Granite Belt Bags 24 Medals @ Wine Show

Move over Hunter Valley, Margaret River and the Yarra - this week the Granite Belt confirmed its position as one of Australia’s premium wine regions beating prominent national wineries at the Cairns Wine Show.

Leading the Granite Belt assault was all female winery Lucas Estate (go girls!) who not only took out Best Queensland White in Show and Best Queensland Red in Show, but also secured two Top Gold medals in the Full Bodied Red Wine category, a Gold medal in the Full Bodied White Wine category and a Bronze in the Medium Bodied Red Wine category. Lucas Estate is dedicated to quality and keeping it clean. Literally hands-on, winemaker Lousie Samuel told us that you can "feel it when it's good and right."

Another six Granite Belt wineries helped the region bag a massive 24 medals  - Harrington Glen Wines, Robert Channon Wines, Ridgemill Estate, Granite Ridge Wines, Mt Tully Vines and Golden Grove Estate.
Full results are available @ www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au - media.

Our pic shows a Lucas Estate hand-press.

Luscious Soup and Lavender

Sunday Mail's food connoisseur and lover of everything home-made, Wendy Hall recently visited the Granite Belt with her family.

Lunch at our oldest winery, Ballandean Estate was on Wendy's must do list. At Ballandean she experienced the joy of chef Matt Wells' "amazing wild mushroom and truffle-infused soup by the fire" and all things Italian. Can't get to the Granite Belt? Wendy recommends that you join Ballandean's new Italian Cousins food and wine club.

From luscious soup to lavender. Wendy also discovered the calming, healing and purely charming properties of lavender at the Aloomba Lavender Farm near Stanthorpe. Make your own luxuriating lavender bath salts by combining a few drops of lavender oil and Epsom salts, or a fun and easy activity for children is creating a lavender wand. Do both and you will have a relaxed parent and a school holiday entertained child. What more could you wish for!

For more information on Wendy's travel escapes and a handmade how-to-guide visit our website.