We’re bursting to tell you… there are a few fab reasons why Granite Belt wineries are beautiful and brilliant to visit in spring.
Spring is bud burst time in the vineyards!
Photo: Jester Hill Wines | Credit: Lachlan Gardiner
During the early weeks of spring bud bursts can be seen everywhere in the grapevines across the Granite Belt. The vines which were all dormant through the winter respond to the warming weather by bursting with new shoots.
The order of the different grape varieties bud bursting tends to be the same each season, with varieties such as Chardonnay always being amongst the first to appear.
Vibrant green colours through spring!
Following bud burst, the vibrant green leafy growth through spring is beautiful to see against the dark gnarled vines.
Photo: Balancing Heart Vineyard
Why Spring is Great Timing to Meet Winemakers and Vignerons
When spring arrives the winemakers and vignerons can slow down a little after the busy winter tourist season in their cellar doors. It’s common on the Granite Belt to arrive at a cellar door to find it’s the winemaker or the vignerons themselves pouring your wine and during spring there’s more opportunity to spend time hearing the stories of the wines from the very people who crafted them. This is one of the very special characteristics of this wine region – the boutique size of the wineries means you’re closer to the makers!
Taste the Strange Birds
New tastes await along the Granite Belt cellar door tasting trail. ‘Strange Bird’ wines is what we call our rarer variety wines in the Granite Belt – they are varieties that represent less than 1% of Australia’s bearing vines. The Granite Belt wine region specialises in these exciting alternative varieties.
In the whites seek out our: Alvarinho, Chenin Blanc, Fiano, Gewurtztraminer, Marsanne, Petit Manseng, Roussane, Sylvaner, Verdelho, Vermentino and Viognier. In the reds… find out more about our Strange Birds here.
Photo: Golden Grove Estate winemaker Raymond Costanzo is renowned for experimenting with new Strange Bird tastes.
Wildflowers, Apple Blossoms… Spring has Sprung!
The whole of the Granite Belt is a wonder to see in springtime.
“The apple blossoms and wildflowers are in full bloom and bud-burst is underway on the vines. Spring is just a gorgeous time to visit the Granite Belt!” says Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi of Ballandean Estate Wines.
When to see the Wildflowers in Girraween National Park