Fancy a glass of wine with your sunshine? Gold Coast wineries produce some fabulous offerings for wine lovers, and a visit to some of our beautiful vineyards, cellar doors, wine bars and restaurants should feature on any foodie’s itinerary. With views as good as the vino, we suggest a long lunch and a designated driver.
WITCHES FALLS WINERY
There’s something very special about the vibe inside this beautiful boutique winery. Located at Mt Tamborine, Witches Falls Winery combines a pleasant garden setting and a sleek, modern tasting room with staff who make you feel right at home.
Their winemaking practices combine traditional techniques with some of the most modern and advanced practices to produce wines of exceptional quality, character and consistency. Perhaps that’s part of the reason legendary Australian wine writer, James Halliday, rated this a Five Star Winery, putting it in the top 10 percent of all wineries in the country.
You can watch grapes grow as you taste an array of wines, accompanied by a platter of local cheeses. While their grapes are grown on the Granite Belt 200 km south-west, all the vino is made on site, allowing the winemakers to monitor every step of the process.
CEDAR CREEK ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY
One of the largest Gold Coast wineries, Cedar Creek Estate boasts the wide range of wines and is a truly charming place to visit. Enter down a tree-lined driveway, past Chambourcin and Verdelho grapes ripening on the vine. You can taste everything from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Shiraz and Moscato at their cellar door.
Enjoy lunch at the onsite restaurant set beside a picturesque garden overlooking the vineyards. Dine alfresco in the sunshine or eat inside during winter beside a cosy log fire. Add a hearty glass of the 2019 Merlot or a nip of their chocolate port and you’ll be warmed all the way through. Devonshire Tea is available for morning and afternoon tea.
There’s also a glow worm cave at Cedar Creek Estate and it’s the only place in Queensland you can see them glow during the day. Your admission money helps support their conservation. When you’re done with worms and wine (and lunch) you can also check out the Arthur Hamblin Gallery – the father of Australian outback art for over 50 years.
O’REILLY’S CANUNGRA VALLEY VINEYARDS
If there’s a vineyard that epitomises the Gold Coast’s hinterland, it’s O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards. Owned by the same family who have owned O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park for over 100 years, this winery is located just outside the tiny town of Canungra.
Perfect for a day trip, you can indulge in a wine tasting here, then take a picnic basket (they’ll provide everything) out beside the pretty creek, which runs through the 15 acre property. Or have lunch inside the 163-year-old historic homestead that houses their tasting room.
On weekends, local musicians play outside where you’ll soak up lush views of rolling hills, country estates and the rainforest of the nearby national park. Choose between wines as diverse as Shiraz and Verdelho. It’s a great spot for the whole family – kids will love the alpaca farm on the property where you can pat alpacas or take them for a walk.
SIRROMET WINES
Set at Mt Cotton – just a an hour’s drive north of the Gold Coast – Sirromet Wines is a family owned and run winery spread across eight lush hectares. The winery and tasting room sit at the property’s highest point providing stunning views in every direction of rolling green meadows framed by towering gums. It’s like a little taste of Tuscany in Australia.
Since they opened their doors in 2000, Sirromet has collected nearly 900 national and international awards for its wines. Like all Gold Coast wineries, they get their fruit from the Granite Belt Region. Renowned for its unique combination of rich soil, high altitude and cool climate it produces world-class wine grapes. From those grapes, Sirromet create a wide range of wines including lesser known varietals like Montepulciano and sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay.
Onsite restaurant, The Tuscan Terrace, delivers wonderful seasonal flavours of the freshest local produce and ingredients, showcasing a menu prepared in traditional home-cooked Tuscan style. Enjoy a long lunch with accompanying wines on the timber deck or under the shade of fig trees. You won’t want to leave, and in fact, you don’t have to. Extend your stay and book a night in Sirromet’s onsite accomodation – beautiful tented pavilions that offer comfort and style in a tranquil bush setting.
PINEAPPLE TOURS
If you’re wondering how to solve the debate about who’ll be designated driver for a day of wining and dining, here’s the perfect solution. Pineapple Tours specialise in both small private tours and custom-tailored winery tours for groups – a great way to meet fellow wine lovers! Book a full day tour and you’ll see the best family-owned boutique wineries in the region, where you’ll be guided through a tasting of between six and 10 wine varietals.
You’ll also enjoy a two-course gourmet lunch with stops at cheese factories and the famous Tamborine Mountain Distillery. If you’re a sweet tooth, you’ll want to fit in a visit to the local fudge store too. There’s also the option to include a private champagne breakfast, or champagne sunset from Mt Tamborine looking out towards the Great Diving Range. Have your phone ready to capture truly spectacular views.
Tours are designed to make it feel like you’re being taken out by a knowledgeable friend. The drivers and tour guides love a yarn and go above and beyond to ensure you have a fun day full of amazing food, fabulous wines and spectacular locations.
LA BELLA CELLAR
You’ll need to know where to go to find Gold Coast’s newest wine bar, or you might walk right past it. La Bella Cellar is tucked away in a suburban street in Burleigh. The exterior is elegantly understated – look for the timber door and single cactus outside.
With its white walls, indoor garden and chic, but casual, speak-easy style, this restaurant is the perfect spot to wine and dine. You’ll find wines you’ve never seen before from Spain, Italy and France – and Australia. If you prefer a different tipple, try some Italian-inspired cocktails, like the Tuscan Sour or The Don. There’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to cheese, and the peach and vanilla bean panna cotta is an equally enticing dessert option.
SOFIA’S RESTAURANT & BAR
Catch a cab to Broadbeach (or walk if you’re staying local) for a long lunch at Sofia’s Restaurant & Bar. With a huge array of wines from exotic European countries, you’ll need some time to make your selection. The wait staff know their stuff so ask for their input if you just can’t decide.
Meals are intended to be shared and the menu is all about enjoying simple, delicious food with your favourite people.. and quality wines of course. Chef, Damien Styles, has worked in the Gold Coast’s most prestigious eateries, as well as some the best in Melbourne. Plates of antipasto include grilled marinate artichokes, Kingfish crudo with blood orange dressing and home-made linguine with king prawns, garlic and chili. The fit out emulates a classic coastal European setting. Think white-washed walls, dramatic flourishes of colour and exposed brick that looks hundreds of years old. Make sure you leave room for dessert – the house-made tiramisu is heaven.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Destination Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.