Stanthorpe’s Savina Lane Winery named best in Queensland, lands spot in top 50 Australian vineyards

A Southern Downs vineyard has made history by becoming the first in Queensland to make the rank in a prestigious list, with its owners saying the region’s unique climate and community feel made them stand out from the pack.

Queensland grapegrower Brad Hutchings at Savina Lane Premium Wines in the Granite Belt (Photo: supplied)

A Southern Downs vineyard has been recognised at a prestigious industry award, becoming Queensland’s first grapegrowers to be named among Australia’s top 50, and it’s set to re-open to visitors in a matter of weeks.

At just over 3ha, Savina Lane Winery at Stanthorpe, owned and operated by Brad and Cheryl Hutchings, was ranked among Australia’s finest vineyards as a finalist in the 2022 Young Gun of Wine Vineyard of the Year Awards.

The couple’s comparatively small sized vineyard provoked further surprised reactions at the awards, with the vineyard being many times smaller than most vineyards recognised and ten times smaller than last year’s winner from the Adelaide Hills wine region.

Queensland grapegrower Brad Hutchings at Savina Lane Premium Wines in the Granite Belt (Photo: Supplied)

Brad Hutchings described the Granite Belt region he calls home as “one of the best kept secrets in the Australian wine industry” and said the harsh winters resulted in a special elegance to their wines, with long and complex nuances to give it a special local charm.

The vineyard is more than 60 years old and was started by Italian immigrants to the region, the Savina family, who came to Australia after World War II.

Mr Hutchings bought the vineyard more than a decade ago following a career as a agronomist and said the best part about growing in the Granite Belt was the small, tight-knit community that growers in the region share, with the wine barons regularly meeting to share a glass and complain about the weather which he said “is something all farmers do”.

“At the (Vineyard of the Year) awards everyone sort of turned their head and was like ‘who is this guy with two heads’ so that was good,” Mr Hutchings said.

“Most of the other top 50 came from more mainstream wine areas like the Barossa and the Adelaide Hills, but I find that we are very lucky in the Granite Belt to have our own ‘sense of place’. Our long, cool growing season gives us a unique texture as well as the fact we’re organic.

“The Granite Belt has the most varieties of wine grown in Australia, about 65 different varieties, and it's a relaxed region with a lovely climate.”

Brad and Cheryl Hutchings at Savina Lane Wines cellar door.

Additionally, Mr Hutchings says the grape grower community around the region has around 36 different cellar doors which gives a fantastic local feel to the industry locally.

“As thousands of Australian grape growers and winemakers struggle with the most sodden start to the growing season they’ve ever experienced – not to mention the flood devastation suffered by many, and the ongoing fallout from the pandemic,” awards panellist Max Allen said.

“It’s good to be reminded that many vignerons across the country are also looking beyond the here-and-now, to long-term sustainability, regeneration and exciting quality improvements in their vineyards,” he said.

Savina Lane opens exclusively to tourists during winter, with bookings available from June 10.

You can book a wine experience at the vineyards cellar during the winter months via their website.