CHILLIsphere July 1st

Wine tasting
Bents Road Winery is located in Ballandean, in the Granite Belt region of South
Eastern Queensland. The Granite Belt is renowned for its cool summers and
cold winters.

The terroir is similar to the Rhne Valley in France, and that is why varieties such
as Shiraz and Marsanne, native to that valley, grow so well. At Bents Road
Winery the wines express their true French heritage.

The cool summers allow for the growing of premium grapes slow, steady
ripening that encourages the development of deep and complex flavours.

Bents Road Winery and vineyards are nestled in a small valley at an altitude of
770m, surrounded by untouched Australian bush. This is big sky country fresh
air and wilderness. Kangaroos, wallabies and wild deer roam the property.
Weve even seen a couple of elusive echidna and koalas!
The farm encompasses 40 hectares and includes picturesque wilderness areas
along the Severn River and a commercial olive grove of 350 trees. The property
has had a long history of grape growing and mid-last century, table grapes grew
in abundance. The boutique vineyards include varieties such as Shiraz, Merlot,
Marsanne, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho. The grapes are grown in an
environmentally sustainable manner and all inputs are now organic with a view to
registering fully organic in the near future.

At Bents Road Winery, harvesting takes place during the early hours of the
balmy mornings of February and March. Experienced pickers are assisted by the
winemakers family and friends, as the ripe grapes are cut from vines by hand,
ensuring that the berries are not damaged and that only healthy grapes are
picked. The grapes are transported in small buckets to the winery where they
are gently processed and handcrafted to make wines that reflect the true beauty
of the vineyard.

The Quality of Queensland wines is now recognized as being equal to the best in
Australia. Despite Queensland only producing 1.5% of the national grape crush,
the Granite Belt is now one of the highest award winning wine districts in
Australia when proportioned to its volume of production.

Bents Road Winery winemaker, Glen Robert, has 2 separate degrees in

Biochemistry and Oenology (Winemaking). He has completed vintages at many
wineries including Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley, California (2004), Clovely
Estate (2004 2006), Heritage Estate (2005) and has worked for Sirromet,
Symphony Hill and Granite Ridge Wineries. Bents Road Winery has only been
operating commercially since 2005, however, it has managed to win 3 State and
17 National Awards, including a gold and trophy for the 2005 Cabernet
Sauvignon.