Ballandean Estate’s 2023 Saperavi Named Halliday’s Wildcard Wine of the Year
Ballandean Estate Wines, Queensland’s oldest family-owned and operated winery, has been awarded one of Australia’s most coveted wine honours, with its 2023 Saperavi named Wildcard Wine of the Year by the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. The recognition celebrates wines that defy expectation, bold choices from unexpected places. These qualities characterise the Granite Belt’s growing claim on Australia’s fine wine landscape, delivering a huge national win for a Queensland wine Australia did not see coming.
Queensland wine stands on Australia’s biggest stage
Fourth-generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi proudly shared,
“Today, Queensland wine stands on Australia’s biggest stage, up against 7500 wines from over 1000 wineries, across 60 Australian wine regions. That’s why being named Halliday’s Wildcard Red Wine of the Year means so much.
“The Wildcard award celebrates those willing to take the road less travelled. To create something extraordinary where few people expect it. That feels like the story of Queensland wine.”
“It’s also a testament to winemaker Boxi Zhen’s minimal intervention approach, which is underpinning the Granite Belt as a region that continues to build on its momentum for new and exciting wines
“Our vineyard team is led by Robyn Robertson, Viticulturalist of the Year two years running and production team by my husband Mario Gangemi.
“We’re just so proud of the Ballandean Estate team, from the cellar door to the Barrelroom Wine Lounge and beyond.
“What a great night for the Granite Belt, with Balancing Heart Vineyard named 2027 Dark Horse Winery. As Mike Bennie said, it’s the region he wants to drink from the most, with wines that challenge and delight.”
What Halliday contributor Mike Bennie has to say about the 2023 Saperavi, Wildcard Wine of the Year
Reviewing the 2023 vintage, Halliday contributor Mike Bennie described it as
“a thick-set, muscular red … all ripe fruit, lush spice, woody intonations, chocolate, coffee and cream,” adding that it “nails the brief, finds immense balance, even a little peppery, spicy freshness, and stains the palate with persistent, dark fruit character. A black hole of immense satisfaction.”
Wine critic Mike Bennie
Pioneering the Queensland wine industry
For Ballandean Estate, it is both a personal milestone and a regional one. The 2023 Saperavi carries the weight of a family legacy stretching back more than nine decades, and the ambitions of a wine region that has spent decades proving itself on the national stage.
“We didn’t inherit a famous wine region. We helped create one.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
That creation began in earnest with wine pioneers Angelo and Mary Puglisi. As young marrieds, they shared a vision: to build a wine industry in Queensland. Angelo planted his first Shiraz vines in 1968 and, in 1971, rolled trucks carrying 1,000-gallon barrels into Stanthorpe. Together, they opened the cellar door in 1972, laying the groundwork for wine tourism and helping transform the Granite Belt into a destination.
“The day I decided to create a wine industry in Queensland …to me, that was the day that my life changed.”
Angelo Puglisi
Today, at 83, Angelo can still be found on his red tractor, tending the vines he has nurtured for more than 50 years.
Strange Bird Saperavi crowned Halliday Wildcard Red Wine of the Year
Saperavi itself is no ordinary varietal. Originating in Georgia, where winemaking dates back more than 8,000 years, it found a remarkable second home on the Granite Belt when Ballandean Estate planted its first vines in the Bellevue vineyard in 2008. The estate’s granitic soils reflect heat onto the fruit, accelerating ripening during the day while cool overnight temperatures preserve acidity, producing intensely flavoured, deeply coloured grapes of rare character.
The Wildcard honour adds to an already remarkable season for Ballandean Estate. The winery has received a Five-Star Rating from the Halliday Wine Companion; claimed Winery of the Year, Winery Winemaker of the Year, and Viticulturalist of the Year the Queensland Wine Awards for the second consecutive year; and been named Winery of the Season at Queensland Parliament House. Chief Winemaker Boxi Zhen was named Emerging Winemaker of the Year in 2024, further cementing the estate’s reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting producers.
Ballandean Estate will showcase the 2023 and 2024 Saperavi vintages at the at the Taste the Awards event in Melbourne, held the evening following the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Half Acre, 112 Munro Street, South Melbourne.
About Ballandean Estate Wines
Ballandean Estate is Queensland’s oldest family-owned and operated winery, with a history dating from 1932. Located on the Granite Belt, 850 metres above sea level, the estate produces premium cool-climate wines from both traditional and rare alternative varietals, including its celebrated Saperavi. A Five-Star Halliday winery and two-time Queensland Winery of the Year, Ballandean Estate is open daily at 354 Sundown Road, Ballandean. For more information, visit ballandeanestate.com.
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