It has been 18 months since the Strange Bird emerged from the Queensland wine capital, but this week the flock has expanded.
Strange Bird is the quirky name given to the Granite Belt alternative wine trail and the brochure has just been reprinted.
It gives adventurous wine lovers a chance to let their taste buds wander off the well-worn path of classic grape varieties. The self-drive trail enables them to meet the ?alternative? winemakers in and around Stanthorpe.
Since the trail was launched in November 2007 it has captured the imagination of wine-lovers and wine writers.
With the 2009 vintage tucked away, three new wineries have joined the trail. North of Stanthorpe this now includes Heritage Wines and south of town now features Felsberg and Rumbalara. Heritage?s Reserve Chardonnay won the national 2008 Winestate Wine of the Year. Felsberg is now operating under new owners from the Hunter Valley while Rumbalara?s owners have made a feature of their South African heritage.
New varieties to be awarded Strange Bird status include two reds: Cabernet Franc which is planted extensively in Bordeaux and Jacquez (pronounced Ja-kes), a variety which is popular in Spain and Portugal.
Of the 53 separate wines on the trail, the Spaniard Tempranillo remains the winemaker?s favourite being produced by ten wineries; in white number one is Viognier which originates from Dalmatian.
Chair of the Wine Sub-committee at Granite Belt Wine & Tourism Inc (GBWT), Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi commented, ?The challenge with creating a trail like this was to maintain interest, momentum and quality, so we are pleased to have moved forward on these fronts.
?Strange Bird has developed its own following with visitors walking through our cellar doors clutching the map. Strange Bird?s Facebook now features winemaker profiles and this has given an insight to some of the talent ? or should I say characters ? which have produced these alternative wines. In a word, Strange Bird has been a HIT for the Granite Belt.?
Information plus a downloadable map is available online at the official website of
May 26, 2009 Rating
Brilliant idea! by: Bill
Well done Granite Belt. A small winery region cannot possibly compete on price with the huge southern companies when it comes to the big 4 varietals. What these Granite belt wineries provide is something new, novel and exciting.
I tasted Golden Grove Winery's "Mediterranean Blend" of Tempranillo, Nebbiolo and Barbera - fantastic blending, making a better wine than each of the 3 tasted separately.
Looking forward to more new wines and wineries added to the trail.
Oct 17, 2008 Rating
A great idea by: Anonymous
Cleverly done and informative, this map will help you find wineries with something a little different.
