A laid-back day surrounded by vineyards, sipping locally made wine in the Queensland sunshine. Mt Tamborine boutiques, Scenic Rim cool-climate cellars, and the elevated Granite Belt — all reachable as day trips from Brisbane. Cooee picks you up, takes you there, and lets everyone enjoy a glass.
Most visitors are surprised to learn that Brisbane is a launchpad to world-class wine country. You don't have to jump on a plane to sip incredible wine in a stunning location. Just over an hour from the Brisbane CBD, regions like Mt Tamborine, the Scenic Rim, and the Granite Belt are producing exceptional wines with serious local character. From rich Shiraz to crisp Verdelho, from cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc to high-altitude Italian varietals — you'll taste it all on a Cooee tour, without the travel hassle and without one of you stuck being designated driver.
The Mt Tamborine wineries sit at the top of the Gold Coast hinterland, just 45 minutes south of Brisbane. The Scenic Rim cellars stretch south-west toward Mt Barney. The Granite Belt — Queensland's highest wine region at over 800 metres elevation — lies about two and a half hours west, near Stanthorpe. Each region grows different grapes, produces different styles, and rewards a different kind of tasting day. Cooee's job is to match the right region to the right group on the right day.
If you're ready to skip ahead, view the bookable wine tour packages or enquire for personalised pricing. If you'd like the full picture — the regions, the tour styles, what we include, what makes a Cooee wine day different — keep reading.
Three Queensland wine regions, each with a distinct character. Cooee has been visiting these cellar doors since 1974 — we know which family vineyards open quietly on Tuesdays, which dogs greet you at the gate, and which winemakers happen to be in residence on tasting days.
The most visited Queensland wine region for good reason — cellar doors line a single ridge with spectacular hinterland views, and the half-day driving time leaves more time for tasting. Mt Tamborine boutique wineries specialise in approachable subtropical reds, fortified styles, sparkling and an excellent range of small-batch experimental wines. Many cellar doors also offer cheese boards or full lunches.
Diverse terroir across the Scenic Rim produces some of Queensland's most interesting cool-climate wines. The valley floors near Mt Barney and Boonah grow crisp Sauvignon Blancs and structured Cabernet Sauvignons; the slightly elevated sites lean into Shiraz and Italian varietals. Smaller crowds than Mt Tamborine, larger pours, and an unhurried country pace make this our go-to for guests who want a quieter day.
Queensland's premier wine region sits at over 800 metres elevation around Stanthorpe — high enough that winters can drop near zero and snow occasionally falls. Granite soils and the cool-climate altitude produce distinctive wines: brilliant Shiraz, Verdelho, Chardonnay, and a celebrated range of Strange Birds (Italian varietals like Fiano, Sangiovese and Tempranillo grown by less than 1% of Australian wineries). Full-day tours only — the longer drive earns longer pours.
Brisbane wine tours delivered directly by Cooee from our home base — our coaches, our drivers, our 18 years of accumulated relationships with Queensland winemakers.
No partner operators, no third-party handovers for Brisbane wine day. Our coaches, our drivers, our long-standing cellar-door relationships. Brisbane is our home turf and where Cooee Tours actually lives.
Clean, air-conditioned vehicles with comfortable seating. Our drivers are friendly, punctual, and know exactly where to take you. With Cooee, everyone gets to sip, relax and enjoy the day — including the usually nominated driver.
We visit every cellar door personally before adding it to a Cooee route. Long-established vineyards with rustic charm, chic boutique cellars with modern flair, family-owned operations off the tourist trail — each stop is chosen for standout wines, welcoming staff, and a memorable vibe.
What's wine without food? Many tours include cheese boards or shared platters at the wineries; some include full gourmet vineyard lunches. We accommodate dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, kosher, allergies) with advance notice.
Join a fun public tour and meet other wine lovers, or book your own private group with the whole coach to yourselves. Private bookings work brilliantly for hens parties, birthday celebrations, corporate reward days, anniversaries, or family reunions.
Want to start later? Add a birthday cake? Extend the day to visit an extra vineyard? Skip one cellar door for another? Our team handles every detail from first enquiry to the final cheers. We're all about creating memorable moments without any of the stress.
Three tiers covering most preferences — from a relaxed half-day taster to a romantic private day for two. All package tiers are customisable; we frequently build bespoke wine tours for groups with specific occasions.
If you'd like to research before booking, our editorial guides under Things To Do cover Brisbane wine touring from every angle — from the best regions to specific occasions:
The details that separate a good wine day from a great one. After 18 years of Brisbane wine touring we've refined the formula.
You don't have to fly. Just over an hour from the CBD, regions like Mt Tamborine, the Scenic Rim, and parts of the Granite Belt produce exceptional wines with local character. From rich Shiraz to crisp Verdelho, you'll taste it all on a Cooee tour — without the travel hassle.
We've visited every cellar door ourselves and only work with operators that offer something special. Whether it's a long-established vineyard with rustic charm or a chic boutique cellar with modern flair, each stop is chosen for standout wines, welcoming staff, and overall vibe.
Wine tasting is about more than the wine — it's the slow pace, the good company, the fresh air, and the grazing boards. Our itineraries allow time to chat with winemakers, explore the vineyard grounds, browse cellar-door shops, and unwind with a second glass when the mood strikes.
Hens party, birthday bash, romantic getaway, corporate reward day — we have options that match your group size and energy. Want the whole bus to yourself? Private options available. Prefer to make new friends? Our public tours are equally social and well-paced.
You don't worry about who's driving. Our clean, air-conditioned coaches are perfect for cruising the countryside, and our experienced drivers are friendly, punctual, and know exactly where to take you. With Cooee, everyone gets to sip and relax — including the usually nominated driver.
What's wine without food? Many tours include cheese boards or shared platters at the wineries; some offer full gourmet lunch packages. We accommodate dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, kosher, allergies) with advance notice. Stomach as happy as your taste buds.
Mt Tamborine is well-known and we love it, but we also showcase less-crowded, equally impressive wine regions around Brisbane. We regularly include Scenic Rim cellars and offer custom Granite Belt itineraries. These lesser-known spots give you more time, fewer crowds, and often more generous pours.
Each stop is chosen not just for the wine, but for the people behind the pour. You'll meet winemakers, family business owners, and cellar staff who genuinely care about what they do. Their stories add flavour to every sip and make the experience feel personal rather than transactional.
From first enquiry to final cheers, our team handles every detail. Want to start the tour later? Add a birthday cake? Extend the day to visit an extra vineyard? Special dietary needs? We'll make it happen. We're all about memorable moments without any of the stress.
In practice that means Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo, Nero d'Avola and Petit Verdot alongside the more familiar Shiraz, Cabernet and Chardonnay. For anyone who has tasted their way around the Barossa or Margaret River, it is the most genuinely unfamiliar wine experience available within a day of Brisbane.
The Granite Belt's Strange Bird trail is a formal programme covering alternative varietals — those making up less than one per cent of Australian plantings. It is why a Stanthorpe cellar door will pour you things that are hard to find anywhere else in the country.
That last one is the trap. Everything that makes the Granite Belt worth visiting is a consequence of it being a long way from the coast, and a day trip there is 13 to 14 hours for three or four cellar doors.
The Scenic Rim is an hour to ninety minutes south-west, with cool-climate cellars, farm gates and mountain views. The Granite Belt around Stanthorpe is 220 kilometres and two and a half to three hours west — Queensland's only true cool-climate region, at 800 metres, with more than forty cellar doors.
Brisbane has four realistic wine directions and they are not interchangeable. Mount Cotton is about 40 minutes south-east and holds Queensland's largest winery, built at a scale that handles groups comfortably. Mount Tamborine is an hour south, a plateau with cellar doors, distilleries and galleries in one compact area.
For international visitors, Australian wine can be checked in with proper packing, and duty-free allowances at the far end are the constraint rather than anything at this end. Several cellar doors sell purpose-made shipping cartons.
Bottles travel in the coach luggage space, so a tour removes the carrying problem entirely. Most producers will ship domestically, which is generally better value than excess baggage if you are buying by the case rather than the bottle.
Most people buy more than they intended, and the practicalities are worth knowing before you are standing at a cellar door with a case.
What guests ask us most often before booking a Brisbane wine tour.
All three wine regions Cooee tours visit are accessible as day trips from Brisbane. Mt Tamborine is approximately 45 minutes south of Brisbane in the Gold Coast hinterland. The Scenic Rim sits about 1 hour south-west of Brisbane. The Granite Belt around Stanthorpe is approximately 2.5 hours west of Brisbane — typically reserved for our full-day or overnight wine tour itineraries. Door-to-door pickup from Brisbane suburbs is included.
Brisbane wine tours are delivered directly by Cooee Tours from our home base. Our coaches, our drivers and our 18 years of accumulated relationships with local Queensland winemakers — no partner operators or third-party handovers for the wine tour day. We've been running wine tours through Mt Tamborine and the Scenic Rim since Cooee was founded in 1974.
Cooee partners with established Mt Tamborine, Scenic Rim and Granite Belt cellar doors. The specific wineries on any given tour depend on the itinerary tier (half-day, full-day, romantic private, custom group), the time of year, and any seasonal cellar-door availability. We visit each cellar door personally before adding it to our route — quality, atmosphere and welcoming staff are non-negotiable. Enquire for the specific cellar-door list on your preferred date.
More variety than most visitors expect. Mt Tamborine delivers boutique reds and whites with subtropical character. The Scenic Rim's cooler-climate sites produce crisp Sauvignon Blancs and structured Cabernet Sauvignons. The Granite Belt — Queensland's highest-altitude wine region at over 800 metres elevation — specialises in distinctive cool-climate styles including Shiraz, Verdelho, Chardonnay and Italian varietals (Fiano, Sangiovese, Tempranillo).
Many of our wine tour itineraries include cheese boards, shared platters or full gourmet vineyard lunches depending on the tier. Half-day tours typically include tastings and cheese boards. Full-day tours generally include a sit-down vineyard lunch. We accommodate dietary requirements with advance notice — please advise at the time of booking. Some bespoke private tours can include cake or special dietary celebrations on request.
Yes. Cooee offers public scheduled wine tours where you join other wine-loving guests, and private group bookings where the whole coach is yours. Common private group occasions include hens parties, birthday celebrations, corporate reward days, milestone wedding anniversaries, and family reunions. Group sizes from 6 to 50+ accommodated; for very large groups we can dispatch multiple vehicles. Enquire with your group size and preferred date for a tailored quote.
Pricing varies meaningfully by tour tier (half-day vs full-day vs private romantic), group size, the wineries visited, whether lunch is included, and any custom modifications. Rather than publish a fixed 'from' price, Cooee provides personalised pricing on enquiry within one business day. Contact our team via phone (0409 661 342), email (contact@cooeetours.com.au) or our contact form with your preferred date and group size for an accurate quote.
Public tours have a fixed published schedule and you book seats individually — you'll travel with other wine-loving guests (typically 12-18 per departure). The atmosphere is social and you often make new friends. Private tours give your group exclusive use of the coach and a customisable itinerary — start later, finish earlier, add an extra winery, swap a stop, include a birthday cake, choose your own pickup point. Public tours are cheaper per person; private tours offer more flexibility.
Yes. Door-to-door pickup from most Brisbane suburbs, CBD hotels and Gold Coast suburbs is included in the standard tour price. For pickups outside the standard zone (e.g. Sunshine Coast hotels or further regional addresses) a small additional fee may apply. We'll confirm pickup logistics in your booking confirmation.
All seasons offer something. Autumn (March-May) brings vintage activity — grape harvest is generally late February to early April depending on the region and varietal. Winter (June-August) is mulled-wine season, particularly atmospheric in the Granite Belt where temperatures can drop near zero overnight. Spring (September-November) brings blossoms and vine bud-burst. Summer (December-February) is hot in the lower regions but pleasant in the Granite Belt's higher elevation.
Related guides and tour articles to plan your next Cooee adventure.
The full editorial guide to Queensland wine country.
Two-day and three-day wine country itineraries.
What to expect at your first cellar-door tasting.
Romantic vineyard ideas for anniversaries and proposals.
Where to pair Queensland wine with local produce.
The Cooee wine tour product page. Book your day.
Our wine tours from Brisbane are the perfect mix of indulgence, discovery and connection. Whether you're exploring with friends, planning a special occasion, or simply want a relaxed Saturday in Queensland wine country — we'll help you make it a day to remember. Filled with good wine, good people and good vibes.
Useful links: Sirromet Winery · Tourism & Events Queensland · Visit Brisbane