Meet the makers of Queensland’s Granite Belt

It’s Queensland oldest family-owned and operated winery and Ballandean Estate is still going strong since the Puglisis first made wine in 1932 and opened their cellar door in 1970. Robyn Puglisi-Henderson has just popped the cork on their 50^th anniversary shiraz, which she’ll happily pair with food in the adjacent Barrel Room Restaurant, but it’s their award-winning “strange bird” Saparavi which most excites her palate.

Barrel Room owner/chefs Matt and Bobbi Wells embody the Puglisi-family’s Italian heritage through the likes of wild mushroom and truffle-infused soup, and homemade seafood fettucine, served among gargantuan wine barrels. 

The Wine Makers

With more than 50 wineries on the Granite Belt, it’s difficult to single out a couple of wine makers. Our tip? Go and visit them all. But if we were to highlight a few, consider Girraween Estate vineyard small wine maker Steve Messiter whose grape-to-glass concept is an intimate experience for visitors.

“Everything is little here,” says Steve, who embraces authentic wine making.

“I’ve known all of these wines since they were grapes.”

Nearby at Balancing Heart Vineyard, and on the larger end of the scale, meet 2017 Australian Wine Maker of the Year Mike Hayes.

“It’s about making wine with soul and bringing through the energies of the earth”, Mike says.

“The wine maker here is mother nature. You’ll get a sophistication of wine here you won’t get elsewhere on the planet.

“We make wines with heart.”

And delicious wood-fired pizza too.

The Pastry Maker

Early on any given morning you’ll likely find ZEST Pastries owner Stephen Lambert “feeding the mother dough” which dates back to 150 years ago in San Francisco and is at the heart of his sumptuous Stanthorpe establishment. With a “bake it with butter” philosophy, Stephen loves baking tarts, sourdough, pies and pastries, but his signature bake is his croissant.

“I love the science and chemistry of it all,” he says.

“It is very rewarding filling up that shop every day and seeing it empty every day.”

Join this colourful and comedic chef (he gives all of his equipment a human name) for a baking class and learn about his labour-of-love.

The Christmas Makers

It’s the most wonderful time of the year all-year round at the Granite Belt Christmas Farm where Brad and Katrina Fraser embrace those festive feels with gusto. Drive down a track flanked by gum trees from which hang the names of Santa’s reindeers, and into this magical space of season’s greetings galore.

There’s Santa’s Barn full of a menagerie of animals to feed, a paddock of lush Christmas trees from which to choose, and a sparkling shop of baubles and Belgian hot chocolate to boot. Grab a picnic basket here and pull up a perch in the paddock while you decide on which tree to buy.

“You want real Christmas? It’s the smell of pine,” Brad says.

“Everyone remembers when they head a real, live tree. We’ve had people drive as far away as six hours to buy a tree.”

The trees, which last between four and six weeks, are available to buy from December 1, but visit here anytime for some Christmas cheer.

The Cheese Maker

Saying cheese is all in a day’s work for Stanthorpe Cheese’s William Rodgers who says cheese making is “like alchemy”.

“It’s a process where you start off with a building block and you can do so many things with it,” he says.

“It’s magical. I love the endless opportunity to produce different varieties of cheese.

Head here for a free tasting and trial one of eight cheese varieties including the pungent Brass Monkey Blue.

Adjacent to the tasting room you’ll find Dairy Girls Café where you can buy some cheese to take with you among a plethora of products from the local region such as tapenade, olive oil and smoked goods.

The Apple Maker

Ever dreamed of a long-table European-style brunch among an apple orchard? At McMahon Brothers Orchard, David McMahon can turn that into a reality.

This fourth-generation farmer is continuing a tradition of 96 years which began when his great grandfather and his brother were settled in Pozieres, 20 minutes north of Stanthorpe, following World War One. The McMahon’s are one of only two families left from the “soldiers for settlement” program and produce around 9 varieties of apple in this orchard.

Take an amble with David through the orchard where the apples here pack a crunch and the orchard dining experience, using local produce, is as sweet as pie.

The Afternoon Tea Maker

Wallangarra Railway Café owner, barista and cook Kim Hearn loves her eclectic spot on the old railway station platform with New South Wales on one side, and Queensland on the other.

While Kim serves a mean breakfast (try the gourmet bacon and egg roll with home-made relish) and lunch here, it’s her afternoon teas for which she is renowned. Stir your cuppa with one of those old-fashioned spoons nana used to collect, while you eat a custard tart, either in the original Railway Refreshment Rooms or on the station platform. Kim loves the history of this station which was built in 1888 to service travellers who had to change trains from the standard gauge of NSW to Queensland’s narrow gauge.

“The building is so fantastic, it’s such a unique part of history,” she says.

“The state borders are at the bottom of the platform and it’s great to have two states under the one building with their different railway architecture.”

Getting There (The Drive Makers)

The Granite Belt is a leisurely three journey south-west of Brisbane. Save yourself the drive and join Granite Highlands Maxi-Tours who offer a range of full, half-day and personalised tours within the region, as well as day trips from Brisbane, Toowoomba, Warwick and Dalby and Goondiwindi.

Sleeping There (The Sleep Makers)

There’s so many options for a great sleep on the Granite Belt. For an authentic Aussie bushland experience, try Girraween Environmental Lodge, with its 10 comfortable and cosy chalets set on 161ha which  you’ll share with a roo or two.

Looking for more local goodness in the Granite Belt? Check out this guide.