Editor's Choice - Row 1
Devilishly Good News for Tasmania’s East Coast
The pursuit of business excellence seldom reaps the rich rewards it often deserves.
But for those in search of the best in Tasmanian wine quality and the best in wine tourism experiences, it seems times have never been better than they are right now.
Our world-class sparkling wines have been achieving extraordinary success in domestic and international markets. Meanwhile, our island state continues to receive critical acclaim as a source of some of Australia’s best Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir.
A welcome increase in the awareness and appreciation of high standards of consumer engagement at our vineyard cellar doors has also seen many Tasmanian wine producers make very significant improvements to customer service delivery and tasting room amenity.
This week’s good news is that one of the state’s best wine tourism destinations is about to get even better. On Wednesday 7 April, the Brown Family Wine Group (BFWG) announced plans to begin work on expansion of its popular Devils’ Corner Cellar Door at Apslawn, not far from Bicheno on Tasmania’s sunny east coast.
The property offers breathtaking views of Moulting Lagoon with The Hazards beyond. It’s also home to Devil’s Corner wines and the well-managed 180ha vineyard the family-owned company acquired from Gunns Limited back in 2010.
Devil’s Corner Cellar Door. Image courtesy Tourism Tasmania.
According to BFWG’s media release, work will begin on the award-winning cellar door in late April 2021. Planned expansions will offer locals and travellers alike a year-round destination with greater space and shelter to enjoy enhanced wine and food experiences.
For a tourism industry still getting back on its feet after a severe downturn in 2020 due to the global pandemic, the news has come like a breath of fresh air. During 2019, the Great Eastern Drive brought more than 300,000 visitors to the region.
Media reports published during the project’s planning approval process attached a figure of $1.2 million to BFWG’s ambitious expansion. It is believed the Victorian-based family company spent $1.8 million in developing the current Devil’s Corner cellar door and lookout back in December 2015.
Renowned Tasmanian architects Cumulus Studio have been re-engaged for the project, to ensure the uniqueness and aesthetic qualities of the site are enhanced. Meanwhile, Launceston’s Anstie Constructions will manage the build.
In a letter sent to council last year, planning applicant and principal architect Peter Walker stated the proposal seeks to deal with existing demand and forecast growth over the next 4-5 years.
Devil’s Corner Cellar Door design concept. Image supplied.
“The cellar door has been highly successful,” he noted.
“Current visitor numbers to the site on peak days mean that the development is not able to adequately accommodate existing visitor numbers, creating a poor visitor experience.”
Almost a year later, Walker says his team are extremely proud of the new project and are looking forward to continuing the environmentally conscious strategies BFWG established with the commencement of the original developments.
“Cumulus are very excited to see the next stage of Devil’s Corner start construction,” Walker says.
“It is highly satisfying as designers to see a place that we helped create become so used and loved by visitors and locals alike. With increasing awareness of the role buildings play in our environment, we felt it was important to continue many of the environmentally sustainable practices we initiated, from material selection to prefabrication techniques.”
Devil’s Corner marketing manager Will Adkins says the expansion will adopt a positive approach in catering for the wide range of seasonal conditions that can be experienced in this wild and unspoilt part of Tasmania.
“Calm autumns, wild winters or warm summers, we have no control over the weather,” he admits.
“But with the new site expansion, we will be able to ensure visitors can experience the very best of Devil’s Corner, no matter what the season. New and improved shelter areas as well as more casual spaces will help accommodate the increasing number of consumers that will visiting the cellar door each year.”
Adkins says a brand-new cellar door tasting area will be dedicated to immersive wine experiences. An impressive underground cellar will become the home of wine and food masterclasses, private functions and various exclusive events.
Devil’s Corner Cellar Door design concept. Image supplied.
Bravely guaranteeing the planned developments will be the perfect spot to escape mid-winter rain and howling wind, the Devil’s Corner marketing manager adds visitors will be able to sit and enjoy misty views of the famous Hazards with a glass of Pinot Noir in hand.
Long-term food partners The Fishers and Tombolo will continue to feed locals and travellers with fresh seafood and wood fired pizzas, expanding the food offering from new and improved on-site kitchens.
A temporary pop-up called ‘The Little Devil Cellar Door’ will offer tastings and wine sales during the construction period. It will operate seven days a week from April to September 2021.
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Industry recognises its young guns
Having digested media reports or witnessed vintage 2020 first-hand, Tasmanians are almost certainly justifiable proud of the way in which our wine industry coped with the vagaries of last year’s summer weather and the even more unpredictable community and government responses to threats posed by COVID-19.
Trials and tribulations aside, Tasmania’s grape growers love to grow world-class grapes and our winemakers love to craft world-class cool climate wines. Arguably, some of our best have been recognised in the national 2021 Young Gun of Wine Awards.
Anim’s Max Marriott. Image supplied.
Held annually, the competition is designed to promote wine labels and winemakers on the rise. Organisers released their list of Top 50 Winemakers at the beginning of April. Four Tasmanians were named – Max Marriott (Anim Wine), Luke Monks (Made by Monks), Marco Lubiana (Marco Lubiana) and Greer Carland (Quiet Mutiny).
According to awards founder Rory Kent, trophy winners in five different categories will be announced on Monday 24 May. They include Young Gun of Wine, Best New Act, People’s Choice, Winemaker’s Choice and Danger Zone. The latter award celebrates makers that tend the land and the vines that provide them with their essentials for quality winemaking.
All four Tasmanian winemakers ply their trade in the south of the state.
Marriott’s Anim wines are made via shared facilities at Pooley Wines’ Cambridge winery. The New Zealand-trained Queenslander has been resident in the state since 2018 after enjoying a brief stellar career overseas.
The remaining nominees are essentially over-achieving locals, with Lubiana and Carland being practically near neighbours in the Derwent Valley. Their respective parents established Stefano Lubiana Wines and Laurel Bank Vineyard at Granton during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In addition to creating wines under his own label, Made by Monks, Luke Monks has enjoyed periodic employment with Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers and Moorilla.
Visit www.younggunofwine.com before May 24 to find out more about this talented bunch and to cast your vote People’s Choice winemaker.
Hobart’s Mark Smith wrote his first weekly wine column back in 1994. Now more than 1700 features and 25 years later, he continues to chart the successes of Tasmania’s small scale, cool climate wine industry with regular contributions to some of Australia’s leading industry publications.
PICK OF THE CROP
2016 Goaty Hill Maia Sparkling $38
After a 20-year period of local family ownership in northern Tasmania’s Tamar Valley, Goaty Hill was sold to WA’s Overstory Group in November 2020. This is the stylish fizz the vineyard founders chose to celebrate their decades of working together. It’s a lovely, light-bodied Chardonnay-dominant blend from the outstanding 2016 sparkling wine vintage. Citrus and dried flower notes are played on a bright, finely balanced instrument of sheer pleasure. Break out the fresh oysters. www.goatyhill.com
2017 Derwent Estate Chardonnay $40
Southern Tasmania’s Derwent Valley is a great place for Chardonnay. In additional to previous longstanding contractual arrangements with Penfolds Wines for the sale of fruit for the Yattarna label, the Hanigan family enjoys a proud Chardonnay show history of its own. This bobby-dazzler won gold and a trophy at the 2020 Tasmanian Wine Show. It’s a bright, barrel-fermented middleweight that presents neat, free-flowing flavours of citrus, grapefruit and white nectarine on a seamless palate. Delicious. www.derwentestate.com.au
2019 Dalrymple Tasmanian Pinot Noir $38
My goodness, what a rich and intense Pinot Noir winemaker Peter Caldwell has managed to craft from the superb 2019 vintage. In contrast to many of its recent predecessors, this dark cherry and cranberry number has really been pumping iron during its winery isolation. Its latent power is held nicely in check by ripe tannins and a fine acid line. A carefully cellared Dalrymple Pinot from 1998 drank superbly just recently. This thoroughbred release will prove a stayer, too. www.dalrymplevineyards.com.au
2019 Puddleduck Ducks in a Row Pinot Noir $80
Wow, this is one out of the box from Coal River Valley winemaker Darren Brown. Wrought from the superb 2019 vintage, it’s a very smooth, plush and indeed opulent Pinot Noir that’s made good use of its 75 percent new French oak input. Rich red cherry fruit shows some attractive kitchen spice notes and ultra-fine tannin. It could cellar a decade but why bother when it’s so out there and hedonistic right now? Food match? Go on, make a guess. www.puddleduckvineyard.com.au
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