Michelle Coelli
Birds and bugs aren’t always welcome in the vineyard, but at Twisted Gum in the Granite Belt, vigneron Michelle Coelli relies heavily on the natural world.
When Michelle and Tim bought a vineyard and moved to the Granite Belt wine region with their four kids, Michelle’s agricultural science degree came to the fore. The vineyard was in bad shape, and over the years, the pair have transformed it into a thriving, biodiverse, chemical-free patch of vines. Their approach to vines and wines is rooted in authenticity, gentle handling and a connection to the land. Their unique wines couldn’t come from anywhere else.
Labour of love
On a small vineyard in Queensland’s high-altitude Granite Belt wine region, Michelle and Tim Ceolli are proving that bigger isn’t necessarily better. They produce small volumes of top-quality fruit that’s turned into limited-release wines in their onsite micro-winery.
Birds and bugs aren’t always welcome in the vineyard, but at Twisted Gum in the Granite Belt, vigneron Michelle Coelli relies heavily on the natural world.
The property is dotted with huge granite boulders and old eucalyptus trees that inspired the name Twisted Gum Wines. Michelle and Tim live and work on the vineyard, where they do everything by hand – from pruning through to harvesting. Native bushland surrounds the vines, and birds and insects help keep pests under control.
“It’s a beautiful setting and a really natural one,” says Michelle. “And I think the flavours come through in the grapes and tell a story of nature and biodiversity. We’re doing nothing that’s conventional here; everything we do is creative. And it changes from one year to the next. We’re always taking our cues from nature.”
Over a decade of hard work is reflected in Michelle and Tim’s wines, which include vibrant Shiraz and a crisp Verdelho Semillon blend.
“We never buy any outside fruit,” says Michelle. “In a bad season, we will take the hit and not have the vintage. But we’d rather do that and stay authentic to what we are producing and the way we produce it. We must have that authenticity in every bottle.”
They sell most of their wines through the cellar door, a renovated and relocated farmer’s cottage – which means they’ve met many of the people who drink their wine.
“Twisted Gum is about allowing nature to help us make wine and bringing wine to people that is really representative of this soil on a rocky granite ridgetop,” says Michelle. “There’s such a story in each of the wines, and we really want to let people taste that.”
“We’re doing nothing that’s conventional; everything we do is creative. And we’re always taking our cues from nature.” – Michelle Coelli
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