We have Cabernet and Chardonnay Covered Too!

The Granite Belt has also been busy producing outstanding Cabernet and Chardonnay too!

Last week, Harrington Glen Estate (Pictured above) received one of the three Gold medals awarded to Queensland Wineries at the Australian Small Winemakers Show for their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.It also won Best Queensland Red. 

Owner of Harrington Glen Wines, Glen Ireland was completely taken aback when the 'Best Queensland Red Wine' was awarded.

"This is the second time that Harrington Glen has won this award, also securing it for our 2007 vintage," she said.

"It takes great fruit to make great wine, but we are very thankful to a young but extremely talented winemaker Stephen Oliver."

Also enjoying success at ASWS was Girraween Estate (formerly Bald Mountain) - taking Gold and Best Queensland White for their 2011 Chardonnay. An amazing result considering it was the very first time they had entered!

Symphony Hill, which has been achieving outstanding success (see below blog) was awarded the Most Successful Queensland Exhibitor Trophy with one gold, one silver and five bronze, plus the Award for Techinical Excellence in Queensland Winemaking.

The Australian Small Winemakers is a highlight of the Australian show circuit and attracts boutique producers from all arouns Australia and New Zealand. The quality of the wines was very good this year with 1750 wines entered.

Medals and trophies were selected by a panel of industry expert judges under the Chairmanship of David Morris of Morris of Rutherglen.

Symphony Shiraz Shows Off @ Royal Melbourne

Symphony Hill Wines and Granite Belt Wine Country are asking are they witnessing the birth of an icon?

Symphony Hills' 2008 Reserve Shiraz has firmly placed itself amongst the ranks of Australia's wine elite taking Top Gold at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show and was also one of four finalists nominated for the Best Rhone Style or Shiraz trophy and the prestigious Douglas Seabrook Single Vineyard Trophy.

Producing outstanding Shiraz is becoming an iconic habit for Symphony Hill. They have released three vintages of Reserve Shiraz and every one has been awarded gold at either Royal Sydney or Royal Melbourne.

Owner, Ewen Macpherson (Picture - Left) is over the moon noting, "To see our winery's name up on the screen at the Trophy Presentation dinner was a thrill that is hard to describe - and to see it twice for trophies was sublime."

Symphony Hills' Chief Winemaker (Picture - Right) said "Our Reserve Shiraz is an elegant cool climate style of wine reminiscent of the great Shiraz wines from the south of France.

"It has enchanting aromas of raspberry, white pepper with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg; there are lashings of rich bold juicy fruit characters in the mid-palate with a hint of liquorice and its delightfully balanced on the finish."

Buy it now and discover how the Granite Belt is fast becoming one of Australia's premium wine producers.

For more information on Symphony Hill visit our website.

Granite Belt Food and Wine Fit for a Queen

What food and wine is fit for a Queen? Granite Belt of course.

Today Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh savoured Granite Belt Goats' cheese while touring the Brisbane River on board Pure Adrenalin, a 27m luxury catamaran. This was just one of the delicacies developed for the royal party by the Stamford Plaza Hotel's head pastry chef Edith Fitzsimmons.

At another reception the Queen and Prince Philip sipped and savoured three Granite Belt wines -Robert Channon Wines’ Sparkling Chardonnay and Verdelho, and Golden Grove’s Tempranillo (a Strange Bird variety).

Robert Channon said “It is a great honour and recognition for Queensland’s Granite Belt that it is providing the three wines that are being served at the function that the Queen is attending in Brisbane. We are absolutely thrilled that two of them are our wines."

The Robert Channon Wines Sparkling Chardonnay won a gold medal and the Trophy for the National Champion Sparkling Wine at last year’s Australian Small Winemakers Show.

Our wine and food speak for themselves, but  to truly ensure the Granite Belt was represented on this significant day iconic owner of Ballandean Estate, Angelo Puglisi had the honour of meeting the Queen at a special function hosted by the Governor. What an experience. We just hope Angelo managed a bow and not his normal Italian double kiss!

Image - Robert and Peggy Channon with a bottle of their famous Verdelho!

GRANITE BELT NOW HOME TO ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST LUXURIOUS GLAMPING TENTS

Like camping and sleeping under the stars but need a bit of luxury...make that a lot of luxury?

The Granite Belt has entered a new world of glamping (camping) indulgence with the opening of Alure Boutique Villa’s Luxury Tent.

An Australian first, the tent comes with every convenience you would expect from a five star villa and provides a never imagined camping experience.

The secluded 56 m2 African safari tent is best described as a tented villa. The interior was cleverly designed by Stanthorpe architect Alwin Haagner from Alwin Architects and lavishly decorated by renowned Brisbane designer John Glynn from The Design House.

Imagine a tent with:

• Fabric draped four poster bed complete with king sized pillow topped ensemble and luxurious bed linen
• Mood lighting at your fingertips
• Full kitchen with European appliances including the best in espresso coffee machines with seriously good coffee
• Full bathroom with an illuminated Hansa Clear Lux Duo shower system, heated towel rails, fluffy towels and every product you would ever need including L'Occitane toiletries and a GHD hair straightener (camping is no longer an excuse for a bad hair day!)
• Eco fireplace and ducted air-conditioning for perfect climate control
• Entertainment centre with a 50” plasma flatscreen TV, stereo and iPod dock
• Laundry facilities with washing machine, iron and ironing board (if you must)
• Outdoor decks complete with a bbq and entertaining area and a private outdoor spa
• And even a chandelier!

Respecting the environment and guest comfort it has been insulated, designed and positioned for maximum passive solar efficiency. Rain water is captured and used throughout, with waste water recycled for use on the landscaped gardens.




Located in the stunning high country of the Granite Belt only five minutes from Stanthorpe, Alure’s luxury tented villa is surrounded by spectacular granite rock and natural bush which provides a perfect haven for kangaroos, koalas, birds and other wildlife.

Imagine enveloping yourself in the unique combination of luxury and nature – seeing wildlife from your four poster bed, lounging on the deck with a glass of local award winning wine or soaking up under the Milky Way in the outdoor heated spa – it’s a perfect getaway.

So don’t put up with outdoor bathrooms and camping kitchens, experience Alure's version of camping in style today!

To celebrate the tent's opening Alure are offering a special $100 Off Introductory Offer - $395 per night on weekends (Fri – Sun) and $345 on weekdays (Mon – Thurs). Valid until 16 December 2011. (Normal rate $495 per night on weekends (Fri – Sun) and $445 on weekdays (Mon – Thurs))

To find out more or to make a booking visit at www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au .

Music Madness - It's Big and Brassy

This Sunday (16 October), don't miss Robert Channon's Annual Brass and Wine - a free jazz and brass band concert.

Enjoy big sounds and sultry music with award winning wine overlooking the picturesque Singing Lake.

The Ormiston College Jazz Band blow everyone away every year with their fantastic sound. They are back again this year with another jazz group, Bird’s Apprentices. Add to the mix the Stanthorpe Brass Band and it is going to be a musical feast.

There will be food all day from their Singing Lake Café and of course, plenty of wine. The Café will be serving a new Spanish-influenced tapas menu…. and don’t forget the jugs of Sangria to go with it.

Music will begin at about 11am.

If classical is more your scene, young pianist Imogen Scott-Parker will be performing at Music in the Gallery. Imogen, who started playing when she was four, has won numerous awards and is one of Queensland’s most talented young musicians. Entry by gold coin donation.

On the Road - Tasting in Toowoomba

It's only 15 days until we hit the road for the Granite Belt Wine Tasting Roadshow at Toowoomba's Empire Theatre, 26 October 2011.

Everyone is getting exited including U Magazine of the Courier Mail - check out their article left.

The event will provide consumers and trade with the opportunity to taste more than 90 boutique wines (yes, 90!) and meet our fantastic winemakers who are carving out an impressive reputation for the Granite Belt.

We are fast becoming one of Australia’s premium wine regions, combining much-sought after granite terroir, cool climate and high altitude to create national and international award winning wines.

BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE NOW.  Tickets are only $25 and include wine tasting, a complimentary wine tasting glass and canapés. 6pm-8pm.

Trade and media are invited to a preview showing between 2.30pm-4pm.

For more information and tickets visit www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au

The Race that Stops the Granite Belt

Yesterday's opening of Damien Oliver's fantastic movie The Cup has got us excited about racing. There is nothing like the action of thoroughbreds racing to the finish line - what an adrenaline rush!

This Saturday, 15 October, be a part of the action at the Annual Stanthorpe Cup Day!

The Stanthorpe Cup has established a firm place on the annual social calendar for locals and visitors alike. The mix of keen racing, fashion, activities for children, marquee lunches and the chance to sample some of Queensland’s finest wines are key elements of this big day out.

So get your hats and facinators out - there's a chance you could win up to $800 Fashions in the Field vouchers - and head out to Armstrong Park for a fantastic day out with friends.

Live band "PUSH" will provide entertainment after the races until 8pm.Gates open at 10am  See website for further information and tickets - book an exclusive spot under the Marquee or the Reserved Luncheon. www.wineracing.org

Granite Belt Cabernet Gains National Attention

In terms of wine awards, the Cabernet category would have to be the most hotly contended in Australia. It is the King of Australian wines.

For this reason, we are extremely excited that Granite Belt winery, Granite Ridge has been awarded 5 stars (Gold) and Queensland’s 2011 highest rated wine for their 2009 Top Block Cabernet by leading national wine magazine Winestate.

The achievement has placed Granite Ridge as one of Australia’s leading producers of Cabernet.

Editor of Winestate Peter Simic noted that Winestate’s 5 star rating was harder to win that any Gold medal in Australia. More than 11 000 wines are judged each year from Australia and New Zealand – equivalent to the Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney wine shows combined.

Granite Ridge’s Cabernet is now in the running for Best Cabernet of the Year, and the highly contested Winestate Wine of the Year Awards.

Established in 1995, Granite Ridge Wines is a boutique winery dedicated to sustainable vineyard practices and producing distinctive wines which are a true expression of where they are made. 

Owners, Dennis and Julianne (pictured) were ecstatic about the rating recognition - and so they should be!

“We were extremely proud when last month our Cabernet won Gold at the Queensland Wine Awards, but this secures our position at a national level.”  

The Queensland results and the Wine of the Year results will feature in Winestate’s special Wine of Year edition in December 2011.

To learn more about Granite Belt Wine Country and its award winning wineries visit www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au.