This week Ballandean Estate hosted the Granite Belt’s biggest picnic of 2020, as The Merry Muster, a convoy of seven buses from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, descended on Queensland’s oldest family owned and operated winery. Fourth-generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,
“At Ballandean Estate, we are experiencing incredible support as Buy Local, Drink Local and Buy from the Bush is resonating with people in the wake of COVID-19. When Christine Bonner, founder of the Merry Muster, called last week to speak to Barrelroom chefs Matt and Bobbi Wells about last minute menu requests, and mentioned 370 people, I was flabbergasted. It was hard to keep my cool — or contain my excitement!
Those aboard The Merry Muster buses came along with their empty eskies, which they’ve filled with artisan-made Christmas presents, fresh local produce, cheeses and Granite Belt wines. This event has gained tremendous momentum, growing seven times in size this year.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
We’ve seen an enormous influx of wine tourists at the cellar door and restaurant over the last few months, and this had slipped off my radar.
Naturally Matt and Bobbi had been planning for the menu for weeks and ensuring compliance for the outdoor event under our COVID Safe Plan.
These busloads of beautiful ladies shared their love and supported the Southern Downs through an heart-rending injection of emotional support and much-need funds into our regional economy.
We wanted to give them the best possible locavore picnic experience. The Barrelroom took days preparing the antipasto entrees – we are talking:
- 3850 pieces of sesame lavosh
- 70 kg of hand roasted capsicums
- 40 kg of grilled zucchini
- 40 kg of roasted local mushrooms
- 18 kg of roasted local cherry tomatoes
- 31 kg of local cheese
- 12 kg of slow-roasted beef for the artisan rolls served with hand-made chutney and onion jam
- and 300 pieces of handmade nougat.
All enjoyed outdoors on the Opera Block with music and a lively market atmosphere. “
Today Stanthorpe is hosting its Boutique Christmas shopping day with Bustling markets, Christmas carols and store openings, says Ms Puglisi-Gangemi. For those that couldn’t make the Merry Muster, you can still support regional bush businesses in Brisbane and finish off your Christmas shopping at Buy from the Bush’s Newfarm popup shop. It is open 7 days a week until the 23rd of December.
Menu at www.barrelroomrestaurant.com
Call 07 4684 1326 or text 0448 822 203 to book a table.
Thanks to The Merry Muster and photography from Emma Russell for these gorgeous images from the day
Ballandean Estate brings the love to Brisbane in response to visitation doubling
Alternative wine ambassador Ballandean Estate will be bringing the love to Brisbane at Saturday’s Drink Queensland Cellar Door Festival. Since COVID-19 lockdown, Queensland’s oldest family-owned and family-operated winery has experienced an extraordinary uptake in visitation as Queenslanders were freed to travel in their home state.
Fourth-generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,
“Our cellar door has seen visitation double in 2020. We’ve had over 30,000 people visit the cellar door over the last five months, compared to 15,000 people for the same period last year.
“What we’ve been thrilled to discover is that a huge proportion of our Queenslander visitors were here on the Granite Belt for the first time. And we’d like to see them again!
“COVID-19 slowed down our ability to visit our wine amicis. The Drink Queensland Cellar Door Festival is giving us the perfect opportunity to share some of our rare alternative wines with our new amicis and to bring the love back to Brisbane.
“We’ll be sharing and selling some of our best wines, including our truly rare and alternative Saperavi/Durif blend. It’s a deep ruby wine with a full body, savoury blue fruit, intense bouquet, dry palate and, smooth finish with lingering French oak. This Strange Bird™ is even more unique as it is a vintage variance — hence the name Sinatlis, a lighter-style Saperavi.
“Festival-goers can also sample our single-vineyard 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, our 2018 Shiraz Viognier sourced from 50-year-old Shiraz vines, the ever popular 2020 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and our much-loved 2017 Opera Block Chardonnay, which spends 14 months in French oak barriques.
“Drink Queensland Cellar Door Festival is offering up two great sessions of wine tastings, DJs, food trucks and a rollicking good time awaits. It’s your chance to come taste, buy and show your support of Queensland wineries,” says Ms Puglisi-Gangemi.
Ms Puglisi-Gangemi was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Office of Liquor and Gaming for easing of COVID-19 restrictions. She is Queensland’s first female voice and vote on the Winemaker’s Federation board and is an active member of the Queensland Wine Industry Association.
Ballandean Estate will be joining over 20 Queensland wineries at the RNA Showground’ John Reid Pavilion on Saturday 14 November 2020. In early 2021 Ballandean Estate will be releasing its 50th Shiraz vintage.
TICKETS https://www.citywinery.com.au/…/drink-queensland-cellar…
LEARN MORE https://fb.me/e/3kTLwNjCn
Estate founder Angelo Puglisi has spent over 50 years building his reputation as the father of Queensland wine and industry, from the day he rolled into town with two trucks carrying 1000-gallon barrels down the main street of Stanthorpe back in 1971. His experimentation with Italian varietals has been a major contribution to the establishment of the Strange Bird™ alternative wine trail.
Fourth-generation vigneron and daughter Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,
“We love our Italian varietals! It’s not just the increased diversity of bouquet and flavour, it’s structure: and most importantly, acid. We grow these Strange Birds™ for their natural acid balance. This delivers a fresh expression of our granitic terroir and a minimal intervention approach to the winemaking process.
Our GFM blend is sunshine in a bottle, think the Granite Belt meets Sicily! Island vibes, coastal cool, hints of pineapple, stone fruit and a delicious full body with a great weight of palate and crisp dry finish.
These rare varietals are now even more precious given the challenges our vintage faced last year with weather events. We’ve picked just one-sixth of last year’s volume: 400 kilos of Malvasia, 500 kilos of Fiano and 800 kg of Moscato Giallo.”
Ticket Release
- Alcohol: 12%
- Price: $30
- Closure: Screwcap
- Drink: 2020-21
- Fruit: 24% Malvasia, 29% Fiano, 47% Giallo, single vineyard from Bellevue at Ballandean, 850m above sea level
- Winemaking: A mix of whole bunch and destemmed fruit was combined into the press. The juice was settled quickly in stainless before yeast was added. Stabilised, no finings added, filtered and bottled, unoaked.
“We are beyond proud of our Fiano’s pedigree, its third vintage taking out Winestate’s Top Alternative White award. Our Malvasia has been our fastest moving white wine at the cellar door, selling out just months after its 2019 release!
Our GFM will not last long, as just 109 cases were made, of which 60 have been put aside for our Ballandean Gold club’s summer delivery,”
says Ms Puglisi-Gangemi.
Ballandean Estate’s GFM 2020 vintage will be available for tasting and sale at the cellar door and for online from Friday 23 October.
Queensland’s oldest family-owned and -operated winery future-proofed its reputation for world-class Shiraz by planting 5000 Shiraz plants next to the Opera Block vineyard at Ballandean Estate last week.
Fourth-generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,
Ballandean Estate’s award-winning single vineyard premium Shiraz is sourced from the Opera Block’s oldest vines, planted in 1968, some of the oldest in Australia.
Fifty years on, these vines are bearing incredible fruit. However, the yield is considerably reduced, down to one tonne an acre. Optimal yield for production is two tonnes an acre.
Dad (father of Queensland wine Angelo Puglisi) was itching to try out a new Shiraz clone on a block that we had lying fallow for the last five years, once home to cabernet vines.
Shiraz is our signature varietal, and we wanted to ensure our ability to meet the market in years to come.
The new vines will be bearing fruit next season, however, we will be knocking the first few yields off the vine to establish a stronger root system. By 2025, we should be seeing the first harvest.
Such a brilliant week in the vineyard, with bud burst underway and all hands on deck! We’ve had Dad, myself, my sister Robyn, vineyard manager Robyn Robertson, Tash Banbury, Peter Wade, plus Jason Costanzo and his vineyard team from Golden Grove Estate getting their hands dirty with the planting, which took five days,”
says Ms Puglisi-Gangemi.
In the next few months Ballandean Estate will be releasing its much-anticipated 50th vintage of Shiraz.
“Our cool climate Shiraz is a vinicultural jewel. 2018 was an exceptionally low-yielding year—we have produced only 150 dozen of the Opera Block Shiraz for this vintage. The long ripening season and cold nights have delivered a delicate cool climate Shiraz, intense purple with concentrated berry fruits. We bottled this beauty back in 2019.”
For all media enquiries please contact:
Robyn Puglisi-Henderson or Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Ph: (07) 4684 1226
After opening its doors ten days ago to interstate visitors, Ballandean Estate Wines is reporting a minimal impact on visitation. Queenslanders continue to embrace a wine country getaway as visitors pour in from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane primarily.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi, fourth-generation vigneron at Queensland’s oldest family-owned and -operated winery on the Granite Belt, says,
Like all businesses along the NSW-QLD border, we’ve been intrigued as to how the lifting of border restrictions will impact our business. Before Victoria’s COVID situation escalated, we were anticipating an influx of grey nomads.
Since the borders re-opened, we have hardly any visitors identify as from New South Wales. And yes, we’ve been asking! Everyone who comes through our cellar door is required to sign in under our COVID-safe venue plan.
Up until the last few weeks, most of our visitors have been return visitors that know and love the Granite Belt for all of its natural beauty, fine wine, abundant gourmet delights, quirky charms and country hospitality.
What we have been thrilled to discover is that a huge proportion of our Queenslander visitors are here on the Granite Belt for the first time. For so many Queenslanders, the Granite Belt has been sitting on their ‘One Day’ wish list. Now it seems that has rapidly changed to ‘This Year’ and ‘Good to Go!’
Until you experience the glory of the Granite Belt in person, it can be hard to compete with the abundance of destinations within an hour of Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
If the last few weeks are anything to go by, the Granite Belt is set for its best spring season yet! This has traditionally been a quieter time of year. However, we have tastings booked up online through to September, and accommodation house are reporting unheard-of occupancy rates.
I expect that our Tenterfield locals are staying put to avoid the border patrol, and that our southern visitors are either staying put or venturing further north chasing the sun after months of border restrictions.
We hope that Queensland continues to remain COVID-safe and that we can maintain then improve upon the current level of restriction for venues. I think that people are really understanding the importance of hand hygiene, social distancing and contact tracing at venues.
Our cellar door hand Elijah Smith made me a hand sanitiser holster to help me keep safe as I serve tastings to over 500 people each weekend.
Ms Puglisi-Gangemi was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Office of Liquor and Gaming for some easing of restrictions and is an active member of the Queensland Wine Industry Association .
How to make sure you book an unforgettable wine tasting experience at Ballandean Estate
- We’d love it if you could book your tasting in advance online or over the phone. Our peak times are over lunch and on Saturdays, and we highly recommend booking first.
- If you want to come in on the day and have not yet booked, we ask that you pick up the phone and call us on (07) 4684 1226 so that we can fit you in.
- Walk-ins are always welcome, keep your beanie handy as we could be wine-tasting under the pergola in the winter sun if there is an overflow of people.
ENDS
For all media enquiries please contact: Robyn Puglisi-Henderson or Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Ph: (07) 4684 1226 Leeanne@ballandeanestate.com, Robyn@ballandeanestate.com 354 Sundown Rd Ballandean 4382 www.ballandeanestate.com
Welcome to Ballandean Estate, Queensland’s oldest family owned and operated winery. Our family has been making wine on our Granite Belt estate since 1932, and we would love to share our estate grown and made wines with you. This year we are celebrating 50 years of Shiraz plantings in our high altitude vineyard and our 30th vintage of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. As a multi-awarded 4.5-star winery, Ballandean Estate has an excellent range of mainstream and alternative wines that showcase our cool climate and granite terroir with elegance—just marvellous matched with Queensland’s outstanding produce.
The easing of intrastate travel restrictions has seen Queenslanders embracing a wine country getaway, as Ballandean Estate Wines opens its doors for tastings for the sixth week since lockdown. Queensland’s oldest family-owned and -operated winery on the Granite Belt is reporting a significant increase in visitor numbers through the cellar door.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi, fourth-generation vigneron and wine industry leader, says,
Queenslanders are tasting their freedom and bringing their friends and families to the beating heart of Granite Belt.
Channel 7 ran a story last night that reported an 1130% increase in Ballandean as a holiday hotspot on Wotif. We’ve been thrilled with the visitor numbers coming into our cellar door for tastings and to dine at The Barrelroom.
Over the weekend, we’ve had upwards of 500 people through the cellar door for sit-down tastings under our COVID-save venue plan. The sit-down format has resulted in greater engagement with guests, a significantly higher average wine sale spend and daily sign-ups to our Ballandean Gold Wine Club, which gives members exclusive access to museum releases, member events and our Gold Club Tasting Room.
The Barrelroom is booking out almost daily and has some delectable new dishes on the ever-changing menu: think handmade porcini ravioli in a cream sauce with shaved truffle. Or slow roasted local Mallow Lamb on potato rosti, served up with a red wine jus and sweet carrot puree.
Ballandean Estate is looking forward to welcoming interstate visitors from Friday 10 July and are delighted with yesterday’s launch of Queensland’s Good to Go tourism campaign for interstate visitors.
We’ve hired two new cellar door staff, young locals Natasha Banbery and Tessa Pascoe. Tessa is a school-based Wine Studies trainee and family friend, and Natasha comes from the Heavenly Chocolate family.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Ms Puglisi-Gangemi was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Office of Liquor and Gaming for some easing of restrictions and is an active member of the Queensland Wine Industry Association .
How to make sure you book an unforgettable wine tasting experience at Ballandean Estate
We’d love it if you could book your tasting in advance online or over the phone. Our peak times are over lunch and on Saturdays, and we highly recommend booking first.
If you want to come in on the day and have not yet booked, we ask that you pick up the phone and call us on (07) 4684 1226 so that we can fit you in.
Walk-ins are always welcome, keep your beanie handy as we could be wine-tasting under the pergola in the winter sun if there is an overflow of people.
For all media enquiries please contact: Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Ph: (07) 4684 1226
354 Sundown Rd Ballandean 4382 www.ballandeanestate.com
Ballandean Estate is launching its second vintage of Malvasia at the cellar door this weekend. The 2019 vintage is a truly rare alternative wine, with only 65 cases produced this year at Ballandean Estate, and less than 200 Australia-wide. Demand will outstrip supply quickly, as last year’s first vintage sold out within weeks and received rave reviews from wine critics.
A word on Malvasia from our Master of Wine Peter Scudamore-Smith
The Italian varietal Malvasia from Northern Italy produced by Ballandean Estate is a delicious crisp Italian-style dry white wine, and textured, set to match the success of the critically-acclaimed Fiano, a fuller wine from the warmer Campania area.
Wine specifications
- Malvasia 100%, Ballandean Estate single-vineyard fruit
- Dry, medium bodied, bouquet of melon and pear with hints of French oak, mellow and smooth finish
- RRP $30
- Alc/Vol 12%
- Colour – green straw
- Cellaring potential – drink now
- Winemaker – Dylan Rhymer
- Viticulturalist – Angelo Puglisi
Malvasia release
Why people are falling in love with Malvasia at the cellar door
According to Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi, fourth-generation family vigneron,
“Malvasia is our fastest-moving white wine at the cellar door. People fall in love with its big aromatics, richness and complexity. It is the kind of wine that has you excited before even taking your first sip. Then it keeps getting better! Our winemaker Dylan Rhymer has performed his alchemy by oh-so-lightly oaking this great Italian white.
The wine has spent just three months in oak barrels, as opposed to 12-14 months for traditionally oaked white such as chardonnay. This has completely changed its structure and aromatics, lifted the nose and intensified its mouth feel, without bringing oak onto the palate. Dylan has delivered a soft, smooth perfumed wine that is fruit-driven and decadent.
Dad (Ballandean Estate owner Angelo Puglisi) is always keen to experiment with Italian varieties. His interest in Italian varieties is not just about the increased diversity of smells and flavours, but most importantly about structure: and, specifically, acid. Grapes grown for natural acid balance deliver a fresh expression of our granitic terroir and require minimal intervention in the hands of the winemaker. said Ms Puglisi-Gangemi.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Viticulture
Ballandean Estate’s 2018 vintage was the first Malvasia to be released on the Granite Belt. Originating in Croatia, and widely grown throughout northern Italy, the fruit for 2019’s Malvasia vintage was magnificent, with big, loose bunches of fruit on the vines, berries medium to large, yellowish with thick skin, juicy flesh and stone fruit characteristics. Set to thrive on the Granite Belt, Malvasia has a good tolerance of cold winters, early frosts and windy sites.
In 2015, Angelo Puglisi planted one acre of Malvasia on the Ballandean Estate vineyard. 2017’s vintage yielded just 20 litres, an experimental batch. 2019’s vintage was picked in March after an optimal growing season.
Queensland’s 27th Strange Bird™ Malvasia will be available for tasting and sale at the cellar door and for sale online.
ENDS
For all media enquiries please contact: Robyn Puglisi-Henderson or Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Ph: (07) 4684 1226 Robyn@ballandeanestate.com
Granite Belt winery operators Leanne Puglisi-Gangemi of Ballandean Estate and Warren Smith of Pyramid Road Wines have a starring role in Tourism Queensland’s latest campaign, It’s a beautiful place to holiday here.
#HolidayHereThisYear
Fourth-generation vigneron and regional tourism ambassador Leanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,
It is just so good to see cellar doors from the Granite Belt featured on this video!
“A lot of the time Queensland promotions are beach-centric, but we have such diversity on offer. From cool climate wineries, gourmet food trails, country hospitality, the Outback, and the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest—Queensland is so much more than the reef and the beach. It’s a beautiful place for a wine holiday here!
Leanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Quick action sees Granite Belt wineries enjoy a starring role
Robyn Puglisi-Henderson, sister and Ballandean Estate business manager says,
Warren and I had to move quickly on this! TQ sent out the invite on Friday, and we had to submit video footage shot on our phones that day for editing.
“We’ve joined Robert Irwin and a host of Queensland tourism operators to produce a video which will be used across social platforms to tell Australians that Queensland is ‘a beautiful place to holiday here this year’ and invite them to visit.
“It’s part of a $2 million dollar campaign showcasing to Australians why Queensland is ‘a beautiful place to holiday here this year‘, and builds on Tourism Australia’s campaign launched in late January in response to the bushfires.”
Robyn Puglisi-Henderson
You can view the video here: https://www.queensland.com/holidayhere
If you are sharing the video, make sure you use hashtags #HolidayHereThisYear and #thisisqueensland in your post.
Ballandean Estate has released the latest vintage of its much-anticipated single-vineyard Fiano. Could this Strange Bird™ be Australia’s best alternative white wine? Originating in southern Italy, and widely grown throughout Sicily and the Campania region, this is a truly rare varietal. Ballandean Estate’s 2015 vintage took out Winestate’s Top Alternative White award.
The latest Fiano vintage is now available for tasting and sale at the cellar door and for sale online.
Fiano specs
- Alcohol: 12.3%
- Price: $30
- Closure: Screwcap
- Drink : 2019–2020
- Fruit: 100%, Fiano single vineyard from Bellevue at Ballandean, 850m above sea level
- Winemaking: A mix of whole bunch and destemmed fruit was combined into the press. The juice was settled quickly in stainless before yeast was added. Stabilised, no finings added, filtered and bottled, unoaked.
A fresh take
Ballandean Estate winemaker Dylan Rhymer has lent a sophisticated finesse to the varietal.
When deciding if we should plant Fiano here in the Granite Belt, we tasted as many different styles from Australia and Italy as we could.
A lot of the Aussie ones were more fruit-driven, in the style of Sauvignon Blanc, while the Italian examples were more complex at higher alcohols, which we preferred.
Our Fiano is picked at almost 13 Baume. It’s 12.3% alc to build weight in the palate, and was handpicked in April 2019 at optimal ripeness. This gives us delicious stone fruit and biscuit aromas with a touch of honey and citrus.
Ballandean Estate winemaker Dylan Rhymer
Find out what the Puglisi family has to say about Fiano
Fresh and fabulous, our award-winning single vineyard Fiano is a southern Italian classic made modern by winemaker Dylan Rhymer. A Strange Bird™ Wine Trail stand-out, we are famed for our Fiano—Ballandean Estate is the first to produce it in Queensland.
Be seduced by our Fiano‘s intense bouquet with hints of tropical fruit including pineapple. The palate is fresh with an intensity that is created by some innovative new winemaking methods. The outcome is a flavoursome, delicious dry unwooded white that is perfect for summer. It’s wonderfully aromatic with a great weight of palate and long finish.
In a sea of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano is a luscious lighter-bodied alternative for wine lovers wanting to try something new.”
Estate Manager Robyn Puglisi-Henderson
Fiano was first planted first planted in 2009 by Angelo Puglisi, the father of Queensland wine and Ballandean Estate founder. Having seen Fiano in the south of Italy and near his ancestral home in Sicily, Angelo thought he would give it a go.
You should see my Fiano! The vines just love their position and the reach for the sky—beautiful!”
Angelo Puglisi
Ballandean Estate is welcoming busloads of visitors through its cellar door today, thanks to award-winning tour operator Fun Over Fifty. Over 75 guests are expected to inject thousands of dollars into the Granite Belt by buying from the bush this Christmas.
Ballandean Estate has a long-standing association with Fun Over Fifty, a friendship that spans over 15 years through its patronage of the Opera in the Vineyard concert series.
Tourism trailblazer’s love affair with the Granite Belt
We are thrilled to have the support of Fun Over Fifty. CEO Toni Brennan is a sustainable tourism trailblazer, and has been bringing tours out to the Granite Belt for years.
It’s great to see tourism operators standing behind the Granite Belt; we have so much to offer over the Christmas holidays! Summer days on the Granite Belt look like vineyard picnics, new vintage releases, hikes, craft beer, summer produce on lunch menus … plenty of inspiration for a little Granite Belt getaway!”
Fourth-generation vigneron Leanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Fun Over Fifty invited village residents from Halcyon Waters at Hope Island, Golden Crest Manors at Nerang and Elements at Springwood to travel to the Granite Belt to spread some Christmas cheer and buy from the bush.
We have three coaches of enthusiastic shoppers coming through the cellar door. They are visiting Jamworks Gourmet Foods and Ballandean Estate Wines and before taking to the shops in town to fill their Christmas stockings.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Our People, Our Planet
Amongst other initiatives, Fun Over Fifty’s award-winning Our People, Our Planet Program encourages their guests to contribute to its Green Bank, which distributes funds to conservation groups, community projects and restoration works. Fun Over Fifty’s Green Bank has contributed $5000 to the charity Granite Belt Water Relief and is escorting a 10-tanker water convoy delivering 200,000L of drinking water to the town on Tuesday 17 December 2019.
Whether we’re touring Australia or overseas, our ethos is that everywhere Fun Over Fifty travels, we tread lightly and strive to support the regions we visit. It is vital that we all do our bit to help those in regional areas who are doing it tough at the moment.
Fun over Fifty CEO Ms Brennan
