Image courtesy: Chalk & Cheese
Now is a great time to try some recent releases from the growing number of high quality Queensland wineries.
Taste great examples of Queensland wineries with the following wines:
Robert Channon
Robert Channon wines continue to draw widespread acclaim and the accolades the verdelho has attracted are extraordinary, including three times as winner of Top Queensland Wine at the Queensland Wine Awards.
Robert Channon Verdelho 2007 is beautifully fresh, displaying citrus, passionfruit and nectarine.
Keep an eye out for the soon to be released 2008 Robert Channon Pinot Gris. The first vintage, 2007, has sold out, but not before winning the People's Choice award for "best white" at the Queensland Wine Expo during Noosa Style last month. The 2008 vintage should be available late July.
Jimbour Station
With the winemaking overseen by the accomplished Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, this winery continues to improve. Jimbour Station is 20 minutes north of Dalby and plays host to occasional outdoor concerts.
Jimbour Station Verdelho 2006 shows honey dew melon, and ripe fresh tropical fruits with great intensity.
Clovely Estate
Since its inception in 1998, Clovely has quickly grown to be the state's largest winery producing more than 2,000 tonnes annually.
Clovely Estate Cabernet Merlot 2005 delivers sweet ripe cassis, spice, black cherries and plums followed by a generous chocolaty finish.
Ballandean Estate
Ballandean Estate is Queensland's largest and oldest family-owned and operated winery with a proud winemaking history dating back to 1930.
Ballandean Estate Sylvaner late-harvest 2005 is a luscious late-harvested style from the German grape Sylvaner, and provides a wonderful alternative to botrytis dessert wines. It has a complex bouquet of honey, and apricots and a palate of quince and tropical fruits. It retains enough acid to delivery a crisp and clean finish.
Most Queensland wine seen in Brisbane comes from two official regions, the Granite Belt and South Burnett. There are several other parts of the state producing wine including the Gold Coast Hinterland, Darling Downs, North Burnett, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Somerset Valley, Western Downs, North Queensland, Brisbane and the Scenic Rim. Read about the joys of a day trip to local wineries.
Granite Belt
As Queensland's largest wine region, the Granite Belt attracts most of the attention and is progressively finding its signature grapes. White grapes showing the best promise are verdelho, pinot gris, and the ubiquitous chardonnay. Tempranillo and petit verdot are joining shiraz as the reds likely to become the region's varietal champions.
Wineries such as Robert Channon, Boireann and Ballandeen Estate have made a major contribution to building the region's reputation for quality at various wine shows.
South Burnett
Based near Kingaroy, the South Burnett region is the fastest developing wine region in Queensland and is the home to Clovely Estate, Queensland's largest winery. The region has grown rapidly since the 1990's following a report recommending the region for its viticultural potential.
Wine is not the only gastronomic pleasure to put South Burnett on the map. It is also establishing a loyal following for its cheeses from local dairies including Kingaroy Cheese and Barambah Organics. A variety of these cheeses is available at all Chalk & Cheese stores - West End, Newstead and Auchenflower.
