Quealy Winemakers
Star Cellar Door & Cellar Door with Best Accommodation
Quealy was started in 2006 by Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy (both ex-T’Gallant), and the pair quickly established themselves as pioneers of both varietal and winemaking innovation in the region. The cellar door, complete with the friendly tails of winery dogs and a cheerfully windswept Kat (a bottle in one hand, a plate of parmesan crisp bread in the other), is a breath of fresh air and homemade hospitality.Renowned for their approach to Italian varieties – they were the first to bring friulano into Australia – a tasting at the cellar-door offers insight into their approach to grapes like Moscato Giallo and Malvasia Istriana. Quealy also produces notable single-site pinot noir and pinot gris/grigio, sourced from the Tussie Mussie and Musk Creek vineyards, as well as their organically certified winery property. With son Tom McCarthy now head winemaker and Lucas Blanck as vineyard manager, the next generation of Quealy wines are set to maintain the label’s grounding in quality and sustainability, from vineyard to glass. CHRISTINA KAIGG
OUTSTANDING WINE: 2019 Quealy Turbul Friulano, A$40