In the wine world, small is often better.
Consider Australia’s wine-producing fraternity. In any given vintage, it harvests around 1.75 million tonnes of wine grapes from the 65 wine-producing regions called Australian Geographic Indications (GIs) scattered across the country.
Many GIs are the domain of the small producer. Indeed, according to the 2019 Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory, around two-thirds of the nation’s producers crush less than 100 tonnes each vintage.
Twenty percent process less than 10 tonnes. In Tasmania, the figure is closer to 40 percent.
Sure, many have limited portfolios and cellar-door operations, but weigh up the things that matter most – like premium wine quality and skilled workers – and it’s clear small wineries contribute greatly to Australia’s world-class industry.
With harvest now under way in the state, the Easter break is an ideal time to witness good and great Tasmanian wines in the making. Talking with property owners and staff will give clear insights into the challenges cool climate vineyards face in this critical part of the year.
Producers require nerves of steel when choosing picking dates. For every decision made, risks have to be taken and hunches followed, regardless of vineyard location and the grape varieties planted.
Harvesting as soon as possible might hurry fruit into winemaking, but unless the grapes are naturally sugar- and flavour-ripe the resulting wines will be thin and flavourless.
Try hanging on for more sunshine – or an Indian summer – and there’s increased risk of a wet or diseased vintage with every passing day. Nature and the changing seasons wait for no one.
A cellar door visit now and in subsequent days will have many sites displaying a bunch or two from this year’s high-quality harvest. Staff will help you understand some of the factors that determine wine quality. Many will even pour you a neat little sparkling or Pinot Noir as they go about it.
To make sure you gain the most from visits, remember to plan with the help of the 2021 Wine Guide Tasmania, prepared by the industry’s peak body, Wine Tasmania.
Ring to check what’s happening in the vineyard and book your place at the tasting bar.
Visits during picking offer great learning experiences. However, be aware of heavy or fast-moving machinery. Don’t enter vine rows without permission.
Ensure travelling times between cellar doors are comfortable and reasonable in duration. Don’t try to take in too many wines or properties within a single day.
Resist the temptation to sample everything on offer. Concentrate on getting a sound appreciation of a few well-chosen wines, especially vineyard specialities. Discard residual quantities of wine you don’t enjoy tasting.
Tasmania is a beautiful island state, with vineyards generally clustered into seven discrete growing areas. Dropping by remote sites that are beyond your usual stamping ground can result in some pleasant surprises.
Here are five small-scale producers in out-of-the-way places that are likely to excite your taste buds. Check producer details online.
Wine pioneer Dr Andrew Pirie. Image courtesy Mark Smith.
Apogee Tasmania, Lebrina
As one of the founders of the modern Tasmanian wine industry, Dr Andrew Pirie needs little introduction to consumers that cottoned on to his boutique Pipers Brook Vineyard wines in the 1980s and 1990s.
Long since separated from the Belgian-owned company and his subsequent position of CEO at Tamar Ridge Wines, Dr Pirie has been crafting artisan table and sparkling wines on his Apogee site since its inaugural 2010 vintage. Apogee Deluxe Vintage Brut and Rosé are much admired for their exceptional quality. They are considered by Champagne and sparkling wine expert Tyson Stelzer to be among Australia’s finest fizz.
Periodic hand-disgorging at Apogee is a fascinating process.
Ghost Rock Cellar Door and Eatery. Image supplied.
Ghost Rock, Northdown
‘Go west’ was the clarion cry of a bye-gone era. When winemaker Justin Arnold answered the call and returned to his family’s roots on the Cradle Coast in 2015, he and his wife Alicia Peardon set about transforming wine production and wine marketing in the region.
In the pre-COVID era, some 2000 patrons attended Ghost Rock’s annual Concert in the Vines each February.
The family’s beautifully-appointed cellar door and eatery make the property a must-visit watering hole for any traveller in the near vicinity. Wine quality is not only excellent but unerringly consistent. There are now 27ha of well-tended vines and coastal views to admire.
Ghost Rock is a mover and shaker.
David Llewellyn in the vineyard at Priory Ridge. Image supplied.
Priory Ridge, St Helens
It’s been 13 years since St Marys and St Helens locals David and Julie Llewellyn added vines to the former Tarpot Farm on Ansons Bay Road. It prompted establishment of one of the most vibrant cellar doors at the northern end of Tasmania’s East Coast.
In addition to pouring estate-grown wines, the couple encourage visitors to pour over engaging displays of regional and family history. Lived experiences and lively tales of pioneers and ne-‘er-do-wells are shared over glasses of varietal wine that have surprising weight and texture. Thanks be to Apsley Gorge winemaker Brian Franklin.
Mountain-biking in and around Derby offer additional drawcards for those keen to hit the roads in these parts.
Cape Bernier Vineyard, Bream Creek. Image supplied.
Cape Bernier, Bream Creek
Visiting a vineyard is all about the wine, eh? Not according to Cape Bernier’s Jenny and Andrew Sinclair. Their property’s jaw-dropping views, down-home hospitality and scheduled Sunday Sessions of live music have all become good reasons for the success of this former Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year.
Outdoor covered seating provides opportunity for chilling out during the summer months, while the cellar door itself is warm and inviting on cooler occasions. The Sinclairs endured some tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent site developments suggest the couple are rapidly putting all that behind them.
Quality viticulture and contract winemaking provide a sound basis for some great little cool climate wines.
Hartzview owners Robert and Anthea Patterson. Image supplied.
Hartzview, Gardners Bay
You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out this vineyard location is among the state’s most picturesque, regardless of the seasons and local weather conditions. Views of the district’s native forests, rolling landscapes and distant mountain ranges change constantly.
Robert and Anthea Patterson love this place with a passion and that’s reflected in Hartview’s grape wines, liqueur mead and fortified products crafted from locally grown seasonal fruits. You won’t find a portfolio like this anywhere else in Tasmania.
As proprietors of one of Australia’s most southerly vineyards, the Pattersons have not found success easy, but few could argue it’s not been well deserved during their three decades in the industry.
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ECHO bounces back… again
Resilience is a much under-rated quality in a winegrower.
Much the same can be said for musicians, entertainers and festival organisers when the heavens open and torrential rain washes out an outdoor event that’s seen months of planning and preparation.
“The river’s overflowing, there’s debris everywhere… things are not looking good,” remarked Michael Travalia as his downcast wife Ange Boxall surveyed the Cranbrook venue that was to host last weekend’s ill-fated East Coast Harvest Odyssey (ECHO).
The event founder and creative producer was lost for words amid the devastation caused by floodwaters breaking the banks of the usually placid Swan River. Proceeding with the event as planned was never an option.
According to media reports, the flooding that came rushing through the ECHO venue in the middle of the night, Thursday week ago, was immense. Property owner and Gala Estate proprietor Adam Greenhill believes a site clean-up will be a major undertaking, requiring weeks of hard work.
But hope springs eternal. In recent days, Boxall and her team of festival organisers report that ECHO is once again back on the event calendar.
ECHO Festival re-scheduled for April 2021. Image courtesy Sarah Rhodes.
“ECHO will return on 23-25 April,” the talented singer-songwriter says. “Gates open 4pm Friday and close 11am Sunday. Please hang on to your tickets as they are automatically valid for the new date or contact Oztix if you require a refund. Refunds will be accepted until 5pm Friday 2nd April 2021.”
Boxall believes the month delay in ECHO’s busy program of activities will provide organisers with opportunities to recoup and repair damage to the Greenhill’s farm and festival site. Equally important, organisers will continue to collaborate with the majority of artists, producers and innovators who were scheduled to take part in ECHO as originally planned.
“Please stay with us,” Boxall concluded in ECHO’s March 25 media release. “Hopefully we can all celebrate what will be an even more memorable ECHO Festival 2021.”
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.
2016 Ghost Rock Zoe Brut Rosé $38
Northdown, east of Devonport, has a cool maritime climate, not unlike north-east Tasmania. So it’s no surprise Ghost Rock boasts a portfolio of über-cool wines. This tasty number is as fresh as a daisy, thanks to sparkling wine queen Natalie Fryar, who worked alongside Justin Arnold during the 2016 vintage. Red apple and juicy red fruits telegraph its 60% Pinot Noir composition. Meanwhile, nine months in oak and 20 months on yeast lees provide the spice and fine tannins to frame the wine’s satisfying texture and balancing natural acidity. Value-plus. www.ghostrock.com.au
2016 Apogee Deluxe Vintage Brut $63
Premium sparkling wine producers in Tasmania’s cool north-east created many outstanding wines from the excellent 2016 vintage. This dry Brut wine from industry pioneer Dr Andrew Pirie reveals the strength of the district’s ultra-fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir resources. It’s a wonderful sparkling, showing plenty of drive and energy. There’s a beautiful tight focus evident in the wine’s subtle red Pinot Noir fruit, while a hint of honey highlights its 45 months of lees ageing and 53 percent Chardonnay composition. Fabulous texture and tiny pinprick bubbles crown its glories. www.apogeetasmania.com
2019 Cape Bernier Haphazard Pinot Noir $32
Andrew and Jenny Sinclair’s tiny Bream Creek property on Tasmania’s southeast coast is well-regarded for its stylish, estate-grown wines. Haphazard is the vineyard’s early release label and these wines are always characterised by generosity of fruit flavour and their ease of drinkability. There’s nothing haphazard about the way in which contract winemaker Alain Rousseau has set about crafting this classy middleweight. It shows deft oak handling, fine tannins and a neat touch of pepper spice. Lingering acidity makes it very food-friendly, too. Serve it with a Middle Eastern baba ganoush. www.capebernier.com.au
2016 Hartzview Reserve Pinot Noir $25
Located between the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Huon River, south of Hobart, Hartzview’s viticultural challenges are amplified by the site’s significant elevation above sea-level. That noted, winemaker Robert Patterson has produced some very stylish Pinot Noirs over the years. This mediumweight red comes from an excellent vintage in the district. It’s a complex and attractive wine, with plump, well rounded, slightly spicy fruit supported by fine ripe tannins and vibrant acidity. Some bottle age contributes gamey notes, making it a worthy partner alongside spicy Asian duck dishes. Pricing is very user-friendly. www.hartzview.com.au
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