Ballandean Estate was awarded a plethora of trophies at the 40th Annual Queensland Wine Awards Presentation Dinner, held at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism in Stanthorpe Thursday 31 October. The event was attended by 100-plus vignerons, international critics and dignitaries.
A winning trajectory
Queensland’s oldest family-owned and run winery was awarded:
Winery of the Year
Winemaker of the Year – Boxi Zhen
Viticulturalist of the Year – Angelo Puglisi and Robyn Robertson
Champion Wine of Show – 2024 Fiano
Champion Mainstream White Variety – 2023 Chardonnay
Champion Mainstream Red Variety – 2023 Shiraz Viognier
“This is one of Ballandean Estate’s biggest wins, on a par with taking out the first major national trophy for a Queensland winery as Most Successful Exhibitor in the early nineties at the Australian Small Winemakers Show, and our gold medal at the 2018 Saperavi World Prize.
“Yet another ringing endorsement for our young gun Boxi Zhen in his second vintage as a Granite Belt winemaker. He is really making his mark as Emerging Queensland Winemaker of the Year.”
Congratulations to the winners
“We congratulate our friends and neighbours from Sancerre Estate Brad and Stacey Allen, Ridgemill Estate, Sirromet, Riversands Wines and Tony Hassell from Just Red Wines, who received the Samuel Basset award for his significant contribution to the Queensland wine industry.”
“It’s great to see the work we do in the vineyard recognised. It’s the quality of our fruit that sets us apart, high altitude and cool climate delivering intense flavours and such high acid. Big thanks for the tender loving cultivation of our vines by vineyard manager Robyn Robertson, and Dad, the Father of Queensland wine, Angelo Puglisi, and to our vineyard and winemaking teams.”
James Halliday 95-point wines
“We’ve just had three of our wines announced as 95-point wines by James Halliday: 2023 Nebbiolo, 2023 Small Batch Reserve Chardonnay, and Angelo’s Vintage Tawny 1987, which we’ll be releasing as an exclusive limited edition in a few weeks’ time. These 95-point wines qualify us to be a five-star-rated winery in the next release of the Halliday Wine Companion.”
Ballandean Estate’s winemaker Boxi Zhen has continued his winning streak at the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland 2024 Australian Mediterranean Varieties Wine Show, held in Toowoomba. Queensland’s oldest family-owned and run winery was awarded Best in Queensland White for its 2023 Wild Ferment Viognier, and Best in Queensland Red for its 2023 Nebbiolo.
A word from our winemaker Boxi Zhen
“These wines reflect the efforts we are undertaking in the vineyard and cellar. To me, the medals are good signs that we are on the right path. I feel honoured and excited that our wines are being recognised by the show judges. It says a lot about how great our Granite Belt wines can be, and just how much potential we can explore from the terroir here.”
Judges praise texture and finish for a gold medal score of 95 points
Estate manager Robyn-Puglisi Henderson says,
“Judges praised the Wild Ferment Viognier for its beautiful texture and finish, awarding it 95 points out of 100, a gold medal score. It’s a real testament to the fresh perspective and minimal intervention approach Boxi is bringing to the Granite Belt. Boxi was recently awarded the Emerging Queensland Winemaker of the Year, it’s so exciting to see him further develop his reputation for winemaking excellence and judging capability.
“Ballandean Estate’s Nebbiolo has an excellent pedigree as our first Italian Strange Bird™ planting and has received ongoing critical acclaim, awarded 92 points at this show. In 2022 it took out the trophy for Best Italian Red Varietal at the Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge. We call it the Italian version of Pinot Noir at the cellar door. Lighter in body, big tannins, cherry, tar and roses on the nose, ruby and orange hues synonymous with aged Nebbiolo — it’s a real food wine.
“Three of our wines have just been announced as 95-point wines by James Halliday: 2023 Nebbiolo, 2023 Small Batch Reserve Chardonnay, and Angelo’s Vintage Tawny 1987, another ringing endorsement for Boxi’s second vintage as a Granite Belt winemaker. These 95-point wines qualify us to be a five-star-rated winery in the next release of the Halliday Wine Companion.”
Experimental approach in both the vineyard and cellar
According to Boxi,
“Nebbiolo is a hard variety to grow and make. It’s always the first variety to bud burst in the vineyard and last variety to pick at the end of the vintage. Extremely high acid, heavy tannins and light colour while the maturity level, in most of the years, are not enough to climb up to it should be. We are actually undergoing heaps of trials in the vineyard and cellar year by year, trying to boost the quality and quantity of the Nebbiolo, finding the best way to best express its varietal characters while building up its perfect texture during the maturation.
“The 2023 Viognier was part our minimal handling scheme in the vintage of 2023. The harvest was of meticulous design, harvested in batches. Winemaking saw 20% percentage of pre-ferment skin contact, wild ferment, lees stirring during the aging period and barrel maturation. The trophy and gold medal awarded to this wine expressed the winemaking efforts that we committed to the wine. ”
Boxi Zhen moved to Adelaide from China at the age of 24 to complete his prestigious Master of Viticulture & Oenology at the University of Adelaide. He also has a degree in Food Science, which places him in excellent stead to continue the R&D science-based approach employed by Ballandean Estate’s previous winemaker of 22 vintages, Dylan Rhymer.
Ballandean Estate’s winemaker Boxi Zhen has just been announced Emerging Queensland Winemaker of the Year by the Royal Queensland Wine Awards, testament to the fresh perspective and minimal intervention approach he is bringing to Queensland’s oldest family-owned and operated winery.
“We’d like to thank the RNA and Treasury Brisbane for giving our young winemaker Boxi such a great opportunity to further develop his reputation for winemaking excellence.
“He’s really looking forward to having his wines featured at Treasury Brisbane outlets, and the privilege of being an Associate Judge at 2025’s Royal Queensland Wine Awards.
“We blended Boxi into the family fold at the start of 2023, when he started the next chapter of his winemaking career, after working across the Napa Valley to China, South Australia and now the Granite Belt.
Critical acclaim for young winemaker Boxi Zhen
“Boxi’s first showing was in 2023’s Queensland Wine Awards, where his foray in Rosé saw our 2023 vintage awarded gold, and his small-batch 2023 Viognier awarded the Stewards Choice prize.”
“In late June 2024, Boxi’s wines won Gold and the Trophy for the 2024 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc at the Cairns Show Wine Awards, where we also took out Bronze for his 2023 Wild Ferment Viognier, 2023 Shiraz Viognier and 2024 Rosé.
“He’s humbled be recognised by a prestigious national wine show in his second vintage as a Granite Belt winemaker. RQWA awarded a Silver for our 2022 Saperavi, and Bronze for the 2023 Wild Ferment and 2023 Shiraz Viognier, our high altitude and cool climate delivering intense flavours and such high acid.
“We hope that Boxi’s minimal intervention approach will underpin the Granite Belt as a region that continues to build on its momentum for new, exciting wines that suit our ever-changing climate.”
Boxi Zhen moved to Adelaide from China at the age of 24 to complete his prestigious Master of Viticulture & Oenology at the University of Adelaide. He also has a degree in Food Science, which places him in excellent stead to continue the R&D science-based approach employed by Ballandean Estate’s previous winemaker of 22 vintages, Dylan Rhymer.
Ballandean Estate is pleased to announce it has been recognised in Tripadvisor’s® Travellers’ Choice® Awards for 2024, making this the third consecutive year for Queensland’s oldest family-run winery. The award honours businesses that consistently earn great reviews, placing these winners placing these winners among the 10% of all listings on Tripadvisor globally.
Trailblazing family legacy
Ballandean Estate Wines sustained its reputation for excellence through consistent delivery of memorable cellar door experiences. It continues the Puglisi family’s trailblazing legacy as outstanding advocates for Queensland’s wine industry and as some of Australia’s most influential people in wine: Winemakers Federation Board memberships, Samuel Basset award winners, and export market innovators for Shiraz trade to China. With the winery now in its fourth and fifth generations, the family continues to be wine pioneers in the Granite Belt region.
“Our family has been at the forefront of developing and promoting the Queensland wine industry for almost 100 years. And we are thrilled to take out this hat trick with Tripadvisor’s® Travellers’ Choice® Awards. Such an honour!
“Ballandean Estate may be Queensland’s oldest family-run winery, but we built our reputation on innovation and a splash of rebellion. The Barreloom, which is the Granite Belt’s first wine lounge, is going from strength to strength. We’ve just released our its first minimal intervention wine series, thanks to young gun winemaker Boxi Zhen, who is literally shaking things up in his second vintage here.
“Ballandean Estate is soon to release some fresh new wine styles.
“We’d like to thank our 60,000-plus visitors who came through our cellar door over the year, and especially those who took the time to leave a review. We are deeply grateful to our cellar door dream team, the people that bring their passion for wine to work and share it every day. We will continue to expand Ballandean Estate’s visitor offering.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
As the world’s largest travel guidance platform, Tripadvisor has unparalleled authority with travellers and diners. This award is based on genuine feedback from anyone in the community who has visited and left an authentic, first-hand review on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period, making it a valuable and trustworthy designation of great places to visit.
“Congratulations to Ballandean Estate on its recognition in Tripadvisor’s® Travellers’ Choice® Awards for 2024,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor.
“Travellers’ Choice honours businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. This means you have made such a memorable impact on your visitors that many of them took the time to go online and leave a great review about their experience. People rely on Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice seal to help them navigate the myriad of things to see, eat and do across the globe. We hope this recognition continues to drive business to you in 2024 and beyond.”
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.
“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!”
Ballandean Estate took out top accolades last night at the Queensland Wine Awards, held at the Star Hotel in Brisbane. Queensland’s oldest family owned and run winery was awarded Most Successful Exhibitor and Best Viticulturalist (Angelo Puglisi and Robyn Robertson) on the night.
Ballandean Estate was awarded 4 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze medals, bringing its individual medal tally to 14 for the winery.
Young winemaker Boxi Zhen has well and truly cemented his place in the family fold at his first showing since starting the next chapter of his winemaking career. In January 2023, Boxy was handed the reins from Chief Winemaker Dylan Rhymer, who has shaped Ballandean Estate’s reputation for excellence and innovation over 20-plus years.
“We are ecstatic! Every single wine we entered this year was awarded a medal. It’s been a few years since we showed our premium cool climate wines. Drought and fires, we just did not have the volume. Since 2021, however, production has been bouncing back – 2023 is shaping up to be one of our best yet.”
“Boxi’s first foray in Rose saw our 2023 vintage awarded gold, and his small-batch 2023 Viognier was awarded the Stewards Choice prize.”
“Our 2021 Opera Block Shiraz by Dylan took out gold, as did the 2022 Viognier and 2022 Chardonnay –created by Dylan and coaxed by Boxi into the bottle – now that’s what I call a dream transition!”
“We produce wines for Riversands also – each of the five wines they showed were awarded medals too.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Shocked and delighted, winemaker Boxi Zhen says,
“These awards are a great honour. The recognition from our peers and Chief Judge Jim Harre is testament to the incredible fruit produced at Ballandean Estate, the high altitude and cool climate delivering intense flavours and such high acid, such a pleasure to work with.”
“After tasting the brilliant wines showcased at the awards, I am even more determined to experiment and finesse our wines further. Watch this space! We’ll be releasing some small batch minimal intervention wines shortly.”
Boxi Zhen
Ballandean Estate continues its winning streak with a swag of medals awarded this weekend at a national wine show for boutique winemakers. The Australian Small Winemakers Show is held annually in Stanthorpe, attracting wine entries from across Australia and New Zealand.
Vintage 2022 delivered Queensland’s oldest family-owned winery 3 silver and 2 bronze medals, bringing the tally to 5 medals at one of the most prestigious shows on the annual wine circuit.
Ballandean Estate is famed for alternative white varietals, our Strange Birds™! This year, our great Italian whites Malvasia, Fiano and GFM (Giallo Fiano Malvasia) were awarded silver medals, which means they had to score greater than 17/20 points; and be considered exceptional on the palate, with freshness and finesse highly prized by the judging panel.
We’ve just released our 10th vintage of Fiano, a wine we’ve won critical acclaim for since 2012, thanks to its richer Italian style with mouth-watering acidity, grippy texture and mineral undertones. We sell out of this varietal every vintage within weeks.
Malvasia is another of our fastest-moving white wines 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.
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 aromas 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.”
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
A wine pioneer, Angelo’s vinicultural vision has delivered 13 new Strange Birds™ for the Granite Belt Geographical Indication.
Ballandean Estate’s 2022 Viognier and Bolle Rosa, a refreshing sparkling pink Moscato, were both awarded bronze medals. A remarkably strong line up of wines was presented, with a marked increase in medals awarded for each class at the 2022 Australian Small Winemakers Show, which held its inaugural event in 1987, open to small wine producers who crush less than 500 tonne a year.
Ballandean Estate has been recognised by Tripadvisor today as a 2022 Travellers’ Choice award winner. This award celebrates businesses that have received great reviews from cellar door visitors on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. As challenging as the past year was, Ballandean Estate Wines stood out by consistently delivering positive experiences to cellar door visitors.
“We aim to make sure every Ballandean Estate experience is unforgettable. Ballandean Estate is thrilled to be announced as the Granite Belt’s 2022 Best Tour.
The massive increase in visitation over the pandemic has given us the opportunity to innovate with our visitor offering. As a family, we live and breathe wine. Our cellar door is an extension of our Italian hospitality, a place where we can share our stories, heritage and of course our world-class wines!
We are about to open the Granite Belt’s first wine lounge. It will be place for you to bring your friends and family, sink into a leather lounge beside the fire, indulge in a wine flight of your choice, a Strange Bird varietal, or a glass of our 50th Anniversary Opera Block Shiraz.”
LEEANNE PUGLISI-GANGEMI
“Congratulations to the 2022 Travellers’ Choice Winners,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor.
The Travellers’ Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: your guests.”
Ballandean Estate’s 2019 Nebbiolo took home the Trophy for Best Italian Red Varietal at the Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge. Angelo Puglisi, founder of Queensland’s oldest family-owned and -operated winery, accepted the prize at the Brisbane awards dinner held at 66 on Ernest restaurant at Southbank, Thursday 26 May 2022.
Wine analysis
Colour—Pale ruby with orange hues
Nose—Cherry, tar and roses
Palate—Medium-bodied with red fruits, strong tannins, high acidity and earthy tones
Alcohol/Volume—2%
Cellaring potential—Drink now to 5 years
Winemaker—Dylan Rhymer
Viticulturist—Angelo Puglisi
RRP $42
Estate owner Angelo Puglisi says,
“Experimenting with varieties that fit our unique climate and terroir is what gets me excited. In 2001, I thought it was about time we had an Italian red under our belt. Hailing from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region, this grape is known for producing bold red flavours, grippy tannins, and high natural acidity — all while looking as pale as Pinot Noir.
Nebbiolo was our first Italian Strange Bird™ planting. We call it the Italian version of Pinot Noir at the cellar door. Lighter in body, big tannins, cherry, tar and roses on the nose, ruby and orange hues synonymous with aged Nebbiolo—it’s a real food wine.
Nebbiolo is a finicky variety to grow in Ballandean, but when it’s right, it is so right! Incredibly sensitive to terroir—it needs great drainage and a long, bright growing season,” says Mr Puglisi.
ANGELO PUGLISI
Overcoming low yield with great viticulture
Ballandean Estate’s high altitude, cool climate and granite traprock soils on Bellevue’s slopes saw the vines mature a low yield initially. Angelo Puglisi overcame this by using a different pruning approach that produces more fruit bunches. The fruit is the last to be harvested, as it matures slowly with the cool nights at the end of growing season.
Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge
The Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge is in its third year. Queensland-grown alternate varieties take on the best of Europe in this unique event hosted by Queensland Wine Industry Association. The varietals are judged and benchmarked against wines from their place of origin.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi of
Ballandean Estate on the Granite Belt has been honoured with the prestigious
Samuel Bassett Award at this week’s 36th Queensland Wine Awards. One of
Australia’s most influential woman in
wine, Leeanne is the third Puglisi family member to receive this award,
which recognises a major contribution by an individual to the Queensland wine
industry.
I am truly humbled by this. To stand in the company of industry greats such as Terry Morris from Sirromet and my wine pioneer parents is awe-inspiring. Educating national and international consumers about the quality of Queensland wines is what drives me. That and expanding on my family’s legacy to the Granite Belt.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi
Leeanne’s father Angelo Puglisi, Ballandean Estate’s founder and industry pioneer was presented with the inaugural Bassett award in 2003. Estate Matriarch Mary Puglisi was the first female to be recognised for her contribution to the Queensland wine industry with this award in 2015. Estate manager and sister Robyn Puglisi-Henderson collected the award on Leeanne’s behalf in Brisbane on Tuesday 4 September.
We just live and breathe fine wine! It’s great to see Leeanne recognised for her advocacy. She’s worked tirelessly as an industry ambassador for decades.
I picked up the award on her behalf, as Leeanne was at a board meeting of Australian Grape and Wine in Adelaide. This is yet another place where she is the voice of Queensland wine, making sure we are not forgotten.
Leeanne loves a chat at the cellar door, as she does the opportunity to talk strategic Australian wine industry direction with politicians and industry heavyweights.
Robyn Puglisi-Henderson
Ballandean Estate has a rich
history of empowered women in wine. Business and Export Manager Robyn
Puglisi-Henderson developed the export trade from zero to 20% of business
turnover in just five years, and has opened up export trade to China, where
there is significant demand for Ballandean’s premium reds.
Leeanne and Robyn’s grandmother
Josephine was a true Australian pioneer and business woman. Arriving in
Australia from Sicily at just 12 years of age, she went on to build the
foundation of Ballandean Estate with her father and husband over four decades.
She stared down the Australian army demanding to put her husband and father in
internment camps and surrender of farm machinery during World War 2, and
instead, she negotiated a deal to supply their crops to feed the Army as an
alternative.
At just 19 years of age, estate matriarch
and wine pioneer Mary Puglisi visualised opening a cellar door and being the
catalyst for Queensland’s Barossa and Hunter Valley on the Granite Belt with
husband Angelo Puglisi. She spent 50 years building the Granite’s Belt’s
thriving tourism industry.
Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi was recently voted onto the Winemaker’s Federation board, and is Queensland’s first female voice and vote.
The Bassett Award is named after
wine industry pioneer Samuel Bassett who established Bassett’s Winery at Roma
in 1863 and went on to win many medals for his wines, including 10 of the 11
awarded at the 1901 Royal Brisbane Show.
ENDS
For all media
enquiries please contact:
Leeanne
Puglisi-Gangemi or Robyn Puglisi-Henderson
