Ballandean Estate open the Granite Belt’s first wine lounge

Robyn Puglisi-Henderson, Leeanne Puglis-Ganfgemi, Mary Puglisi, Graeme Haynes, Wine Lounge Manager. Image Ballandean Estate

Fourth-generation Ballandean estate vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi said she has been wanting to open a wine lounge for years.

The opening of ‘The Barrel Room’ marks the region’s first wine lounge and hopes to be a step forward for the region as a whole.

“We hope to provide a first-class, relaxed, extended tasting experience here. Visitors can sit back and indulge in fine wine and local produce from 9am to 5pm each day,” she said.

“Our signature grazing platters are accompanied by a tasting of premium wines, of your choice. You can expect to be served wine several times as you enjoy your platter.

“Over the last two weeks, the venue has undergone a significant renovation into an intimate moody space, accented by lighting, leather and luxury, with a roaring fire as its heartbeat.

“Sink into a leather lounge beside the fire, indulge in a wine flight of your choice, a Strange Bird varietal, or a glass of our 50th Anniversary Opera Block Shiraz.

“The massive increase in visitation over the pandemic has given us the opportunity to innovate with our visitor offering.

“This has been years in the making, and the first time in 30 years we have stepped back from having an onsite restaurant.

“As a family, we live and breathe wine. We want the wine lounge to be an extension of our Italian hospitality, a place where we can share our stories, heritage and of course our world-class wines.”

 

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