Queensland wineries band together to harvest ahead of Cyclone Alfred

Mario Gangemi (left) and Elijah Smith (right) with Ballandean Estate’s freshly-harvested fruit. Image courtesy Ballandean Estate

Situated in Queensland’s Granite Belt, Ballandean Estate’s production facility is now at full capacity after successfully harvesting 95% of Vintage ’25, dodging the looming threat of Cyclone Alfred last week.

Fourth-generation vigneron Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi reflected on the whirlwind week.

“We are high and dry for Vintage 25! Over the weekend, we received just 15mm of rain here at Ballandean, and we are counting our blessings—almost 200 tonnes of fruit,” said Puglisi-Gangemi.

“Last week, we brought in Shiraz, Durif, and Merlot grapes, all of which were ready early thankfully. A big shout out to the harvesting team from Sirromet Wines—Phil, Doug, and Brad—who went above and beyond to help us bring in most of our harvest before Cyclone Alfred arrived. We have just a small parcel of our Shiraz and Cabernet out to finish ripening.”

*Fruit being brought in on Tuesday 6 March, the day before Cyclone Alfred weather effects were due to arrive. Image courtesy Ballandean Estate*

“We harvested just nine tonnes of fruit during drought back in 2020, which placed terrible stress on our vines. It took them three years to recover—perfect timing for our new winemaker Boxi Zhen, who now has three outstanding vintages to his credit.”

Puglisi-Gangemi said she believes the rush to complete the harvest will lead to an exceptional vintage.

“The weather has really worked in our favour this year, our dams are full, we had vintage start early in January, no hail and minimal rain conditions bringing the sugars up early for beautifully balanced fruit with an acidic spine. Our next few years of wines are just looking better and better!

The recent ex-cyclone has kept some visitors at bay, and Puglisi-Gangemi explained that the winery only saw a “smattering” of guests from the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay over the weekend.

“We just want to assure weather-affected wine lovers that you can expect a warm welcome at Ballandean Estate once you’re ready,” said Puglisi-Gangemi.

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