Squished Berry Wines

From a small 3ha vineyard in the Granite Belt, a micro-producer is currently crafting wines from viognier, shiraz, pinot noir, montepulciano and gros manseng. It seems tame by the region’s standards, but the wines are quietly complex and interesting, as is the family project of winemaker Lachlan Searle – to purchase an old Anglican church in town and turn it into a melting-pot-style tasting room named The Church Local Wine Project. The hope is to connect locals and visitors with the region’s wines and winemakers. -KATRINA BUTLER