Peter McGlashan of Ridgemill Estate - the story of Strange Bird

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Queensland’s Granite Belt. It’s one of Australia’s exciting emerging wines scenes, possessing a unique beauty and identity which expresses itself through the region’s wines. As the region’s name suggests, the large granite slabs and boulders that dot the scenic landscape and the granite-based soils, paired with the Granite Belt’s surprising altitude, form a distinctive terroir that wine maker Peter McGlashan has dedicated his life to harnessing. Peter is the head wine maker at Stanthorpe’s Ridgemill estate in the Granite Belt – and he lives and breathes Granite Belt wine. Peter was also one of the minds behind the Strange Bird project, the mission of which is to express and display the Granite Belt’s unique terroir through carefully chosen alternative grape varietals. Peter is down to earth and down right passionate about his craft and the Granite Belt terroir. When an industry contact told me that Peter was the man to talk to for all thing Granite Belt I packed up for a day trip to meet the man, the myth and the legend on his home turf, at Ridgemill Estate. Peter and I sat down to have what turned out to be a truly memorable chat about Peter’s story, the status of the Granite Belt, the Strange Bird Project and Peter’s outlook on the future. A massive thanks to Peter for joining me. 

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