Brisbane

Sirromet

Star Cellar Door

Take the freeway from Brisbane towards the Gold Coast and you do not have to go far before you’ll find the turn-off to Sirromet, Mount Cotton, a 225-hectare estate with views over Moreton Bay. Vineyards are mostly located on the Granite Belt (winemaker, Adam Chapman, even got his chopper licence to cut down on travelling time) but the main estate has extensive facilities and a 10-hectare exhibition vineyard.

Sirromet is the premium cellar door facility in Queensland and one of the leading operations in Australia. With 3,000 to 4,000 visitors every week, Sirromet must surely be the envy of almost every other cellar door in the country. Founded by local businessman Terry Morris, it boasts a number of attractions on top of the state-of-the-art winery: a first-class restaurant, Lurleen’s, run by the highly regarded local chef, Andrew Mirosch; cellar door facilities offering Devonshire teas, coffee and platters seven days a week with a more substantial menu from Wednesday to Sunday and premium tastings from Thursday to Sunday; the Tuscan Terrace with outdoor seating for 400; a children’s playground; a working worm farm; and charming accommodation within the grounds at Merlot House. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of tours of the estate and winery, and live music is offered on the weekends. To all this, they have added an extensive wine education program in the form of the international WSET certificate, under Chapman’s direction. KEN GARGETT

OUTSTANDING WINE: 2010 Sirromet Le Sauvage Chardonnay, A$89