Full Itinerary

Stradding the New England Highway at Cottonvale and Thulimbah, a range of providores offer speciality items, local produce and meals. Here you're in the thick of "apple country" - the only place with just the right climate and growing conditions for premium apple orchards. And of course it would not be the Granite Belt if there wasn't a winery or 5 nearby!

The Granite Belt Wine Trail drive from Cottonvale to Stanthorpe takes in 5 cellar doors.

Heritage Estate Winery - offering 13 Strange bird varieties including Sagrantino, Nero d-Avola, Savagnin, Frontenac Gris, Vermentino and Fiano

Summit Estate - Strange bird varieties include: malbec, marsanne, albarino, tannat, petit verdot, tempranillo and viognier

Boireann Winery - Strange bird varieties include: tannat, mourvedre, nebbiolo, sangiovese and barbera

Robert Channon Wines - Strange bird varieties include: verdelho and malbec

Queensland College of Wine Tourism - Strange bird varieties include: marsanne

At the heart of the Granite Belt, Stanthorpe gives access to big sky panoramas, spectacular countryside dotted with precariously balancing prehistoric granite boulders and a generally cooler, temperate climate (there's even an occasional snow-fall)

Continue your Granite Belt Wine Trail, travelling through Stanthorpe (the heart of the Granite Belt) and via 4 boutique wineries and cellar doors.

The trail takes you past:

Casley Mount Hutton Winery - Strange bird varieties include: chenin blanc, viognier and verdelho

Ridgemill Estate - Strange bird varieties include: jacques, saperavi, tempranillo, verdelho, viognier and mourvedre

Savina Lane Wines - Strange bird varieties include: fiano, viognier, tempranillo and graciano

Jester Hill Wines - Strange bird varieties include petit verdot, sangiavese and roussanne

Ravenscroft Vineyard - Stangebird varietals includeTempranillo, Verdelho, Nero d'Avola, Pinotage

Continuing South towards the Queensland border, you will pass through the small country town of Ballandean. Renowned for its picturesque setting and the Granite Belt's largest number of award winning winemakers.

It is in this area, just to the south of Stanthorpe, where Queensland's first commercially grown table grapes were harvested. Grapes have been grown in the Granite Belt since the 1870s, thanks predominantly to the arrival of Italian settlers. The first legally planted wine grapes were allegedly grown by the Puglisi family of Ballandean.

The trail takes you past:

Bungawarra Wines - Strange bird varieties include: malbec

Granite Ridge Wines - Strange bird varieties include: petit verdot, tempranilllo and verdelho

Tobin Wines - Strange bird varieties include: tempranilllo and verdelho

Golden Grove Estate - Strange bird varieties include: babera, durif, malbec, mourvede, nero d'Avola. Tempranillo and vermentino

Ballandean Estate - Strange bird varieties include: fiano, malbec, durif, saperavi, sylvaner, viognier

Set along the railway line, Ballandean is home to some of the earliest Italian settlers. It is also home to the largest cluster of award-winning wineries on the Granite Belt. Heading East (along Eukey Rd) you will be able to find wineries on the stunning foot hills of Girraween National Park.

Don't miss Ballandean's little bit of Egypt - make sure you drive past the famous hand-made pyramid. The amazing Girraween National Park and rugged Sundown National Park are also only a short drive away.

The trail takes you past:

Just Red Wines - Strange bird varieties include: tannat

Hidden Creek Winery and Cafe - Strange bird varieties include: tempranillo, verdelho and viognier

Twisted Gum Wines

Symphony Hill Wines - Strange bird varieties include: petit verdot, tempranillo, viognier, petit manseng

Serrena Que Estate - Cortese, Garganega, Shiraz Nouveau, Barbera, Mencia/ Maturana blend

A few minutes drive south from Ballandean, Wyberba is a small village alongside Girraween National Park. Try the strange bird varieties of wine available at the local wineries. Stay in Wyberba or camp in Girraween National Park to explore the park's huge granite boulders towering above open forests. Enjoy the wildflowers in spring, climb the pyramid for great views of Balancing Rock and immerse yourself in nature on more than 30 kilometres of walking trails.

The trail takes you past:

Pyramids Road Wines - Strange bird varieties include: Mourvèdre

Balancing Heart Vineyard - Strange Saperavi, Verdelho, Vermentino, Montpulciano