Keen to see what the Southern Tablelands have to offer for lovers of food and wine? While you may not be familiar with cool climate wines just yet, we promise that by the end of this road trip through our local wineries, you’ll have found your new favourite.
Queanbeyan
Leaving from Queanbeyan, head on to Yass Road, then turning right onto Sutton Road before taking a right turn onto Norton Road for the wineries of Wamboin and Bywong. Here, you’ll find three local wineries, Norton Road Wines, Contentious Character and Lark Hill Winery, which also boast fantastic restaurants on-site, ranging from American BBQ to Modern Australian.
Norton Road Wines
First up is Norton Road Wines. The small batch cool climate winery is a family owned venture specialising in growing and making small batch cool climate wines that reflect the terroir of the region. Their vineyard is a small four acre parcel of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Riesling, but they also showcase cool climate wines from across the local Canberra District wine region and have a selection of beers, ciders and spirits on offer for those looking for something different. On the weekends, you can also indulge in their feasts of American BBQ at their restaurant, Biggies BBQ.
Lark Hill Winery
Continuing down Norton Road and onto Bungendore Road, you’ll then find Lark Hill Winery. The biodynamic winery seeks to replace conventional methods of winemaking with natural alternatives. This means that all of their wines are made without manipulation or chemical adjustment, making each of their wines a true representation of their terroir and unique to their vintage.
Sapling Yard
Next, you will arrive in Bungendore Village to visit the Sapling Yard cellar door. Sapling Yard wines are handcrafted using grapes sourced from their boutique vineyard in Braidwood together with the finest quality fruit carefully selected from premium vineyards in Murrumbateman and Tumbarumba regions. To try their wines, visit their cellar door at the Village Square, or find them at Southern Harvest Farmers Markets in Bungendore on Saturday mornings.
Bungendore
Before continuing further, take a break in Bungendore to explore the cafes, restaurants and boutiques on offer, and enjoy a beautiful meal at one of the local restaurants.
Corang Estate
After finishing up in Bungendore, you’ll next have the option to head towards Tarago, north-east of Bungendore. Here, you’ll find Corang Estate‘s Cellar Door & Pantry. Visit for a wine tasting, learn about the flavours and cool climate styles of the Southern Tablelands and shop a great range of local and regional gourmet foods.
