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Wine Tasmania
Promoting the coolest wine region on the planet.
winetasmania.com.au
Tassie's Unmissable Cellar Doors
Ghost Rock Wines
While the wine at Ghost Rock is undoubtedly awesome (enthusiastic and informal adjectives are fitting here), it’s the combination with the cellar door’s amazing restaurant overlooking Bass Strait that draws visitors off the beaten track to this incredible vineyard perched on Tassie’s Northern edge. Local sourcing is the focus of their outstanding eatery – menu items are inspired by each season’s bounty, nurtured by local growers and makers. If local quail and Stanley octopus sound like menu items to be found only in trendy urban eateries then Ghost Rock is the exception to the rule – the urban part only. Well-priced wines, fun(ky) options included, are grown and produced on site, with a variety of styles to try in a range of intimate, tailored wine tasting experiences depending on the mood.
Stoney Rise Wine Company
There is much beauty in a well-executed combination of attention to detail and simplicity, and Stoney Rise are the masters of it. While it’s the former that best describes the wines (as well as words like complex and nuanced), the experience at Stoney Rise is beautifully straightforward. Choose a seated, self-guided wine tasting flight at this trendy wine bar-esque cellar door and add a few snacks from the small plate menu – think exceptional-quality classics like French onion dip, Wagyu bresaola & La Belle sardines, paired with fresh locally-baked sourdough (winemaker Joe’s favourite dish is the three cheese & onion jam toastie). From here, settle in for an afternoon of great wine, great food, river views and good company. This elegant yet relaxed architecturally designed building has a minimal footprint – it’s all about the surrounding outdoor space and expansive Tamar vistas.
Holm Oak Vineyards
Holm Oak is located at the top of the Tamar Valley, where warm welcomes and an array of wine experiences (as well as a cosy fire in wintertime) await. You’ll be greeted by wine dogs Bella and Nyah, resident pigs and the cellar door team including winemaker Bec (when things are a little quieter in the winery). The key goal of Bec and viticulturalist husband Tim is to produce single vineyard wines with personality and character that reflect the place in which their family lives, Tasmania’s pristine Tamar Valley, as well as their own personalities. Rustic, down to earth, not super polished but genuine and authentic well describe both. The experience of wine isn’t just about the liquid in the glass and with Holm Oak’s new (opened in January 2023) sensory garden, there is a whole new realm of fascinating wine education to be experienced. Foraging for edibles to pair with each of the wines from fresh herbs to berries, visitors will take their wine knowledge to whole new level by combining flavours, aromas and textures throughout 90 minutes of guided garden immersion.
Small Wonder Wines
In the upper reaches of the Tamar Valley, find Small Wonder nestled into native bushland on a peaceful hillside overlooking the valley, trees and vineyard below – a truly idyllic outlook in the summertime and autumn when the vines are lush, green and laden with ripe bunches of grapes. The name of the vineyard is quite literal, being home to a small but wonderful 20 hectares of vines. Rolling lawns made for lazing on (glass of wine in hand) provide the perfect space to relax and decompress. Choose your spot on the grass (bring a comfortable rug) or a picnic table and order your nibbles – there’s a vineyard platter (all the good grazing things) or a cheese platter to choose from and add on bread and dips if you’re up for a feast.
Delamere Vineyard
Serene, relaxed and friendly best describe Delamere’s vineyard home – a beautiful farmyard-like haven and the place where husband and wife duo Fran Austin and Shane Holloway chose to raise their family and follow their winemaking dream. Located within the winery, the cellar door is always abuzz with activity and is where their award-winning and much-celebrated Delamere wines are made from start to finish. Last year alone Shane & Fran were nominated for GT Wine’s Winemakers of the Year and also received the gong for Best Small Cellar Door in Tasmania’s North East. The stunning established gardens at Delamere are a home for free range ducks, chickens and guinea fowl, while there is plentiful space for children to roam within eye-sight of the cellar door and tours are also available by request. Delamere also have your picnic needs covered – the perfect accompaniment to the range of wine on offer which ranges from crisp bubbles to single block Pinot Noir.
Clover Hill Wines
If you’re the type of person that usually finds ‘breathtaking’ experiences underwhelming, the view from the Clover Hill cellar door is one of those rare occasions where the phrase really holds true to its meaning. For the aesthetically inclined, the architecture and its connection with the site provides fodder for intellectual exploration too. Outdoors, enjoy the natural setting more intimately, including the afternoon sea breezes which roll in from the North – worthy of at least a few long, deep breaths. Experiencing the wine can be done several ways, the most highly recommended being one of Clover Hill’s masterclasses, which range from a vineyard tour and tasting to chocolate, cheese and sparkling pairing (as well as others in between). Given the exceptional restaurant on site, an exploration of the relationship between sparkling wine and food is also a must. Every dish, prepared the way only a true culinary artist can, has a fascinating story of creation which is focused primarily on how best to pair with the portfolio of wine on offer. Don’t miss all things pickled, cured and umami for the perfect sparkling accompaniments.
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