The 2027 Dark Horse Winery: Balancing Heart

By The Tasting Team

18 Aug, 2026

Balancing Heart in Queensland's Granite Belt is the 2027 Dark Horse Winery.

Proudly presented by

2027 Dark Horse Winery

Balancing Heart – Granite Belt, Queensland

The Dark Horse award is designed to draw attention to those wineries that are not as commonly talked about as they should be, yet are wildly deserving of recognition. It is fitting, then, that the 2027 recipient is a winery from Queensland’s Granite Belt – a region that often misses the gaze of wine enthusiasts.

“As soon as you put Q-L-D after a bottle of wine, people are very sceptical,” says Balancing Heart’s winemaker Mike Hayes. “But we think it’s a lack of knowledge of the area… the Granite Belt has quite a continental climate.”

At Balancing Heart, Mike answers that scepticism with delicious, complex wines that lean left of centre: textural whites, medium-weight reds, skin-contact and sparkling wines, and lesser-known varieties under playful names like ‘Acoustics & Artsploration’ and ‘Niche & Montage’.

Winemaker Mike Hayes, Balancing Heart, Granite Belt

That’s what winemaking is about; it’s a bit of science and a bit of art. Just imagine Albert Einstein meeting Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

“The first word is the science word, and the second is the art word. That’s what winemaking is about; it’s a bit of science and a bit of art. Just imagine Albert Einstein meeting Priscilla Queen of the Desert.”

That freedom reflects a region still writing its own rulebook. Mike estimates that around 100 grape varieties are now grown there. “We’d be the most diverse wine region in Australia by far,” he says. “We’re not geared up by tradition, so we’re able to let our hair run free.”

Winemaker Mike Hayes, Balancing Heart, Granite Belt

Yet his philosophy remains grounded in the vineyard. “Mother Nature and Mother Earth are the best winemaker and viticulturist on the planet,” Mike says. “We’re merely gatekeepers.” Balancing Heart uses no oak, insecticides, chemical fertilisers, added acid or tannin, and delivers outstanding wines with disarming regularity.

This is one of the worthiest explorations of fine and unique wine in Australia. Balancing Heart is our Dark Horse Winery for the 2027 Companion.

Words by Mike Bennie and Olivia Jay