Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP FIVE GRANITE BELT WINERIES
With dozens of Granite Belt wineries offering free tastings, you could easily spend a week wading through the
wines of the region and still only make a ripple on the surface. But if you've only got a day or two in the area,
here's a roundup of our favourite spots. It's usually worth a phone call in advance to the smaller cellar doors to
make sure they're open.
Ballandean Estate ( 07-4684 1226; www.ballandeanestate.com ; 354 Sundown Rd, Ballandean;
9am-5pm) One of Queensland's oldest and biggest wineries, with many award-winning vintages and an impress-
ive cafe/restaurant called the Barrel Room Cafe ( Click here ). Also offers free winery tours at 11am.
Boireann Wines ( 07-4683 2194; www.boireannwinery.com.au ; 26 Donnellys Castle Rd, The Summit;
10am-4pm Fri-Mon) Boireann's hand-made premium reds rank among the finest in the region (and have been
awarded five stars by Aussie wine guru James Halliday). Small cellar door about 10km north of Stanthorpe.
Golden Grove Estate ( 07-4684 1291; www.goldengroveestate.com.au ; 337 Sundown Rd, Ballandean;
10am-3pm) Established family-run estate with many unique varieties, including an excellent Nero d'Avola red, a
vine native to Sicily.
Ravens Croft ( 07-4683 3252; www.ravenscroftwines.com.au ; 274 Spring Creek Rd, Stanthorpe;
10.30am-4.30pm Fri-Sun) Highly respected winemaker producing superb reds (petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon
and South African pinotage) and whites (including a top-notch verdelho). It's a modest cellar door in the back-
country west of Stanthorpe.
Robert Channon Wines ( 07-4683 3260; www.robertchannonwines.com ; 32 Bradley Ln, Stanthorpe;
11am-4pm Mon, Tue & Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun) Lots of trophy-winning wines (it was the first winery in
Queensland to be awarded five stars by James Halliday), and a buzzy weekend cafe with views over a pretty lake.
Try the verdelho.
Sights & Activities
Wine-tasting is a must-do in this neck of the woods, as is a drive through the boulder-
strewn, vine-lined Granite Belt landscape. If you plan on swilling one too many, opt for a
tour.
Weekenders come not only for the wine but also the food: across the Granite Belt re-
gion you'll find some brilliant boutique foodie businesses offering delectible edibles (and
drinkables).
Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery
GALLERY
( 07-4681 1874; www.srag.org.au ; cnr Lock & Marsh Sts; 10am-4pm Tue-Fri, to 1pm Sat & Sun)
The Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, northwest of the post office, has a small but surpris-
ingly engaging collection of works by local artists - mostly canvases and ceramics. It
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