Queensland Food & Wine Guide - Queensland Holidays

WINERIESSchnapps toattentionFancy liquoraficionados, makea bee-line for GoldCoast’s TamborineMountain Distillerywhere over 60liqueurs, schnappsand spirits willensure your tastebuds are in a spin.Absinthe will makethe heart growfonder, however it’sthe Lemoncello thatexperts say is thebest outside Italy.Owner Alla Wardhand paints everybottle. Open Wed toSun, Beacon Road,North Tamborine.Park Road, features a grand homesteadwith sweeping verandahs, intimatedining rooms and a cellar door.At Sirromet, created by the MorrisFamily at Mt Cotton, with its 100hectare vineyard, and state-of-the-artwinery, the winemaker is Adam Chapman.Drive north-west from Brisbane on theD’Aguilar Highway, climb the rangesclothed with hoop pines until youreach Kingaroy in the South Burnett.The cooler climates and altitude aresimilar to the Hunter Valley, so areperfect for yielding high quality wines.Unfermented green grapes are madeinto verjuice.On the Booie Range, Bernie and JudithCooper are the new owners of Cranes,one of the region’s original wineries.Their Shiraz, which has been aged in theunderground cellar, is a smooth drop.Stop at Ziebarth Wines for a fine Roseand a home made pie, then CaptainsPaddock which is owned by MaryannePidcock, partner Peter Eaton and Merlotthe kelpie. Lunch with a glass of Rosettais recommended. At Moffatdale, the 173hectare Clovely Estate is a notable successstory with exports around the world.Other note-worthy cellar door cafés areTipperary Estate, Bridgeman DownsCellars, Dusty Hill Vineyard, RodericksFine Wines and Stuart Range Estate.On the Sunshine Coast hinterland,boutique vineyards range from thebeautifully located Settlers Rise Vineyardand Winery at Montville, and DingoCreek Vineyard in its pretty bush setting atTraveston; to Glastonbury Estate Winesin Eumundi and the Eumundi Winerywhere a Petit Verdot and light lunch arejust the ticket. The world’s first and onlytropical fruit wine region is attributedto the area from Ingham to Mossman,including the Atherton Tablelands, inTropical North Queensland. Mangoes,lychees, Davidson plum, black sapote,bush lime, dragon fruit, mangosteens andpassionfruit are among the luscious fruitsused. Wineries such as Murdering Pointat Kurrimine, De Brueys Boutique Winesat Mareeba and Paradise Estate Winesat Mission Beach welcome visitors. Beprepared for some surprises at Pacific Blueat Ingham. Its chilli and lime wine is calledSnakebite.16 QUEENSLAND FOOD AND WINE GUIDE