Four Wineries to Explore in Canberra

With a slight change in the season on our preverbal doorstep, it’s probably time to start thinking about how to spend those up coming crisp spring mornings.

If you find yourself in need of replenishing the wine cellar, maybe it’s time you explore the nearby cellar doors to partake in a handful of tastings.

Here at QT, we enjoy our wine and have a little hit list of where you must visit when in the Canberra/NSW wine district. Enjoy (responsibly).

Eden Road Wines
35 sweet road tripping minutes gets you in the heart of the Canberra wine district… which is in New South Wales; a small detail that you will need to overcome. Eden Road are all about small quantities, yielding a delicious product and it bloody well works. With Celine Rousseau at the wine making helm, the taste reflects those local flavours and instils the need for a case. Try out the award winning Long Road Shiraz, the thing is bold, yet a standout.

Clonakilla
Back in 1971, the first Clonakilla grapes were planted. Today those same grapes produce some of the finest reds in the country. There are many to try from the Shiraz to the Syrah, but the one you don’t want to miss is the Shiraz Viognier. It won’t stop winning awards and you’ll realise why, after that first taste. It also comes in a magnum… a handy takeaway size.

Mount Majura
With the winery just 19 minutes from the heart of Canberra, Mount Majura sits just inside the Canberra fence line by a cosy 900 meters. The cellar door is a beautiful piece of design and the wine only matches this. On lime lined soil facing east, the team here have been able to produce a Tempranillo better than most. Get around it.

Long Rail Gully Wines
Food and wine partnerships come and go. Some sound weird when you first hear about it. You question the core values you hold as a human. Then you head along to Long Rail Guly Wines and enjoy their Pinot Noir with a meat pie and that’s the moment you fall in love. Possibly one of the finest pairings in the world.

words by ben stephens