Highlands Certified™ - The Grape Escape 🍇

Pictured: The Grape Escape 🍇 Mira Barton (Far-Right) with her team

The Real Homosexuals of the Southern Highlands is thrilled to welcome The Grape Escape as our newest Highlands Certified Partner. 🌈✨

Highlands Certified isn’t just about recognition, it’s about proudly standing for inclusivity, visibility, and belonging in the Southern Highlands. By stepping into this program, The Grape Escape has declared itself not just a tour company, but a champion of diversity, community, and pride.

Southern Highlands Wine Tours With Pride

The Grape Escape is one of the region’s longest-running and most-loved tour operators, offering unforgettable Southern Highlands Wine Tours. These tours aren’t just about wine (though you’ll taste some of the very best NSW has to offer). They’re about experiencing the charm, culture, and beauty of the Highlands and Tablelands at your own pace.

Guests are taken to some of the most welcoming cellar doors and vineyards, with itineraries custom-built to create the perfect day out. Whether it’s sipping a cool-climate Chardonnay, savouring a Shiraz, or discovering boutique wineries tucked into the countryside, The Grape Escape turns a wine tour into a celebration of connection, laughter, and community.

And it doesn’t stop there - tours can also be crafted around some of the Highlands’ many beloved events, such as:

• 🌸 Tulip Time Festival

• 🏴 Brigadoon in Bundanoon

• 🎶 Jazz in the Vines

• 🌹 Rose Festival

• 🍽️ Food & Wine Festival

• 🏏 Special Cricket Events at the Bradman Museum

From quilting exhibitions to antique fairs, Mira, Scott and their team make sure your experience is tailored to you and your group, with pride and inclusivity always on the itinerary.

A Message From Mira & Scott Barton, Operation Managers

"We’re a small local tour and transport service business, and we’ve been around for quite a number of years, first in the Highlands actually, and naturally the best 😉. We run private custom tours, mainly wine, but can organise anything really, seven days a week pending availability. We’ve often hosted members of the Southern Highlands social groups, and we have many LGBTQI+ friends and family members ☺️. For us, supporting diversity and inclusion is about making sure every person feels comfortable, celebrated, and able to enjoy the beauty of the Highlands as their authentic self. That’s why being Highlands Certified matters to us, it’s about standing proudly with our community and saying: you belong here." - Mira & Scott Barton, Operation Managers, Booking Agents, Tour Planners, Guides & Drivers

Why It Matters for the Highlands

By joining the Highlands Certified network, The Grape Escape is helping transform the Southern Highlands into a destination where LGBTQI+ locals, visitors, and allies know they are welcome. Their tours provide not only an introduction to the region’s incredible wines and events, but also a safe and celebratory space where everyone can enjoy themselves without hesitation.

The Grape Escape shows us that supporting local isn’t just about buying a ticket, it’s about lifting each other up, creating safe spaces, and ensuring diversity is always part of the journey.

Welcome to the Family 🌈

We are proud to celebrate The Grape Escape as a Highlands Certified partner. Whether you’re exploring vineyards, discovering boutique events, or simply enjoying the ride, you’ll know you’re part of a tour that celebrates inclusion at every turn.

🌟 Welcome aboard, Mira, Scott and The Grape Escape team and thank you for standing proudly with us.