5 Readers’ Choice Award-winning Wineries to Enjoy a Tipple!

There's nothing better than a weekend spent at your local winery to sip and graze the afternoon away on estate wines and fare with flair.

 

Here are five Readers' Choice Award-winning venues to enjoy a tipple and bite to eat with family and friends when the urge to splurge strikes:

Established in 1990, Heritage Estate Wines on Granite Belt Drive in Cottonvale is a destination-worthy venue for tasting cool climate wines, delving into an eight-course Black Tie degustation menu and staying over. Nestled on a 27-acre vineyard with a 1946 apple store converted into a cellar door, this restaurant offers elegant dining options from degustation to a Vine + Dine Journey lunch, alongside wine flights and estate fireplaces.

 

Delve into dishes of Tasmanian salmon, freshly cured in lemon and vermouth, with sour cream, fennel and locally grown orange segments, followed by duck provencial with blueberry and raspberry coulis perfumed with Branchline Bliss 15-year Port; or sous vide Angus rib eye fillet, housemade polenta and seasonal greens, paired with a glass of Shiraz Marsanne.

Synonymous with elegance and refinement, Clover Hill Vineyard in Lebrina is one of Australia's very few premium sparkling wine producers in the traditional method. Established in 1986 on the site of an old dairy farm in North-eastern Tasmania, Clover Hill has a reputation for uncompromising quality, which has been recognised with awards like twice being awarded the state's vineyard of the year.

 

Crafting wines of quality from traditional varieties of Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – the cool climate, volcanic soils and sheltered amphitheatre make for a long ripening season, allowing superior flavour development. Stop in with friends and enjoy a glass of 2016 Blanc de Blanc, paired with Tasmanian scallop ceviche, pickled mushrooms and brioche honeycomb crumb.

Find the lush sweeping landscapes of Preston Peak Wines cellar door and function centre just ten minutes out of Toowoomba on Preston Peak Lane. Perched at a stunning elevated position above the Great Dividing Range and Lockyer Valley, the estate boasts 330 hectares of vineyard and land, providing an extensive panorama over the surrounding region, well suited to hosting special occasions.

 

Drop into the cellar door for a tasting of red, white, sparkling and fortified wines; think drops like Wild Flower Brut – a sparkling wine light straw in colour, crystal clear with a fine persistent bead and a bouquet of stone fruit characteristics along with citrus notes. Perhaps 2016 The Rock Shiraz hits the right notes with dense exotic aromas of dark chocolate, cinnamon and white pepper, cleverly backed by whiffs of anise. 

Situated on the famed Cambrian-era soils of Heathcote, Sanguine Estate on Shurans Lane is an ideal location to soak up scenic views and enjoy a taste of unspoilt flavours. Established in 1996 and producing the first vintage in 2000, Sanguine’s family-run award-winning boutique winery aptly reflects a passion for natural winemaking, taking place within flourishing surrounds.

 

More than 50 acres of thriving vines are the backbone behind Sanguine’s range, lovingly crafted into memorable drops including Shiraz, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Rosé and Cabernet. At the RED five-star James Halliday-rated winery and cellar door, you’ll be greeted by one of the Hunter family to enjoy tastings of highly awarded wines. Open weekends from 11 am-5 pm, wines can also be ordered online for door-to-door delivery.

Nestled in the beauty of the Scenic Rim, good food and wine, magic views, peace and quiet await at Sarabah Estate on Rymera Road in Canungra. Set on 50 acres with just on 10 under grapes, this hidden gem boasts not only a cellar door, but also Chalet Bistro for dining among the lush vines and the Smoke & Vine Bar for pizza and a glass of estate organic Shiraz.

 

Experience a weekend adventure with family and friends, visit the alpacas and vegetable garden; before heading indoors to sample drops like Pinot Grigio, Rosé, Sparkling Brut and Shiraz and graze on plates such as Tiger prawns dressed with charred lemon; perhaps settle in alfresco and share a Spring lamb platter of cutlets, smoky baba ganoush, beetroot feta, walnut pesto, olives, falafel, halloumi, chorizo, pickled vegetables, smoked butter and lavash.