Why you should visit Balancing Heart next time you're in the Granite Belt

When you think about Queensland, the first images that likely spring to mind are of long stretches of white sand, rainforests, tropical fruits, crocodiles sunning themselves on riverbanks and shimmering heat over cracked bitumen. It’s not what you’d typically picture when thinking about wine country, that’s for sure.

“If applying a general ideal about climate, Queensland has pitched itself as a place that table wine grape growing is somewhat antithetical,” says regional taster Mike Bennie. But, he adds, “the wine growing region of the Granite Belt dispels most of these characterisations.”

At first glance, the wine region appears more like northern Victoria than a typical Queensland postcard, what with its native forests, grassy paddocks and rolling hills dotted with granite outcroppings.

One such granite boulder was the inspiration behind the name for Granite Belt winery Balancing Heart. One of only three Queensland wineries to receive a 5-star rating in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion, Balancing Heart is led by experienced local winemaker Mike Hayes.

Under Mike’s guidance, Balancing Heart produces a range of award-winning wines from unique varieties such as carménère, sagrantino, pecorino and viognier, as well as perennial favourites such as shiraz, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

Not sure what to drink first? We suggest trying Balancing Heart’s 2024 Phototropism & Ephemeral Pecorino. Nominated for Halliday’s inaugural Wildcard of the Year award this year, the wine spent 15 days on skins before it was pressed off, taking “what can be a pleasant but simple grape variety into something sublime,” Mike wrote in his review.

If you’re in the Granite Belt, be sure to stop by the Balancing Heart cellar door, which is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner (bookings essential). There you can enjoy complimentary wine tastings, immerse yourself in a captivating wine masterclass with Mike Hayes, or savour Balancing Heart’s famous stone-fired pizzas.

Additionally, if you come on a Friday night, you can enjoy the popular charcoal and scarlet spit rotisserie dinner at sunset with live music – just $29 per person for two courses. Plus, the venue is family and dog-friendly! The kids will love hand-feeding Balancing Heart’s vineyard animals, including their beloved miniature Highland cows, sheep, alpacas and donkeys.

And if you’re looking to make your stay a little longer, the Girraween National Park, a natural wonderland of animals, granite and rare wildflowers with hiking trails to suit all experience levels, is only 15 minutes from Balancing Heart. And we got a hot tip from Balancing Heart, too: “Stop in at Heavenly Chocolate just down the road for a post-visit treat!”

To find out more about the Granite Belt and Balancing Heart, visit balancingheart.com.

Become a member to get access to all the Halliday wine and spirit reviews

Sign up to become a Halliday member and unlock a wealth of benefits, including:

- Brand new wine and spirit tasting notes delivered to your inbox weekly
- Digital access to our library of over 185,000 tasting notes from over 4000 wineries and distilleries
- Four issues of Halliday magazine delivered to your door per year
- Member-only articles and stories written by Australia's best wine writers
- Early access to Halliday events across Australia
- Discounted Halliday Wine Club subscriptions
- Free shipping on Halliday wine packs
- Member-exclusive offers from our winery, distillery and retail partners

And much, much more. Become a Halliday member today.