“Alkoomi” means ‘a place we chose’ – derived from the local Noongar language. Sandy’s grandmother Netta Lange chose it when the family bought the 1,220-hectare property in 1946. It operated as a mixed grain and livestock farm until the early 70s, when Merv and Judy Lange planted just one hectare each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Shiraz and Malbec. The first vintage was 1976.
To mark its landmark 50th vintage, family-owned Alkoomi Wines is hosting a multi-city celebration of its Frankland River legacy. The Brisbane leg is a single-evening event that brings the winery’s owners east for one night only.
It was in 1968 that the Roche family pioneered wine-growing in the Frankland River. The Lange family planted their first vines three years later. The first vintage was 1976. This year marks half a century of continuous winemaking. Those original 1971 plantings thrived, and the Jarrah Shiraz – Alkoomi’s calling card – comes from that original block.
The hosts
Sandy Hallett (daughter of founders Merv and Judy Lange) and her daughter Laura Penniment will welcome guests to Winnifred’s. The mother-daughter pairing represents three generations of family stewardship – from Merv and Judy’s 1971 plantings through to Laura’s role in the winery’s present and future.
The wines you should know
- Jarrah Shiraz: From the original 1971 block, medium-bodied, silky tannins. Alkoomi’s benchmark.
- Family Collection Riesling: 96 points from Ray Jordan Wine Review, “bright aromas of tangerine zest and pomegranate.”
- The Philip Adrian Cabernet Sauvignon: Flagship red, named after family.
- Icon Range: Also includes Wandoo Semillon, Blackbutt Cabernet, and Melaleuca Riesling – all named for the native trees that shade the property.
- Halliday rating: Red 5 Star.
Frankland River is warmer and drier than the rest of Great Southern with broader day-night temperature swings. The ironstone soils give the Riesling grapes an unmistakable character best described as ‘gunpowder tea’. Christina Pickard for Wine Enthusiast recently called Great Southern, “Australia’s underdog wine region. It may be big, but it’s also remote. Great Southern occupies a slice of the southwest corner of Western Australia that’s an arduous 260-mile drive from the state’s capital, making it Australia’s most isolated wine-producing region”.
Recently, Alkoomi has minimised its carbon footprint, installing a 30kW solar-energy panel on the winery roof. Together with regenerative grazing, wall-to-wall cover crops and using guinea fowl for pest control, the Halletts have established a framework of low-impact farming initiatives.
The Dinner
The 5-course menu has been created by special guest chef Josh Lopez, who is seen less often behind the pass these days. Each course will be paired with some of Alkoomi’s finest wines.
Josh is known for folding native Australian ingredients like Davidson Plum into precise, contemporary plates.
COURSE N° 1
SPANNER CRAB, SCALLOP, CUSTARD APPLE, ALMOND, PAPERBARK
Paired with Alkoomi Icon Melaleuca Riesling 2023
COURSE N° 2
THE CARROT GARDEN – MACADAMIA, GERALDTON WAX
Paired with Alkoomi Family Collection Chardonnay 2025
COURSE N° 3
ROOSTER, ONION, POTATO, COMTÉ
Paired with Alkoomi Icon Wandoo Semillon 2017
COURSE N° 4
WAGYU, MUSHROOM, GARLIC, BLACKBERRY, VANILLA
Paired with Alkoomi Cultivated Shiraz 2020
& Alkoomi Icon Jarrah Shiraz 2024
DESSERT
LAMINGTON, BROWN BUTTER, DAVIDSON PLUM Paired with Alkoomi Wines Icon Blackbutt Cabernet 2023
The venue
Winnifred’s opened in August 2025 as Brisbane’s first dedicated grower champagne bar. Fourteen thousand bottles from 63 producers fill the cellars. The space spans a front garden, an 18-seat emerald-granite bar, a 60-seat bistro, and private rooms upstairs. While Winnifred’s is normally a temple devoted to French bubbles, for one night only it will be home to the best of Frankland River.
Where and When: The Details
Where: Winnifred’s Champagne Bar & French Bistro, 34 Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley
When: Wednesday 19 August 2026, 6:30 pm – 10 pm
Price: $320 per person
Seats: 50 only
Book: Via SevenRooms
