'Paint' wine wins Queensland's Champion Wine award

A little known red wine variety named Saperavi from the Granite Belt has won Champion Wine at this year's Queensland wine awards.

Ballandean Estate in Southern Queensland planted the Saperavi grapes six years ago but have not yet sold a bottle of the wine.

Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi from Ballandean Estate raises a glass of Saperavi

The grapes originally come from Georgia in eastern Europe and when translated Saperavi means 'paint' or 'dye' which reflects the way the wine coats the glass with a deep red colour.

Ballandean Estate winemaker Dylan Rhymer nearly didn't enter the wine into the competition because he didn't think it was ready.

However Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi says the judges were glad he didn't.

"The judges were glad they got to see the wine in its youth so as the wine ages it will be interesting to see what happens."

It's a wine that likes cool climates and given it's a loose bunch the grapes at Ballandean Estate haven't suffered much disease pressure.

Overall Ballandean Estate won 2013 Winery of the Year, the winery's viticulturalist Angelo Puglisi won Viticulturalist of the Year and Dylan Rhymer won Winemaker of the Year for Queensland.

Green shoots on Chardonnay vines at Ballandean Estate

Source: ABC News, 24 September 2013