Our 2019 Pre-Conference Excursion will take place October 7 – 9 in the Granite Belt Wine Region of Queensland, with cooperation from the Queensland Wine Industry Association and Granite Belt Wine Tourism.
Due to limited space, pre-conference and post-conference excursions are only open to registered conference attendees. The excursion is limited in numbers and registration is first come, first served.
About the Granite Belt Region
At 1000 metres elevation, the air seems fresher and the sky more blue in Granite Belt Wine Country, Queensland. Discover a landscape of dramatic beauty and diversity, including unique National Parks where giant granite formations emerge from thick forests and an exciting, emerging wine region.
The Granite Belt is one of Australia’s most electric new wine regions. It’s distinctive, cool climate wines are winning critical acclaim and accolades like never before. The region has specifically targeted to become and now has a growing reputation as one of Australia’s top producers of alternative variety wines – known here as Strange Birds. To be called an alternative, a variety must represent not more than 1% of the total bearing vines in Australia as defined by Wine Australia. So this pre-conference excursion will be an excellent way to sample unique wines you might not already know.
Right in the heart of the Granite Belt is the thriving community of Stanthorpe, home to around 5,500 inhabitants. Stanthorpe has some fine century-old buildings, an Art Gallery that has an impressive collection of paintings and ceramics gathered over many years, and the Queensland College of Wine Tourism.
You will need to get to and back from Brisbane and book your own accommodations at a location the excursion organizers will recommend. For a small cost of $35 (USD), the excursioin includes four meals, multiple winery visits and tastings, an optional hike in a National Park, a visit to the Queensland College of Wine Tourism, and local transportation.
For the full itinerary of the excursion, click here. Not yet registered? Visit our Registration Page today!