The Darling Downs wine region is centred around the town of Toowoomba, 125km west of Brisbane, the state’s capital. Wine started to play a role in the region at the end of the 19th century but didn’t make a dent until recent years as the wine industry and tourism started to gain traction.

This small Non-GI wine region isn’t as popular as the more well-known Granite Belt region 150km to its south (an hour 45-minute drive). Still, visitors keen to experience a wine trip with a difference will love the variety of attractions throughout the Darling Downs, with cellar doors offering unique styles, plus heritage sites and dramatic scenery.

Preston Peak is the most notable winery in the area. Once an open cellar door, the function centre now only operates on an appointment-only basis. Due to the popularity of weddings and private functions, they can no longer offer wine tastings to the public but sometimes offer ticketed events like Jazz and Shiraz.

Coinciding with the region’s great wines, you’ll find some breathtaking scenery as you encompass your way through the landscape. Check out the Queen Mary Falls, the Main Range National Park, or the many sub-tropical rainforests that litter the area.

The Darling Downs is not an official wine region. As such we have used artistic license to create the region’s borders for the embedded maps, to include the wineries within this region and outside of neighbouring regions.