A Wallaroo wine wander: your ultimate food and wine experience
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You’d be forgiven if you thought a trip to a winery is only for sunny days—and for only treating your palate to a vino or two.
Spring might be slow to start (and incredibly wet) but that shouldn’t slow down your weekend getaways—and this week we recommend making a stop in Wallaroo (also known as Hills of Hall) for the ultimate food and wine experience.
Located just 20 minutes from the heart of Canberra’s city, here you’ll find three wineries that not only boast some of the region’s best cool climate wines, but also delicious and decadent food that has been specially designed to complement the character of each grape variety.
And honestly, we dare you to name a better way to spend a wet Saturday than tasting Belgian chocolate fudge and award-winning wines. Ready? Let’s dive in.
Brindabella Hills Winery
It feels only right to start your wine adventure in Wallaroo at Brindabella Hills Winery—a vineyard that was established in 1986 as an experiment in an area where vines had not previously been planted.
The experiment was a success (obviously), and the results include a variety of award-winning wines created using the winemaking philosophy of balance and a story for every vintage. But we digress. Because along with the stunning views of Murrumbidgee River, Brindabella Hills has a unique wine-tasting offering that will make your day even better.
Currently owned by winemaker Michael Anderson (who is so full of knowledge you’ll leave feeling like a sommelier yourself), on Saturdays Brindabella Hills partners with Fudgemental—a local premium Belgium chocolate fudge company that creates delicious morsels designed to be eaten and enjoyed with products from local vintners and distillers. Yes, we’re talking about a wine and chocolate pairing.
And with founder and owner Dekka taking you through the experience, you’ll soon become obsessed with how fudge can help you explore the palate of the wine, enhancing flavours you didn’t even notice during the first sip. Our pick? Strawberry Boosh paired with Chardonnay (the taste of strawberry completely disappears and is replaced with cutting notes of white stone fruit) and Scorched Almond paired with Shiraz (it tastes like Christmas day—literally).
Gluten-free and vegan, the only thing that makes the experience better is the view overlooking the rolling hills above the Murrumbidgee River. Complete with fairy lights and a vine canopy inside, it’s breathtaking—and creates a romantic atmosphere befitting a Jane Austen novel.
Surveyors Hill Vineyard
A few minutes up the road, this family-owned business is located on a 100-acre property and offers a lunch that’s fresh, seasonal, and generous—the perfect foil for their small production of wine that is grown from vines that are over 30 years old.
Perfect for dietary requirements (including gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free), the menu changes from week to week, but we were lucky enough to taste a veg platter complete with hummus, eggplant, white bean, and rosemary drip, beetroot, horseradish, mint and yoghurt dip, garlic mushrooms and Moroccan crushed carrot—and this was just the entrée.
Mains included duck breast seared and oven baked with blood orange sauce, pumpkin ginger purée and roast zucchini—as well as carrot, ricotta, and parmesan gnocchi served with sage butter sauce—while dessert was an alcoholic affogato partnered with a sliver of gluten-free choc-hazelnut torte.
Enjoy the warm, cosy, and informal ambience—and the panoramic view of Surveyors Hill—while escaping the rain, and make sure to try their mostly French grape varieties which include a Tinto that’s a light, elegant and savoury blend of tempranillo and Graciano, and a Roussanne Marsanne that’s perfect for a fine dry palate.
Pankhurst Wines
The final destination on our adventure was a boutique winery established in 1986: Pankhurst Wines.
Situated conveniently close to Surveyors Hill Vineyard and Brindabella Hills Winery, Pankhurst Wines was started by Allan and Christine Pankhurst when they planted their first Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay vines in the very same year. These “old” vines continue to produce spectacular fruit, and the results are award-winning wines you might not have tried before—think varietals like Arneis, Marsanne, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese.
Priding themselves on their low-impact viticultural management, Allan and Christine’s knowledge is impressive—when they explain each wine during the tasting it feels like talking with a friend. And with a cellar door that offers spectacular views of the countryside, we found it the perfect way to end the afternoon.
Wine tasting can also be accompanied by cheese platters featuring boutique cheeses from the New South Wales South Coast with gourmet biscuits and local preserves (so make sure to leave some room after lunch). And as an added bonus, resident dog Abbie will provide some adorable companionship while you sip away.
Looking to make a full day of it? Make sure to stop into boutique winery Capital Wines for a tasting that offers an epicurean food and wine experience (four wines that are paired with four different tasting plates) or book into a Vines & Wines tour for something a little more bespoke (and you won’t need to drive yourself).
Saturday? Sorted!
