Ballandean Estate wins Tripadvisor® 2023 Travellers’ Choice® Award

Queensland’s oldest family owned and operated winery today announced it has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travellers’ Choice award winner. The coveted award celebrates businesses that have consistently received great traveller reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months, placing these winners among the 10% of all listings on Tripadvisor globally.

Ballandean Estate Wines stood out by consistently delivering unforgettable experiences to cellar door visitors. For almost a century the family business has been at the forefront of developing and promoting the Queensland wine industry, from modest beginnings to a multi-million-dollar industry.

Fourth generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says,

“We live and breathe wine! Our passion shines through in all that we do. When people walk into our cellar door, we just want to show them the best time – and of course, our sensational wines.

“Our cellar door is an extension of our Italian hospitality. Over the years, we’ve welcomed hundreds of thousands of people through our cellar door. The massive increase in visitation to the Granite Belt has given us the opportunity to innovate with our visitor offering.

“In June 2022, we opened the Granite Belt’s first wine lounge. It’s a place for you to bring your friends and family, sink into a leather lounge,  indulge in a wine flight of your choice, a Strange Bird varietal, or a glass of our 50th Anniversary Opera Block Shiraz.

“We’re so lucky to have Graeme Haynes managing the Barrelroom Wine Lounge. Finesse! Style. Charm. Depth of wine knowledge, elegant service and a gifted storyteller – and born and bred in Ballandean! Under his guidance, our staff consistently delivers a five-star visitor experience.

“Graeme brings 20-plus years of fine dining experience with Melbournes’s most prestigious catering business, taking care of events such as the Birdcage at the Melbourne Cup and long table degustation luncheons. It’s such a great learning opportunity for our staff, who he continues to mentor,” says Ms Puglisi-Gangemi.

Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi

“Congratulations to the 2023 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice winners.

“The travel resurgence we’ve seen throughout the past year has even further heightened the competition. Earning a Travelers’ Choice Award demonstrates that you have provided great experiences to those who matter most: your guests. With changing expectations, continued labor shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am continually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt. Cheers to another successful year!”

John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor.

To see Ballandean Estate’s reviews, visit Tripadvisor here.