New Cellar Door Rises to Top Awards

It’s no secret that good wines and great scenery are key components of a memorable cellar door visit. But the best cellar door experiences are those that put people front and centre of the complex web of interactions that link sites and sightseers.

Sitting somewhat restlessly at a table overlooking Stoney Rise in the heart of the Tamar Valley, Tasmanian winemaker Joe Holyman is the first to admit he never really feels at home behind the tasting bar on the rare occasions he’s rostered for work there.

He’d rather be out in the vineyard, attending to the 7.5ha of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner and Trousseau vines. Joe and wife Lou have enjoyed ownership of their Gravelly Beach property since 2004.

“It’s really important for me to focus on growing the best fruit that I can in order to find out what those vines can produce,” Holyman says.

“The more I’m involved in viticulture, the more it evolves and results in better wines. I find being a winemaker really boring. It’s the vineyard that matters most to me.”

That noted, the former sales rep and fine wine buyer is quick to acknowledge that creating memorable cellar door experiences is as important to his business’s future success and sustainability as the creation of memorable wines.

“Cellar doors are really important to the industry as they provide operators with one of the most effective ways of connecting with customers,” Holyman says.

Stoney Rise cellar door. Images courtesy Anjie Blair.

“We don’t enter wine shows and we don’t do much advertising, either. We’re more interested in engaging with our customers – the customers we have already and the new ones we’d liked to acquire.”

It’s a no-nonsense approach, but one the former first-class cricketer and plucky wicketkeeper/batsman reckons has put runs on his business scoreboard. Besides that, back in April of this year, the Holymans became recipients of Gourmet Traveller WINE’s annual Star Cellar Door award.

“The 2021 northern Tasmania star cellar door is stellar newcomer Stoney Rise/Holyman in the western Tamar Valley,” observed food, wine and travel writer, Winsor Dobbin.

“Joe and Lou Holyman have been making wine in this glorious setting for more than 15 years, and recently used the (COVID-19) lockdown period to replace their tiny tasting room with a much grander and more spacious facility with dramatic views.”

It turns out the new facility is not only much grander and more spacious, it became the runaway winner of the Award for Commercial Architecture in the 2021 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, announced in early June.

According to Holyman, the project brief given to architects Cumulus Studio was that the new cellar door should meet two competing demands. Firstly, that it could be operated effectively by one person and still facilitate a unique wine experience. Secondly, the facility needed to be able accommodate a range of functions, from cellar door visits and wine tastings for one or two people to larger dinner parties and social gatherings.

Twelve months on, it’s clear the Launceston-based design studio achieved all that and more. GE and KJ Eustace Builders have delivered a new development that is both aesthetically pleasing to the eye and very welcoming in the way it draws visitors into the facility.

The winning design is modern and angular and finished in a variety of materials – natural timber, glass, concrete, brick and painted Colorbond sheeting. Around 100 square metres of internal space is complemented by a similar area outside that’s devoted to courtyards and a walled entry lane.

Build quality and attention to detail is impressive. And measuring little more than 5.6m in height, the new cellar door also appears to have settled very comfortably into the dramatic vineyard landscape that sites above the river.

“Prior to having this facility, we’d basically set aside a part of our home for tastings and sales and we traded seven days a week,” Holyman recalls.

“That was less than ideal for a couple of busy parents with three school-aged children.”

Opening for business at the tail-end of a Tasmanian government-imposed lockdown with severe restrictions on travel also seemed less than ideal. However, the cellar door’s soft launch last August provided the Holymans with opportunity to work through a small number of post-construction issues.

“It enabled us to be right on top of our game when tourists finally began to move around the state again in larger numbers,” the winemaker explains.

“Hopefully, once things settle down and people get used to travelling again after COVID, we plan to do some guest chef events.”

In the meantime, small, carefully prepared plates of food are available for purchase and consumption by cellar door guests. So too are beers and non-alcoholic beverages, together with a well-priced and eclectic selection of local, national and international wines.

Visitors are not starved for choice when it comes wines created in the couple’s small, on-site winery. The current portfolio spans a range of wine styles and price points. They’re marketed under four vineyard labels – No Clothes, Stoney Rise, Holyman and Project X.

Wine quality is excellent.

Joe and Lou Holyman’s Stoney Rise cellar door operates each Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 10am to 5pm. Bookings are recommended. Phone 0418 853 924.

Travel the Tamar

For a small wine sub-region that is 45-years-young in 2021, the Tamar Valley north of Launceston is home to one of the most vibrant and diverse sectors of the entire Tasmanian wine industry. It’s a great place to visit.

When wine pioneers Graham Wiltshire and Michael Curtis established Chateau Legana in 1996, Cabernet Sauvignon was the red grape of choice to plant. So, too, was Riesling, the classic German white that still produces some of the Tamar Valley’s best wines.

But times change, and so have vineyard ownership and access to certified, high-quality, true-to-type wine grape varieties. Chateau Legana has long since become Velo Wines, where cellar door visitors will not only find some of the state’s oldest vines but plenty of newer kids on the vineyard block as well.

Cabernet Sauvignon has been joined by Pinot Noir and Shiraz, while multi-purpose Chardonnay rubs shoulders with Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. Travel further into the valley and its more the undulating vineyard slopes reveal a tapestry of less common and sometimes quite obscure varieties.

Marion’s Vineyard. Image supplied.

Like Velo, Marion’s Vineyard at Deviot plays host to old Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. But dotted about the former apple orchard are specialty selections like Cabernet Franc, Cascade, Mavrodaphne, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Viognier and Zinfandel. Winemaker Cynthea Semmens turns some of them into limited-release wines she calls One Barrel Wonders.

Drive further north from Deviot and head west out of Exeter and it’s not long before Grey Sands near Frankford comes into view. Here, owners Rita and Bob Richter cultivate no less that 17 different wine grape varieties. Around a dozen are experimental plantings used in their blended whites and reds.

At any one time, Grey Sands offers around 10 different wines for sale, many of them with significant bottle age.

It’s this patchwork of small producers with plantings of less conventional wine grape varieties that makes the Tamar Valley such an interesting destination for wine lovers.

But perhaps that’s to be expected? After all, this is Tasmania’s largest sub-region when it comes to wine grape production.

Vintage 2021 in the valley accounted for almost 35 percent of the state’s total harvest of 14,478 tonnes.

Get out there and see it for yourself. You’ll find some of the state’s best sparkling and still table wines in this wonderfully scenic part of northern Tasmania.

Be sure to consult Wine Tasmania’s Wine Guide when planning your journey.

Act quickly to register with the state government’s tourism voucher scheme and you might receive a whole lot more than you bargained for over the next seven weeks.

Registration provides free entry to a ballot that distributes at random $300 tourism vouchers. These can be spent on Tasmanian accommodation and visitor experiences until Friday 24 September.

Registration opened on Wednesday 5 August and closes Monday 8 August.

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

Mark gives you his honest opinions about the best wines available right now from Tasmania’s wine makers.

Moores Hill Sparkling Blanc de Noir $55

Rosé wines are perfectly suited to relaxed, al fresco entertaining. These days, that can be at any time of year, not just summer. Much the same can be said of sparkling Rosé, hence its increasing popularity in Australia. This multi-vintage wine was crafted from Pinot Noir and shows subtle ripe strawberry characters. They’re held aloft by a fine bead and gently creamy mousse that bring immediate enjoyment on opening. Part of the blend was aged seven years, contributing welcome complexity to the finish. Serve with a range of canapes rather than as an aperitif.  www.mooreshill.com.au

2020 Stoney Rise Chardonnay $32

Former Tasmanian wicketkeeper Joe Holyman certainly made tongues wag when he set a record for the number of catches taken on first-class debut. In 2007, the Tamar Valley winemaker received similar acclamation as a finalist in the debut year of the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Holyman continues to hit good wines out of the park. This is a very attractive and sensitively oaked Chardonnay, offering white nectarine, honeydew melon and citrus flavours on a well sustained palate that has real verve and freshness. Lowish alcohol (12.5%) and crisp acidity make it very food friendly.  www.stoneyrise.com

2019 Holm Oak Chardonnay $35

Rebecca Duffy is no stranger to Chardonnay. Long before she moved to northern Tasmania, the former King Islander spent 5 years honing her craft at Capel Vale in WA. This barrel-fermented babe out of oak comes from the excellent 2019 vintage. In true Tamar Valley style, it has that component of elegance and finesse that only comes from cool climate vineyards. Regional citrus/apple characters are backed by hints of almond meal wrought from time on lees. Crisp acidity makes it a smart cellaring candidate and roast pork-ready. The choice is yours.  www.holmoakvineyards.com.au

2018 Velo Cabernet Sauvignon $34

Velo in the Tamar Valley is one of the State’s oldest vineyards, with plantings there dating back to 1966. Those 50-year-old Legana estate vines provided the small and intense bunches that formed the basis of this remarkably youthful Cabernet. Its varietal characters of red berry and red currant are clearly ripe, supporting a relatively light-bodied and stylish early-drinking style. The tannins are fine; the oak low-key and quality French as you’d expect. For best enjoyment, partner it with something protein-driven, courtesy of Matt Adams at Velo’s superb Timbre Kitchen. Satisfaction guaranteed.  www.velowines.com.au

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