Tune into Off the Eaten Track starts in Stanthorpe

Tune into Channel 7 at 7pm from Saturday 4 December for the latest Queensland wine and food story.

Produced by TPD Media and presented by chef Alastair McLeod, the brand new series showcases various Queensland regional food and wine heroes. The result - Off the Eaten Track – is a collaboration between the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) and Tourism Queensland. 

The new four-part series will air on Channel 7 in the lead up to Christmas. Week one features the Granite Belt where Alastair and sommelier Peter Marchant meet winemakers at Ballandean Estate, Boireann Winery and Symphony Hill Wines. 

Learn more and see the trailer at www.queenslandholidays.com.au/eat then mark your diary for Saturday 4 December. 

Azjure celebrates second award

Congratulations to Granite Belt based boutique accommodation Azjure Studio Retreat - which last night picked up its second successive win at the Queensland Tourism Awards.

Hundreds gathered on the Gold Coast yesterday for tourism's night of nights, with Azjure owners Ross Bloore and Cathryn Leigh amongst those with cause for celebration.  In 2009 they picked up their first of these coveted awards in the category for Deluxe accommodation.

Annual Winestate Wins

The first results of Winestate magazine's annual Best of State wine tastings have just come in. Queensland's best includes Whiskey Gully Wines Black Rod Shiraz 2006. The Stanthorpe winery retails this wine through their cellar door and restaurant for $26/bottle, or via mail order.

Based on previous years results, the four star rated wine is expected to be one of many from the Granite Belt which is well regarded as Queensland's premier wine region. Only a small number of wine producers are awarded a rating during the year, half of all wines submitted do not pass through the judging process and fewer than 20% make the cut in the annual issue. The special Annual edition - on sale in January 2011 - includes a full listing featuring the Best of the Best.

New visitor guide to Granite Belt Wine Country

Seventy five glorious colour pages to guide you through Stanthorpe and the Queensland wine capital is now yours in print and online.

The handy DL size pocket guide is packed with information about the Granite Belt's wine and food producers, events and natural attractions, plus local history and culture and of course great places to stay.

Fold out maps and contact numbers for all the places to visit are included - all this and it is free. The coolest place in Queensland is a perfect place to explore this summer while metropolitan Queensland endures the coastal humidity.

To obtain a hardcopy of the guide from the Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre phone 1800 SO COOL or email  or obtain the online version at www.granitebeltguide.com.au

Record crowds beat a path to the Granite Belt

Attendance at this year's Brisbane Good Food and Wine Show peaked and for 20,000 visitors local wine producers were a key feature. Over the three days one of the most popular destinations was the Granite Belt cluster which attracted a constant stream of visitors creating standing room only!

From 10am Friday 5 November until Sunday afternoon more than 3000 copies of the region's official new Visitor Guide were snapped up.  Granite Belt tasting sessions in the Reidel wine theatre were so popular they were over subscribed.  Interest in the Queensland wine capital has never been stronger and planning has begun for an even bigger group to travel from Stanthorpe in November 2011.

Granite Belt Wines Win Again

Granite Belt wineries took home the glory at the 2010 Australian Small Winemakers Show with alternative wines in pride of place. Alternative wines are referred to as Strange Birds by Granite Belt winemakers.

Since its inception in 2007 Strange Bird has taken flight in the wine market gaining strong consumer interest and now from the show circuit. Amongst the Granite Belt trophy holders is Golden Grove's father and son team, who have also experienced more recent success. They won gold for their Tempranillo, Malbec, Durif, Barbera and Mourvedre which converted into the Trophy for the Most Successful Queensland Exhibitor. Golden Grove Estate’s successful streak also included the Trophy for Technical Excellence in Queensland Winemaking and Trophy for Best Queensland Red Wine.

To read more you can download the Media Release or head over to the Strange Bird Facebook page, official Granite Belt Wine Country website or see full show results at the Australian Small Winemakers Website.

Lunch on a Local this Spring

There are still three weeks to treat yourself to the spring menu at the Banca Ridge Bistro which features the very finest ingredients from a number of Granite Belt producers.  Under the masterful eye of head chef Andrew Simpson (left), the students at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism are dishing up the best of the Granite Belt's spring offering.

The Spring menu's hall of fame includes recognition for Mallow Lamb, Suttons apple juice and Symara organic fennel bulbs.  A mushroom cappuccino and roasted pear and crisp chorizo salad are just two of the items on the college's signature dish - Medley of Mains.  The Medley includes samplers of four separate dishes, each accompanied by their own wine and all for $37.50.  Book your table now 07 4685 5050. Buon appetito!