1. Sparkling Mango Wine. Golden Drop Winery, Mareeba
Nothing says Christmas like a glass of fizz. Celebrate Christmas this year with a bottle of sparkling wine from award winning Golden Drop Winery. Very fruity, this medium style sparkling wine from this Mareeba winery makes for a sweet glass of bubbles to say cheers. Extremely refreshing and sensational when chilled. Golden Drop Winery started 26 years ago but the sparkling mango is one of their newer wine offerings they’ve perfected. It’s quickly found fans who want a delicious tropical twist to their tipple.
2. Davidson’s Plum Royale. Rainforest Heart, Mungalli
Davidson’s Plum is one of the gems of the Tropical North Queensland rainforest, and Rainforest Heart farm and orchard at Mungalli has metamorphosized this fruit into Davidson’s Plum Royale, a very special fortified wine aperitif. The original bush tucker for Indigenous people living in Tropical North Queensland, the plum has a deep, dark purple fruit and a soft juicy pulp. Its clean, tart taste translates effortlessly into a wine. A lovely drink to try before Christmas dinner or splash a dash into a glass of bubbles.
3. Jaboticaba Tropical Dry Red. Shannonvale Tropical Winery, Mossman
The jaboticaba is also called the tree grape so a bottle of this is a winner for Christmas. Jabotica Tropical Dry Red is best for a Christmas around the barbie, like an easy drinking light merlot. It’s from Shannonvale Tropical Winery of Mossman which has been growing fruit organically and creating award winning wines for about 14 years. This is a mix of tropical fruit flavours and hints of cherry, blackcurrant, pepper, cinnamon and cloves in a bottle. Very Christmassy.
4. Swagman Port. de Bruey’s Boutique Wines, Mareeba
One for the cheese course. Swagman Port from de Bruey’s Boutique Wines is an excellent drop to complement nibbles. A deep tawny red, it is a spicy mix of plum and prune flavours that are soft bodied and incredibly easy to drink. Try this fortified tropical wine with some stilton, olives and crackers. It has won a bronze for this Mareeba winery at the Australian Fruit Wine Awards.
5. Botanic Australis Gin. Mt Uncle Distillery, Walkamin
Not a wine but it will be more than welcome; gin has transformed from mother’s ruin to a modern nip and Mt Uncle Distillery’s Botanic Australis Gin is just the ticket for a Christmas cocktail. Make a refreshing G and T with some of the exciting tonics now on the market (citrus, olivey Mediterranean and pink peppercorn) and you have a cool Christmas drink with that distinct gin astringency turbo charged with flavoured tonic. And this one has native botanics infused and a beautiful bottle. Fun fact – the Spanish (and the Belgians and Dutch) drink more gin than the British. Salud! And Merry Christmas.
6. Luxe Brew Coffee Liqueur “Skybury Estate Small Batch” 700mL
Made by coffee experts, Luxe Brew’s “Small Batch” edition of Coffee Liqueur is world-class. Made using the 2018 coffee crop grown at the Atherton Tableland’s very own Skybury Tropical Plantation, it is bursting with the full flavour and aroma of freshly roasted arabica coffee beans, extracted through a unique 48-hour cold brewing process. Enjoy over ice, in cocktails or in your favourite creations. Available nationally at Dan Murphy’s – this is the link where you can buy it from:
