South Burnett Wine - Crane Wines, Kingaroy

Top: Relaxing at Crane Wines' cellar door is a fun way to spend a lazy weekend .
Above Left: Crane's cellar door caters for both individuals and bus tour groups (by prior arrangement).
2nd Left: A view of the beautifully restored Crane Homestead
3rd Left: Sampling another Crane award-winner at the Wine &amp; Food in the Park Festival , which is held in Kingaroy on the second Saturday every March.
4th Left: Dylan , the good-natured and gentle Crane's Wine Dog who'll greet you on arrival
5th Left: Beautiful gardens are a special feature of the Crane Wines estate
Bottom: A breath-taking view over the Booie Range, which can be seen from Crane's cellar door

Crane's Vineyard and Winery is located 10 km north-east of Kingaroy off the Bunya Highway. Grapes were first grown on the property in the early 1900s, but today's vineyards were established in the early 1990s by pioneering South Burnett winemaker John Crane. Today the property is owned by Bernie and Judy Cooper, who took over from John in 2004.

Crane's vineyards cover 3 acres and the principal grape varieties grown on the property are chambourcin, shiraz, albarino and vermentino. Cranes have their own commercial winery on the property (where they produce wines for several South Burnett vineyards) and this allows them to produce chardonnay, verdelho, cabernet, merlot, semillion and viogner too.

Crane Wines also produce wine blends; sparkling wines; liqueurs; a cream sherry; a late harvest frontignac; a full range of ports; and grappa. Crane Wines have won numerous awards over the years including top honours at the Queensland Wine Awards.

You can visit Crane Wines cellar door from 10:00am to 4:00pm seven days a week (except for Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day morning). In addition to wine, the cellar door also has an extensive range of hand-made natural soaps and body products; home-made jams, chutneys, preserves, sauces and condiments; and wine gift boxes, port barrels and gift baskets.

The cellar door stocks platters of local cheeses, and bus groups are always very welcome by appointment. There's plenty of free parking in the grounds too. And you can stay on the property overnight at Crane Wines Bed & Breakfast.