was recommended to visit by a couple of people. It is a huge vineyard for the area, and the cellar door is set up within the winery itself. They’ve got a great little tasting area at the moment with cute little tables and chairs set up so everyone can do a seated tasting. We were taken through the wines by one of the owners. It was really fun chatting to her about the wines.
The great thing about Casley Mount Hutton is that they offer vertical tastings of their wines. I couldn’t believe how old some of the wines were that we were tasting. It was such a unique experience to try their wines over a few years and note the differences in the flavours depending on what the vintage had been like. We also snuck in a couple of extra years worth of tastings which was so much fun! I haven’t really seen this at other cellar doors, and so if you are after a unique experience, definitely check this winery out!
Other honourable mentions
I can’t go through all the wineries we visited in detail, but they were all great! Here are some other wineries I recommend checking out:
- Ballandean Estate
- Granite Ridge Wines
- Bungawarra Wines
- Ravenscroft Wines
- Boireann Wines
These wineries were great too and definitely worth checking out!
The final word on these things to do in the Granite Belt
There are so many things to do in the Granite Belt, and plenty of wineries to discover. What I love so much about this region is that each winery is so unique. They all offer different varieties and different styles, so each winery is completely different from the last. The cellar doors are also so intimate and everyone is so friendly and willing to have a chat. The people of the Granite Belt are passionate about wine and love talking about it. I learnt so much from our trip. But it was also so fun talking about what we were tasting. This is such a unique wine region in Australia and one that is completely underrated. So why not consider it for your next trip?