8 Ideas for Creating Romantic Moments in Wine Country
Impress your partner in Granite Belt Wine Country… we’ve got options for EVERY budget!
It’s all just a day-trip or weekender away in the Southern Queensland countryside (2hrs from Toowoomba and 2.5hrs from Brisbane).
1. Going Back to the Chapel
Coffee and cakes under $15
So it may not be the chapel of love… but it’s the chapel of wine and isn’t that even better. Romantic feel-goods come easy when your venue is a cute chapel and we know just the one!
Heritage Estate’s cellar door north of Stanthorpe along the New England Highway has the romantic setting all ready and waiting, 7 days a week. Inside the old chapel is decked with the charm of antique chairs, silver vases and beautiful wood panelling all around. It’s a lovely wine tasting spot, coupled with morning or afternoon tea, or a light lunch.
2. Business Class… Without Taking Off
Purchase from $45 bottle
Treat your partner to a Qantas Business Class experience, without the expense of the flights! Symphony Hill Wines at Ballandean are offering complimentary cellar door wine tastings of all three of their wines which are currently being served on Qantas Business Class.
Treat your partner to this fine wine tasting experience and choose your favourite bottle together to take home. Symphony Hill are open 7 days.
- 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $95 (rated 5 stars James Halliday)
- 2016 Reserve Nero d’Avola RRP $65
- 2018 Gewurztraminer RRP $45 GOLD 2018 Australian Small Vigneron Awards
3. Three’s Company at Hidden Creek Vineyard
Hidden Creek Picnic basket for two: from $75
If your relationship is more of a threesome – with your doggie fur-baby coming along, then a romantic waterside picnic at Hidden Creek Winery Café is your go! Their gorgeous picnic baskets, full of local Granite Belt produce can be taken anywhere on the property: under the shady trees; by the waterside or in the vineyard.
There’s also alfresco table seating under shady trees and dining inside with views. Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for lunch (reservations are essential). View the menu.
VIEW MORE GRANITE BELT PICNICS MADE EASY OPTIONS
4. Strawberry Picking and Pink Sparkling Rose!
$ Pay by weight for strawberries.
$24 bottle Girraween Estate Sparkling Rose.
Take a romantic stroll through the strawberry patch at Ashbern Farms in Stanthorpe (season open October to May), picking your own strawberries to take home.
And for the perfect romantic pairing – take a country drive down to Girraween Estate cellar door and purchase some of their famed Sparkling Rose – their most popular wine. It has beautiful aromas of strawberries and Turkish delight and a palate packed with flavour.
View the Strange Bird Wine Trail Map to find Girraween Estate nearby to Balancing Rock Wines and Pyramids Road Wines – all in the picturesque Wyberba Valley near Girraween National Park. It’s a stunning, picturesque area on the Granite Belt for romantic country drives!
The strawberry farm is open Wednesday to Sunday and Girraween Estate is open Saturday and Sundays.
5. World-class Dining & Full Day Wine Tour
Splurge on an Indulgence with Wine Discovery Tours
If you’re looking to impress, there’s no going past the World-class dining experience of Varias Restaurant at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism in Stanthorpe. It’s open lunch Tuesday to Saturday and dinner Friday and Saturday nights.
To up the romance, visit Varias as part of a private full day wine tour for two, with Wine Discovery Tours. They offer lunch dining at Varias Restaurant as part of all wine tours. Varias’ signature ‘Medley of Mains’ offers the ultimate dining experience, featuring local produce served with 3 main meals side-by-side on a platter, followed by dessert and all with perfectly matching wines! Tour price varies with passenger numbers and high/low season.
More about Wine Discovery tours inclusions.
6. Discover Your Inner ‘Wine Animal’ Together!
Complimentary tastings. $15 per bottle purchase
We guarantee there will be some fun romantic banter on this wine outing… Visit the cellar door at Rumbalara Estate Wines for a wine tasting, where you’ll be invited to discover together what your ‘wine animal’ is. With wines named ‘The Elephant, The Rhino, The Leopard, The Buffalo and The Lion’ it’s fun discovering which one is to your taste.
David the cellar door manager will assure you that you won’t love them all – they are designed so that usually one or a few will stand out and meet your personal taste. Open 7 days a week 10am – 5pm, a short drive south of Stanthorpe.
7. Vineyard Walk to Love-Heart Balancing Rock!
What could be more romantic than a stroll through the vineyard to discover this love-heart shaped granite rock, balancing right in the middle of the vineyard! Balancing Heart Vineyard is located a short drive south east of Ballandean in the beautiful Wyberba Valley area and their trendy new-look cellar door is also a hot spot for sunset pizzas sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings!
8. Heavenly Chocolates in a Cottage Garden
$2.50 Chocolates Made Onsite
The Chocolate Cottage is an affordable indulgence, where chocolates are handmade onsite and can be purchased individually for $2.50. Pair with a decadent European hot chocolate, tea or coffee and share a romantic time together seated in the quaint cottage garden of the cottage.
It’s just a few minutes down the road to Girraween National Park, for walking off the calories.
*Note: Prices prices were current at the time of publishing. Please confirm prices with the operators prior to purchase.