"When people picture the Sunshine Coast, they see golden beaches and breezy cafés. But behind the coastline — up the winding roads of the Blackall Range — lies one of Queensland's most compelling wine stories."
A cluster of boutique vineyards producing everything from crisp Verdelho and perfumed Chambourcin to rich fortified ports and wildflower honey mead has been quietly growing since the late 1990s. Vineyards are scattered across dramatically different microclimates — from the cooler, elevated slopes of Montville and Maleny (420 m above sea level) where morning mists roll through the vines, to the warmer subtropical valleys near Eumundi, Traveston and Doonan where Chambourcin and Merlot thrive in rich volcanic soils.
The region was declared a UNESCO Biosphere in June 2022, joining the existing Noosa and Great Sandy Biosphere Reserves — placing its vineyards within a globally recognised zone of biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. For visitors, this means cellar doors framed by subtropical rainforest, views across ancient volcanic peaks and an approach to winemaking that values provenance as much as flavour.
Below is the definitive guide to every winery worth visiting. For guided tours with transport included, see our Sunshine Coast winery tours page.
🏆 Flagship Winery
Flame Hill Vineyard
The Sunshine Coast's undisputed flagship winery. Perched at the highest point in Montville, Flame Hill produces 100% estate-grown wines from three vineyards — the home Montville property (planted 1998, with Verdelho, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) and two cool-climate Granite Belt vineyards near Stanthorpe where some plantings are up to 80 years old. Early German settlers in nearby Witta grew grapes on the same rich volcanic soil a century and a half ago, delivering wine to the Landsborough hotel by horseback.
The award-winning cellar door and restaurant sit on the crest of the hill. The kitchen uses estate-grown beef and herbs, and the terrace delivers sweeping views across rolling hills to the ocean. Tasting flights are $15 per person for five wines. The annual Stomp grape harvest festival — where guests literally stomp grapes in barrels alongside live music and estate food — is one of the most joyful events on the Sunshine Coast calendar.
Visit flamehill.com.au →Grape Varieties
Verdelho, Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Shiraz + Granite Belt wines
Opening Hours
Open for tastings, lunch & events — check current days at flamehill.com.au
Getting There
30 min from Maroochydore · 75 min from Brisbane · Just outside Montville village
Don't Miss
Annual Stomp festival · Dessert wines · Terrace lunch with panoramic views
🛢️ The Barrel
Clouds Vineyard — The Barrel
You can't miss it: a multi-function space shaped like a giant wine barrel, set against the sweeping scenery of the Maleny hinterland. The Barrel at Clouds showcases the best wines from South East Queensland, with a rotating monthly focus on different wineries — primarily from the Granite Belt and Stanthorpe regions — alongside the estate's own Chambourcin grapes first planted in 1999.
The tasting room features an extensive range from sweet to sparkling to full-bodied reds, complemented by local craft beer from Copperhead Brewery and Sunshine Coast Brewery. Cheese and meat platters, a bistro menu and generous, shaded grounds make this a natural pairing with nearby Maleny Cheese — the region's essential food-and-wine combination.
Grape Varieties
Chambourcin (estate) + rotating Granite Belt & Stanthorpe wines
Wine Range
Sweet, dry, sparkling, full-bodied, fortified & Reserve
Location
Maleny hinterland · 30 min from Caloundra · Near Maleny Cheese & Brouhaha Brewery
Don't Miss
Cheeseboard + wine flight · Craft beer on tap · The barrel architecture
🌿 Most Intimate
Dingo Creek Vineyard
The first vineyard established in the former Gympie Shire and consistently described as one of the prettiest wineries on the Sunshine Coast. Nestled on 26 picturesque acres overlooking Mount Cooroora, Dingo Creek grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, along with a luscious liqueur Muscat and the beloved Honey Mead. The cellar door is a charming timber building with a wide covered deck — relaxed, personal and genuinely a world away from the coast.
Bookable tastings include six premium wines and a souvenir glass. The signature grazing platters pair beautifully with the wines, and private picnics among the vines can be pre-arranged. Under new operators Doug and Michelle Tritton the range has recently expanded from four to nine varieties, with the Club Dingo wine club also launching for enthusiasts.
Visit dingocreek.com.au →Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Sauv Blanc, Merlot, Muscat, Honey Mead
Opening Hours
Friday–Sunday, 11 am–5 pm · Bookings recommended
Getting There
40 min from Noosa · Via Cooroy & Pomona · Off the Bruce Highway
Don't Miss
Honey Mead · Picnic in the vines · Souvenir tasting glass included
🏡 B&B Property
Noosa Valley Winery
A genuine hidden gem just 10 minutes from Noosa's Hastings Street. Owned by George and Sue Mullins (who came from Ireland in the early 1990s and never left), this 13-acre bed-and-breakfast property has 550 Chambourcin vines planted at the front. The first crop was harvested in 2003 and sent to the historic Robinson Family Wines at Ballandean — a winery with connections extending back to the earliest days of Queensland viticulture. Noosa Valley acts as a satellite cellar door for Robinson's award-winning range.
The property offers comfortable rooms with en suites, a deep saltwater pool, golf driving range, pool table and BBQ area — perfectly positioned for day trips to Eumundi Markets, Noosa beaches and hinterland trails. Best suited to adult getaways and small corporate events seeking a quiet wine-country base.
Grape Varieties
Chambourcin (estate) + Robinson Family Wines full range
Opening Hours
Wednesday–Saturday, 11 am–5 pm
Getting There
Doonan · 10 min from Noosa · 10 min from Eumundi Markets
Don't Miss
Award-winning Robinson reds · Weekend B&B stay · Unbeatable proximity to Noosa & Eumundi
🍽️ Full Restaurant
Ocean View Estate
A stunning hinterland escape set on 100 acres of vineyards and natural bushland, Ocean View Estate sits halfway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast on the scenic Mount Mee Road. Founded in 1998 and now run by a father-daughter winemaking team, all wines are estate-grown and produced entirely on site.
The glass-and-pole restaurant overlooks the lake and vineyard with an acclaimed à la carte menu by chef Tony Tierney, incorporating estate wines and local produce. Gourmet picnic hampers can be ordered for the lawns. Three vineyard cottages with spas and fireplaces offer overnight stays. Behind-the-scenes winery tours take you right to the fermentation vats. Fully accessible and pet-friendly — a rare combination among the region's producers.
Visit oceanviewestates.com.au →Grape Varieties
Cab Sauv, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Shiraz, Merlot, Sauv Blanc, Rosé, Sparkling, Fortified
Opening Hours
Thu–Sat from 10am · Sun from 8:30am · Mon 10am–3pm · Closed Tue/Wed
Getting There
2557 Mt Mee Rd, Ocean View · 50 min from Brisbane via Dayboro
Don't Miss
Lakeside long lunch · Picnic hampers · Vineyard cottages · Behind-the-scenes tour
More Cellar Doors Worth Visiting
Mason Wines — Montville
An easy stroll from the Montville village main street, Mason Wines operates a tasting cellar door alongside the boutique shops and galleries. The winery's home base is in Ballandean on the Granite Belt, where they produce hand-crafted wines. The Montville outpost lets you sample their range without the longer drive south — also accessible at Mount Tamborine for those coming from Brisbane.
Castle Glen — Montville
If your palate leans toward liqueurs, ports, schnapps and craft spirits, Castle Glen in Montville village is a treasure trove. Their vast range includes over 50 products — from berry ports and macadamia liqueurs to whisky and brandy. Tastings are generous and genuinely unhurried, and there's no pressure to buy. One of the most distinctive stops on any Montville visit.
Woongooroo Estate — Mount Archer / Kilcoy
A family-owned vineyard producing award-winning reds, whites, sparkling wines and ports since 1997. Phil and Gail Pratten planted their first vines at Mount Archer in the Somerset region alongside a small olive grove. Worth combining with a scenic drive through the D'Aguilar Range for one of the best hinterland day circuits accessible from either Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast.
Winya Wines — Kilcoy
Nestled in the Sandy Creek valley at Kilcoy, Winya is an easy hour's drive from both Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Owners Snow and Sue Pratten ventured into grape growing in 1997 to complement their beef cattle property. The cellar door is a relaxed, country-style stop — the kind of place you arrive intending to stay 20 minutes and leave an hour later.
Grape Varieties of the Sunshine Coast
The region's diverse microclimates — from cooler elevated ridges to warm subtropical valleys — support a surprisingly broad palette of varieties.
🗺️ Self-Drive Route: The Blackall Range Wine Trail
A scenic half-day circuit from the coast through the heart of the hinterland wine region. Allow 4–5 hours with tastings. Designated driver essential — or book a guided tour and let us handle it.
Head inland toward Nambour, then follow the Blackall Range Road up the escarpment through towering hoop pine forest. Allow 25 minutes.
Cellar door tasting flight ($15 pp for 5 wines) and optional lunch on the terrace. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
Stroll the main street and visit two tasting rooms within easy walking distance of each other. 30–45 minutes.
Cheese tasting at Maleny Cheese, then wines at The Barrel. 15-minute drive from Montville. Allow 1–1.5 hours combined.
Scenic descent through the hinterland. Optional craft beer stop at Brouhaha Brewery in Maleny before heading back to the coast.
Events & Seasonal Highlights
Autumn (March–May) is the most exciting time for Sunshine Coast wine lovers. Harvest season brings a buzz to every vineyard, and Flame Hill's Stomp festival — where guests are invited to stomp grapes in barrels accompanied by live music and estate food — is a calendar highlight that genuinely captures the spirit of the hinterland. Book early: tickets are limited and sell out annually.
Winter (June–August) brings clear skies, comfortable hinterland temperatures (typically 19–22°C) and pleasantly fewer crowds at the cellar doors. It's arguably the best season for leisurely wine tasting — cool enough to appreciate fuller reds by a fire in the late afternoon, but bright enough for al fresco lunches with panoramic views. Many operators run seniors-friendly winter wine tours during this season.
Spring and Summer bring lush green vineyards and the longest daylight hours for late-afternoon tastings. Spring is also prime farmers market season, with the Eumundi, Noosa and Caloundra markets pairing perfectly with a winery morning.
Year-round, the Saturday Eumundi Markets (7 AM–2 PM) and Sunday Noosa Farmers Market (7 AM–12 PM) offer hinterland cheeses, artisan bread, macadamia products, local honey and charcuterie that make excellent companions to bottles purchased on tour.
Companion Stops Along the Wine Trail
No Sunshine Coast wine day is complete without the food producers that surround the vineyards. Maleny Cheese on the Blackall Range is the essential pairing — their tasting room offers locally made cheeses alongside yoghurts and deli products. Fudgyboombahs in Montville offers 70+ handmade fudge flavours. Kenilworth Dairies produces artisan yoghurts and cream that supply much of the region's restaurant scene.
For craft spirits, Sunshine & Sons in Woombye (award-winning gin, vodka and sugarcane spirits) and Twenty 20 Distillery in Cooroy (the acclaimed GEORGE gin) make excellent additions to any wine route. And Brouhaha Brewery in Maleny — wood-fired pizzas, hinterland-inspired pub food and award-winning beers — is the perfect craft beer finish to a long day among the vines.
Planning Your Winery Visit
Everything you need to know before driving up the Blackall Range.
