Wines / Cellar Door

Public welcome
Open 7 days from 9am – 4.30pm.

Wine tastings public and groups.

Please book for groups (snacks can be arranged by prior arrangement).

WINE LIST / ORDER FORM

Woodlands of Marburg have opened their cellar door!

The vineyards currently occupy approximately 40 acres (17 hectares) of land at both Woodlands and Belvedere. The vines were planted in 2003, and the grapes are harvested yearly with the first harvest being in 2006. The harvest quantity has been steadily increasing, roughly doubling each year. The vinification of the grape juice is completed at the Warrego Winery which is located adjacent to Woodlands on Seminary Road. We currently have three labels of wines, Fig Tree Hill Estate, Marburg Estate & Seminary Estate, with 10 different varieties being produced from the vineyards and new releases for 2009 becoming available soon.

Woodlands has recently opened a small cellar door hosting wine tastings for small groups with larger groups being able to book use of the sandstone cellar and order cheeseplatters to compliment their tasting. All available wines can be purchased onsite through the cellar door and also online. The Cellar Door is open 7 days a week from 9.00am – 4.30pm. The general public is also welcome to come up and visit the property and its surrounds during these times.

With our own label making machine we now have the option of offering specialised labels for any occasion - wedding, conference, christening, birthday… the options are limitless. This makes our wines the perfect gift!

An extract from Jeff Cooper’s Biography written by John Goddard

“I wanted Woodlands to be a real showpiece with the driveway leading into the estate flush with grape vines and their resultant wines being offered to patrons of Woodlands” …Jeff

“As you coast down the long driveway that leads to Belvedere, Jeff and Ros’s beautiful home in Haigslea, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re passing through the estate and grand vineyard from the Dynasty TV series.

Jeff had read many articles and seen a few documentaries over the years about the wine industry, and had even considered at one stage growing grapes on some of the spare acres at Willowbank – the site of the first caravan park.

Then Woodlands came to the Cooper family in 2002, and it was obvious to Jeff that the old estate was ideal for grapes. Through some assiduous research, Jeff discovered that the Smith family had planted several thousand vines at Woodlands in the late 1800s, where they first settled, on the upper reaches of Sandy Creek.

Jeff had a vision. ‘I wanted to turn Woodlands into a real showpiece, with the driveway into the estate flush with grape vines, and the resultant wines being offered to patrons of Woodlands.’

His core wine stock started from 1200 cuttings purchased from Stanthorpe, He then took a quick lesson in propagation and set up a small ‘lean-to’ behind the garage at home. From there Jeff started dipping cuttings into honey and then planting them out into a mixture of half potting mix/half course sand. On average they were ready for planting 10 weeks later.

Jeff offered employment to a number of kids from the Ipswich/Bendigo Bank youth program, LeadOn, to plant the vines out. From the initial 2000 cuttings in 2003, Jeff now has around 70,000 vines planted out at Woodlands and Belvedere. He grown nine varieties of wines, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling, Black & White Muscats, Verdelho & Semillon Blanc. The initial 2006 production was 10.000 bottles, and will continue to grow from there.

The wines are processed and bottled locally, and come complete with a spectacular label depicting a night shot of the Mansion. Woodlands also has its own label-making machine, with the capacity to produce custom-made labels for weddings and other special occasions.

Jeff’s future vision is to establish a cellar door and tasting room at Woodlands, which will sell the wine as well as jams, preserves, and local crafts. He might also consider adding a small boutique brewery at some time in the future.”

“The House That Jeff Built” by John Goddard RRP $30.00
Available to purchase from the Woodlands Reception Office

STEVEN MCDONALD Viticulturist

Career background:
Original background in civil engineering – decided on a sea change
Manager at Felsberg Winery & Vineyard (Granite Belt / Stanthorpe)
Assistant Manager of Balranald Vineyard (South West NSW)
Contract Viticulturist for 3 yrs (Granite Belt)
Woodlands for 3.5 years

Education:
Bachelor of Applied Science, Viticulture – Charles Sturt University 2000

Awards & Memberships:
Professional Member of the Australian Society of Viticulture & Oenology
Qld Technical Excellence Award – at Felsberg Winery
Several Other Medals - at Felsberg Winery

Anything special we should know?
During Steve’s time here he has effectively enhanced the vineyard with the quality and variety steadily improving every season.

“Viticulture is challenging work - but with effort eventually comes reward.” – Steve McDonald