About Shannonvale Wine

The Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Wine Company is a family business. Tony and Trudie Woodall started the dream in 1991 when they moved to the Port Douglas/Mossman area of Tropical North Queensland from Perth in Western Australia. Being lovers of wine for many years with a basic knowledge of wine qualities, they hoped to buy a small property and grow grapes with a view to making their own wine. But the tropics beat them, just too much rain at the wrong times.

They became members of the Rare Fruit Council of Australia (RFCA). An organisation dedicated to growing fruit trees of the tropical varieties on a commercial orchard basis or as a hobby. The hobby, for the Woodalls, became the passport to making wine from tropical fruit. Their first contact with fruit wine was at a meeting of the RFCA when Ruby Dempster presented wines made from the fruits of the family orchard. Recognising a wonderful alternative to grape wine Tony and Trudie tried their hand with their own surplus fruit.

With plenty of advice from other local wine makers including the Cairns Wine guild they made wine from any fruit or vegetable or herb that sounded interesting. One of their basic principles is that the wine should taste like the fruit it is made from. Curiously grape wine does not.

At this stage they were joined by son Laza and his wife Justine.

Trudie, who is the main winemaker entered wines in the Amateur Wine Section of the Cairns show and won several firsts, seconds and thirds placings.

They eventually found themselves with 44 different fruit wines and/or styles. With much testing and retesting etc., etc., etc., some 18 fruits were decided upon and they now produce these in a variety of styles with quantities up to 400 litres.

So the Woodalls have realised their dream and are making their wines, albeit from tropical fruit and not from grapes. They have no regrets.

The Orchard and Winery are nestled in the Shannonvale Valley just outside of the Sugar Cane town of Mossman, just 15 minutes from Port Douglas.

The wines are available for tasting at the Cellar Door and purchases may be made at this time or from local liquor outlets.

Shannonvale Tropical Wine
PO Box 113 Mossman

Queensland, 4873

Ph. 07 40984000
ttwoodall@yahoo.com.au