Tasmania

Winegrowing in Tasmania dates back to 1826, though it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that the industry began to re-establish itself, with plantings around Launceston and Hobart. In 1974, Dr Andrew Pirie put Pipers Brook firmly on the map, and by the 1990s, renewed investment signalled the island’s potential. Today, with around 1,000 hectares under vine, Tasmania is small in scale but increasingly influential.

Although officially treated as a single wine zone, Tasmania is shaped by two distinct areas. In the north-east, the Tamar Valley and Pipers Brook benefit from the cooling influence of the Bass Strait and the Roaring Forties, producing wines of taut precision. Further west, around Launceston, conditions are slightly warmer and more humid, bringing earlier harvests. To the south, the Derwent Valley enjoys greater shelter and warmth, with sandstone-based soils contrasting with the iron-rich clays of the north. These variations give winemakers a diverse palette of terroirs to draw from.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate, increasingly crafted into fine table wines and sparkling cuvées. The island’s southerly latitude and high UV levels contribute to vivid colour and aromatic intensity, particularly in Pinot Noir and the emerging cabernet. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the south, though it remains marginal. Among the leading names are Toldpuddle, Dawson James and Chatto.