This Food Blog was written by guest blogger, Kerry Heaney a Food and travel writer from Heaney Ink.
Also check out her Food Blog, Eat Drink and Be Kerry

Hoping in my car and heading out from Brisbane south west to the Granite Belt has always been one of my favourite trips. It’s always a little colder there, even in a hot Queensland summer, and it even snows there briefly in winter. Long known as one of Queensland’s premier wine districts, the Granite Belt is now claiming attention as a serious destination for foodies as well as wine lovers.

Home to Queensland’s newest cheese maker, only vinegar maker, countless highly awarded wineries and the freshest local fruit and veg, the Granite Belt now has several new restaurants as well.  Add all this to the natural beauty of the landscape and you’ve got a winning destination.

It’s an easy three hour drive from Brisbane to Stanthorpe where you’ll find wide open spaces, rolling hills of green, good honest food, plenty of wine and warm and welcoming locals.  You can just about see the stress and tension baggage left along the roadside.

Foodies in search of regional finds will be thrilled with Karen Deeth’s newly established Granite Belt Dairy Farm at Thulimbah near Stanthorpe. At 900 metres above sea level and with night temperatures as low as -9c, this is one of Australia’s coldest and highest dairy farms. The farmhouse cheeses are made by hand to traditional recipes milk from her own herd of 70 Jersey cows.

Buy some olives to enjoy with your new Granite Belt wines at Mt Stirling Olives at Glen Aplin.  Growers Jim and Viviane Miller have more than 3,500 trees which they harvest to produce cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, tapenade, spiced olives and a wide variety of other olive products.

Pick your own apples at David and Ros Sutton’s Juice Factory, Cidery and Distillery at Thulimbah. Their juice has that super fresh varietal flavour that can only be obtained by bottling the freshly pressed juice immediately. Varieties available vary depending on the season but may include Granny Smith, Jonathon, Royal Gala, Winesap, Mutsu, Pink Lady and Sundowner. Apple with ginger, lemon, mandarin and orange are other popular variations. The Suttons also plan to open a café in the near future.

New dining options on the Granite Belt include Singling Lake at Robert Channon’s winery. The dining area overlooks a small lake where horses graze making this a pleasant place to stop and enjoy lunch while on the wine trail.

Host Athena Corbally and Chef Alec Pioveson at Cooks Gluttons and Gourmets in the Stanthorpe High Street use local farm fresh produce and only stock Granite Belt wines. Try their delicious local bacon and sausages for Sunday breakfast.

The Queensland College of Wine Tourism on Caves Road has the Banca Ridge Cellar Door and Bistro which is open from 10am to 4pm daily. Their Medley of Mains tasting plate, prepared and served by hospitality students and served with Banca Ridge wines, is a great lunch treat.

Anna’s Restaurant, a local institution, has an extensive Friday and Saturday night Italian buffet with favourites such as Cannelloni, Scaloppine Alla Marsala and Stuffed Mushrooms. Sweets include Italian treats Canoli, Tiramisu and Crostoli.

After a hard day on the wine trail you can relax over a drink in the new Piano Bar in the Central Hotel with live music to entertain you.

The Granite Belt’s new Strange Bird wine tasting trail is great for those who have ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) days. There are 21 wineries and 16 grape varieties including barbera, chenin blanc, colombard, durif, gewurztraminer, malbec, marsanne, mourvedre, nebbiolo, petit verdot, pinot gris, sylvaner, tannat, tempranillo and viognier.

The Strange Bird winery list is tempting but long. We made it to Jester Hill owned by John and Genevieve Ashwell which, along with great wines, has a large open area for families and children to enjoy. Hidden Creek Winery Café was a chance to enjoy award winning wines over lunch while sampling local produce. We also picked up some of Geoff Metcalf’s New England Larder yummy Sour Cherry jam.

Linger at Casley Mount Hutton winery just to drink in the aroma of their cellar but don’t forget to taste the extensive range of award winning wines that have captured the attention of wine pundits. Their Strange Bird wines include chenin blanc and voignier.

At Pyramids Road, Warren and Sue Smith are happy to talk wine at their cellar door and give visitors a glimpse of the working side of the winery.

Golden Grove Estate Wines have wines made from durif, tempranillo and barbera grape varieties. The Costanzo family celebrate their rich Italian heritage with an annual Sicilian lunch in February each year to celebrate the start of the vintage. Volunteers carry home harvest in a procession, led by the newly appointed goddess of the vineyard. The grapes are dumped into a large tub and volunteers are called to stomp the grapes to the music of the tarantella until the juice runs free.

Pulling the car into the brand new villas set amongst the granite boulders at 31 The Rocks was a real pleasure as was meeting our hosts, Phil and Beryl Moye. There’s everything you could want for in the way of comfy queen size beds and stylish flat screen televisions plus some extra touches like the hot chocolate and marshmallows for a cosy drink. The finishing touch is a complimentary liqueur and chocolate nightcap delivered to your door so you can light the fire and fall asleep watching the glowing red flames.

There’s a new energy on the Granite Belt, new award winning wines and new food delights. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the warm country welcome.

For more information visit www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au