Queensland's Most Exciting Food & Wine Destination
The Sunshine Coast has quietly become one of Australia's most dynamic food and wine regions, and the hinterland is its beating heart. Rich volcanic soil on the Blackall Range, a maritime climate moderated by ocean breezes, and a patchwork of microclimates — from the cool escarpment around Maleny and Montville to warmer coastal valleys at Eumundi and Traveston — support an impressive range of grape varieties including Shiraz, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc. In June 2022 the Sunshine Coast was declared a UNESCO Biosphere, lending international recognition to both the ecology and the terroir of this emerging wine region.
The drinks story extends far beyond wine. The Sunshine Coast is now Australia's craft beer capital — more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country. Twenty-four-plus independent breweries stretch from Caloundra's beachfront Moffat Beach Brewing Co (Champion Small Australian Brewer) to Maleny's beloved Brouhaha (famous for its Strawberry Rhubarb Sour made with Maleny Dairies yoghurt). New distilleries are arriving every year: Sunshine & Sons at Woombye produces award-winning gin and volcanic rock-filtered vodka from the old Big Pineapple precinct, while Fortune Distillery, Diablo Co, and FortiFied round out a growing spirits scene.
Layer in nationally acclaimed restaurants like Spirit House Yandina, artisan creameries and dairies at Maleny and Kenilworth, the annual Noosa Food and Wine Festival, and a farm-gate culture where the produce was picked that morning, and you have a food and drink destination that rivals regions many times its size — with Glass House Mountain views as a bonus.
Boutique Vineyards of the Blackall Range
Ten cellar doors span the Sunshine Coast wine region — from the cool-climate Blackall Range to the warmer Traveston and Kenilworth valleys. Estate-grown wines, paddock-to-plate dining, and Glass House Mountain views at every turn.
Flame Hill Vineyard, Montville
The Sunshine Coast's premier winery experience. Estate-grown wines from rich volcanic soil, an award-winning paddock-to-plate restaurant serving their own Angus beef and kitchen-garden herbs, and sweeping views past the vines to the ocean. The Deck & Terrace is the hinterland's finest dining destination. Two restored farmhouse cottages for overnight stays. Cellar door open daily, just 2.2km from Montville village.
Maleny Mountain Wines
An icon of the hinterland — a cellar door built inside a giant wine barrel, set among breathtaking scenery. Chambourcin grapes planted in 1999 in volcanic soil. Extensive range: sweet, dry, fruity, sparkling, full-bodied, and fortified wines plus a Reserve collection. Weekend lunches, local produce, and artworks for sale. Group tastings and bus tours welcome with advance booking.
Clouds Vineyard, Maleny
The Barrel at Clouds features the best wines from South East Queensland with a different featured winery each month — focus on the Granite Belt and Stanthorpe regions. Cheese and meat platters, craft beer from Copperhead Brewery on tap, and stunning Blackall Range views. A relaxed destination for an afternoon tasting.
Dingo Creek Vineyard, Traveston
Tucked away 40 minutes from Noosa in the peaceful Traveston valley. Friendly, laidback owners, gorgeous scenery, and an excellent range: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Muscat, and the popular Honey Mead. Open weekends for tastings and lunch.
Australia's Craft Beer Capital
More craft breweries per capita than anywhere else in Australia — 24+ from the beachfront to deep hinterland. Award-winning sours, hazy IPAs, lagers, and stouts brewed with local ingredients. Guided brewery trail tours run daily.
Brouhaha Brewery
Hinterland institution. Award-winning Strawberry Rhubarb Sour (made with Maleny Dairies yoghurt), Apricot Sour (two AIBA golds). Cosy brewpub in Maleny + 16-tap production facility in Baringa with mezzanine, food trucks, and a kids' playroom. Spent grain feeds Maleny Wagyu cattle — full circle.
Moffat Beach Brewing Co
Australia's only beachfront brewery. Champion Small Brewer at the Indies. Trilogy IPA, Moff's Summer Ale. Ocean views, the brewery in full public view, live comedy and bogan bingo. Production brewery in Caloundra. The Sunshine Coast's most awarded brewery 2018–2025.
Land & Sea Brewery
Gold-winning Japanese Rice Lager at the Indies. Juicebox Hazy IPA bursting with mango and lychee. Beachy Noosaville setting with ales, IPAs, lagers, well-priced meals, and eco-friendly compostable holders. Laid-back river vibes.
Copperhead Brewery
Hidden gem in the Noosa hinterland. Small-batch bespoke brews — seven on tap plus rotating experimentals. Stunning venue with a la carte restaurant, local seafood, share plates, extensive wine list. Also creators of O-Ren Brewhouse & Modern Asian Restaurant in Sunshine Beach.
Your Mates Brewing Co
The Coast's largest and most successful craft brewery. Larry Pale Ale (GABS Hottest 100), Eddie XPA. Massive warehouse venue. Also runs Crackerjack — moody Asian dining meets lawn bowls nostalgia. Golden Hour $6.50 beers weekdays 3–5pm.
10 Toes Brewery
Family-owned indie brewery on Sugar Road. Award-winning Pipeline Pale Ale — tropical fruit explosion balanced by clean malt. Full tap list, indoor and outdoor seating, upstairs function room. The laid-back Sunshine Coast lifestyle in a glass.
Eumundi Brewery
Revived at the heritage-listed Imperial Hotel by Dr Chuck Hahn — one of Australia's first modern microbreweries (1988). Fresh Eumundi Lager and Pale Ale brewed on site. Colourful decor, vibrant beer garden, live music. Steps from the famous Eumundi Markets.
Heads of Noosa
Clean, crisp, and perfect — the Japanese Lager is the afternoon knock-off beer on Hastings Street. Lager-focused brewery in Noosaville for the purists. "Exceptionally made beer" says every local who points visitors here first.
Craft Spirits Rising
The craft distillery scene is booming alongside the breweries. Sunshine & Sons at Woombye (Big Pineapple precinct) produces award-winning gin — Gold and Best in Class for Matured Gin at the Australian Gin Awards — plus volcanic rock-filtered vodka and coastal-inspired spirits.
Fortune Distillery, Diablo Co, and FortiFied join a growing lineup offering everything from small-batch botanical gin to barrel-aged rum. Several guided tours now combine brewery and distillery visits in a single day.
Cheese, Dairy & Chocolate
Maleny Food Co is renowned for its artisan cheese and gelato — a must-stop on every hinterland food tour. Kenilworth Cheese Factory has been crafting cheese in the Mary Valley for decades. Maleny Dairies produces fresh milk from grass-fed cows on the Blackall Range (their yoghurt even goes into Brouhaha's famous sour).
Add the Maleny Chocolate Factory, The Ginger Factory in Yandina (free entry, ginger tastings, overland train), and dozens of farm-gate producers, and you have a food scene deeply connected to the land it grows from.
Farm-to-Table & Fine Dining
From nationally celebrated Thai fine dining in a tropical garden to paddock-to-plate vineyard restaurants and Noosa's legendary Hastings Street dining strip.
Spirit House, Yandina
One of Queensland's most celebrated restaurants — nationally acclaimed Thai fine dining set in a stunning tropical garden with lakes, towering palms, and stone Buddha statues. On-site cooking school where you can learn the techniques. Booking well in advance is essential.
Spicers Tamarind, Maleny
Award-winning Asian-inspired dining at a luxury rainforest retreat on the Blackall Range. Degustations, cooking classes, and stunning accommodation. The Tamarind restaurant sources from local producers and the retreat's own gardens. The ultimate hinterland food escape.
Flame Hill Deck & Terrace
The ultimate paddock-to-plate experience — grass-fed Angus from the farm, herbs from the kitchen garden, and estate wines poured alongside. Head Chef Tony Tierney crafts menus that are both elegant and deeply local. Views over vines to the coastline. Montville.
Hastings Street, Noosa
Noosa's nationally renowned dining strip — Bistro C, Locale, Sails, and dozens more. Beachfront fine dining, rooftop cocktails, and the annual Noosa Food & Wine Festival each May. The Coast's culinary heartbeat and one of Australia's most celebrated foodie streets.
Taste the Hinterland
Everything You Need to Know
Guided Tasting Tours
Several operators run daily small-group wine, beer, and food tours with hotel pickup from Noosa, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, and Caloundra. No designated driver needed. Typical duration 6–8 hours. Private and luxury options available for celebrations and corporate groups. Cooee Tours offers customisable hinterland food and wine tours.
Self-Drive
Cellar doors and breweries are clustered 10–15 minutes apart along the Blackall Range. Designate a driver or stay overnight in Montville, Maleny, or Noosa. From the coast, the hinterland is 30 minutes via Nambour Connection Road. From Brisbane, take the Bruce Highway (~1 hour).
Best Time to Visit
Year-round. Winter (Jun–Aug) is ideal for wine tasting with cosy log fires and crisp mountain air. Summer is perfect for brewery hopping. The Noosa Food & Wine Festival (May) is the annual highlight — book early as it sells out. Harvest season varies by variety.
Suggested Wine Day
Flame Hill cellar door & restaurant lunch → Maleny Mountain Wines → Clouds tasting room → Maleny Food Co cheese & gelato → Montville village browse. Allow a full day at relaxed pace. Most stops are 10–15 minutes apart along the Blackall Range tourist drive.
Suggested Beer Day
Brouhaha Maleny (sours & lunch) → Copperhead Cooroy (bespoke brews & seafood) → Heads of Noosa (Japanese Lager) → Land & Sea Noosaville (Hazy IPA) → Moffat Beach Brewing (ocean sunset). A guided brewery tour is the safest and most fun way to do it.
Stay Overnight
Flame Hill vineyard cottages with ocean views. Spicers Tamarind luxury rainforest retreat. Brouhaha's Bedhaha Airbnbs next door to the Maleny brewpub. Montville and Maleny have charming B&Bs. Noosa Heads for Hastings Street dining.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most full-day tours include multiple cellar door or brewery tastings, a gourmet lunch or platter, at least one artisan producer visit (cheese, chocolate, or distillery), scenic hinterland lookout stops, and return hotel transfers. Private tours can be customised to your preferences. Tours typically run 6–8 hours.
Yes — Sunshine Coast hinterland food and wine tours operate throughout the year. The subtropical climate means pleasant conditions in every season. Winter is especially popular for cellar door visits with cosy log fires and crisp mountain air. Summer is ideal for brewery hopping with cold craft beers and ocean-view taprooms.
Absolutely. Food-focused experiences can be arranged on most guided tours. Many venues are worth visiting for the food, views, and atmosphere alone. Spirit House cooking school, Maleny Food Co cheese and gelato, Kenilworth Cheese Factory, The Ginger Factory, and hinterland farm-gate visits are all excellent experiences without a glass in hand.
Most operators offer hotel pickup from Noosa, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, and Caloundra. Some also pick up from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Check with individual tour operators for specific pickup locations and times. Cooee Tours offers customisable tours with flexible pickup arrangements.
Flame Hill Vineyard near Montville is widely considered the premier winery experience — estate-grown wines from three vineyards, an award-winning paddock-to-plate restaurant, vineyard accommodation, and panoramic views. Maleny Mountain Wines offers a charming iconic barrel-shaped cellar door. Clouds Vineyard in Maleny rotates featured wineries monthly. Dingo Creek at Traveston is a peaceful hidden gem for a relaxed weekend tasting.
Held each May, it is one of Australia's most acclaimed food festivals, attracting top chefs, winemakers, and food lovers from across the country. Events range from beachside long-table dinners and winemaker masterclasses to cooking demonstrations and brewery showcases. Tickets for headline events sell out well in advance — book early for the best experience.
The Sunshine Coast is home to 24+ independent craft breweries, the highest per-capita concentration in Australia. They range from tiny 200-litre microbreweries to large-scale operations like Your Mates and Brouhaha. Highlights include Moffat Beach Brewing (beachfront, most awarded), Brouhaha (hinterland sours), Copperhead (bespoke small-batch, Cooroy), Land & Sea (Noosaville), and 10 Toes (Alex Headland). Guided brewery trail tours are available daily.
More Sunshine Coast Adventures
Raise a Glass to the Hinterland
Boutique cellar doors, Australia's craft beer capital, award-winning distilleries, and farm-to-table dining among rolling green hills — the hardest part is choosing where to start.