Tasmanian Wineries – A Must Do For All Wine Lovers
Please note: There are some affiliate links in this post which means at no cost to you, I may get a small amount of commission if you click through and make a booking 🙂
As some of you may know from my adventures on social media, I have recently got back from a trip to Tasmania. The wineries of Tasmania have long been on my wine travel bucket list. Why? Because for one, everyone I know who has visited Tassie (this is what the locals call Tasmania) has loved it. And secondly, I love my Sparkling Wine and Chardonnay – which is what this cool-climate grape-growing area does very well. Plus I am also quite partial to my Pinot Noir which they do equally well.
However that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as I found out. Tasmania produces a wide range of wine styles, they grow a diverse range of grapes and you know what? They taste bloody good too!
Mr Spittoon and I were travelling with my parents who like the odd wine, or 5 😉 too. So it’s safe to say this trip was full of plenty of wine. To be honest, I was actually a bit wine-d out by the end of it. I know that’s utter blasphemy to write but my ‘multiple tastings in one-day’ skills have dropped since leaving Perth.
Before I get stuck into the list of the 24 wineries we visited, let me tell you about a few things I learnt about Tasmanian wine…
How many wineries are there is Tasmania?
There are 72+ cellar doors in Tassie according to the Wine Trails Around Tasmania 2019 booklet we had with us. So considering we visited 21 cellar doors, I think we did not bad for our week-long trip.
According to Wikipedia, there are 112+ vineyards and around 200 wineries. After stalking various wine producers on Instagram before our trip, I noticed that many aren’t open to the public/don’t have a cellar door. Or you need to arrange an appointment with them.
What are the wine regions in Tasmania?
Tassie can be broken into 4 main grape growing areas:
- North West
- Tamar Valley (including Pipers River and Relbia by Launceston airport)
- East Coast
- Southern (includes Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, and Huon/Channel)
We managed to visit each area, though we didn’t do much on the east coast, so that’ll definitely be on the list to explore more in-depth on our next trip. Yes, we are already planning the next trip!
What are the best ways to get around the wineries in Tassie?
We hired a car for our time in Tassie through Apex car rentals. You can also check out Discover Cars for car rental, as the brand offers a lot of available options around Tassie for a great price.
And luckily for my Mum and I, Mr Spittoon and my Dad took turns at driving. We also took our little bretho device with us, just in case. Actually, it was really good we did as it put our minds at rest when we went through a police stop just out of Hobart. You can never be too safe right?
I noticed that there are a few tours out and about throughout the wine regions too. So if you’d prefer someone else driving then this would be your best bet.
From my knowledge, you can’t really do any of the regions via public transport, or from what I could see, there’s nothing like UberVino.
The wineries we visited in Tasmania
Okay so let’s get stuck into the wineries we visited. I am going to start from Hobart and work our way up to Launceston as we flew into Hobart and out of Launceston.
If there are any wineries reading this, I would absolutely love to suggest something super easy you can do so that people know your opening times (especially on public holidays). We were caught out a few times because of Google My Business listing hours being different from the actual hours.
A lot of people will simply Google your winery name and find your Google listing and look at that rather than going to your website, therefore please make sure this listing is up to date all the time. If you are not sure what the heck I am talking about, then head over to my business blog and sort out your Google listing stat. If you have any questions, just let me know.
Wineries near Hobart
Moorilla & Moo Brew at Mona
The Moorilla cellar door and Moo Brew beer tasting area is in one of the buildings at Mona. Therefore it would be rude to visit the museum and not the cellar door right?
Unfortunately I didn’t get in early enough to book one of the winery tours. Plus if you are one of the first 12 people to book a ‘Posh Pit’ ticket on the Mona ferry you can request a complimentary winery tour ticket – so book ahead!
Conversely, you can also book a tour here that will include a ferry ride, admission to Mona, seasonal lunch, and wine tasting experience.
We decided to do both a beer and wine tasting at the cellar door. Both were served up in Riedel glassware.
Tastings are $10 per person and this was refunded upon purchasing wine.
The tasting samples, especially for the beers were very generous and for the wines we tried a wide range of styles. From their entry level Praxis range to their exclusive Cloth Label range.
Address: 655 Main Rd, Berriedale TAS 7011
Phone: (03) 6277 9900
Hours: Please refer to the Mona website
Stefano Lubiana Wines
The next day after Mona we decided to explore some of the wineries close to Hobart. We firstly headed up Mt Wellington, which was extremely windy but it has amazing views. After this, we made our way to Stefano Lubiana Wines.
Stefano Lubiana is only 20 minutes drive from Hobart and it looks like their Osteria would make a great spot for lunch.
We decided to just stop in for a tasting. There were many wines I really enjoyed however the guy serving us wasn’t really very chatty or up front about telling us much about the property or wines which was a shame. Thank fully there were some more ‘serious’ looking wine tasters down from us and were being told a lot about the wines, so we listened in.
Stefano Lubiana was established in 1990 and is Tasmania’s first and only certified biodynamic vineyard.
They make a large ranges of wines from sparkling wines to Gruner Veltliner, Amphora Orange Wine to Pinot Noir. However they don’t always have them all on tasting. When we visited, the highlighted ones below were up for tasting – we could choose 6 to try for $5 per person – this was reimbursed on purchases over $50.
Mr. Spittoon and I ended up buying a bottle of the 2013 ‘Collina’ barrel Selection Biodynamic Chardonnay which went down a treat.
Address: 60 Rowbottoms Road, Granton 7030
Phone: 03 6263 7457
Hours: Please refer to the Stefano Lubiana website
Pooley Wines
As you’ll see from the pictures below – the very first thing we learnt about Pooley Wines was that they were Tasmania’s First Certified Environmentally Sustainable Vineyard.
They have a beautiful setting and we really enjoyed our tasting in ‘The Coach House’. We were invited to pull up a stool to the tasting bench and do a tasting. You can either taste through their standard range or their single vineyard range, the latter was a little bit more expensive. I can’t quite remember what we paid however the tasting fee was wavered upon purchase.
We ended up walking out with a bottle of the Pooley Wines Single Vineyard 2017 Butcher’s Hill Chardonnay.
Address: 1431 Richmond Rd, Richmond TAS 7025
Phone: (03) 6260 2895
Hours: Please refer to the Pooley Wines website
Frogmore Creek Wines
I was recommended Frogmore Creek’s Vineyard Restaurant for lunch – having been told it’s excellent food and great value. Therefore before we embarked on our trip I booked in our Easter Sunday lunch at Frogmore.
And we weren’t disappointed! After a few photos in the vineyard, we went straight into lunch. Typically I like to do a cellar door tasting before having lunch, however we had spent a bit longer than expected at the previous cellar door, so we went straight into lunch.
I loved how they had little Easter eggs on the table, seeing as it was Easter Sunday. What a lovely touch. I also really enjoyed how the menu is short and sweet – though saying that, it was still hard to decide what to have.
I ended up choosing the ‘scallop tartare with minted cucumber, lime gel, tonic foam and local botanicals’ for $5 a pop. On the menu they suggested matching this with the 2016 Frogmore Creek Sparkling Cuvee – and I can confirm they were a great match. I followed this with the ‘truffl e potato salad with citrus gel, cornichons, capers, smoked almonds and garden flowers’ for $19 and a glass of 2016 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir. And then to wash that all down (because I needed more food – haha not!) I had the special Easter dessert.
Wow it was fantastic! At our table we also enjoyed the beef brisket and pork belly – see the delicious pictures below.
The wine, food and service were all top notch – I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this spot to anyone looking for a winery lunch near Hobart.
Address: 699 Richmond Rd, Cambridge TAS 7170
Phone: (03) 6274 5844
Hours: Please check the Frogmore Creek website
Puddleduck Vineyard
Puddleduck sure love their duckies! Honestly there are rubber duckies and duck paraphernalia everywhere. This is definitely a family-friendly spot and I have to admit it has one of the best wine-lovers gift shops I have come across. I could have spent a lot of money, but I settled on just getting some wine socks.
I also like their ‘Reverse BYO’ concept, where they invite you to bring your own food and picnics to enjoy on the property, whilst buying wine from the cellar door. Great concept and I have experienced this kind of thing at the Twilight Concerts at Upper Reach Winery in the Swan Valley.
The cellar door was hectic when we visited. Therefore, we were welcomed to sit down at one of the tables and we had our tasting there. I really like this idea as it makes it easier on the staff and less frustrating for us. While doing our tasting we learnt all about this family owned and operated winery which was established in 1997.
My pick of the day was definitely the Puddleduck 2018 Riesling – so delicious!
Puddleduck is located only 20 minutes from Hobart in the Coal River Valley.
Address: 992 Richmond Rd, Richmond TAS 7025
Phone: (03) 6260 2301
Hours: Please check the Puddleduck Vineyard website
Coal Valley Vineyard
Coal Valley Vineyard was our next stop and boy do they have some stunning views. Just check out the pictures below. Again instead of standing up at the tasting bench, they asked us to take a seat and relax. I really loved this cellar door tasting approach which seemed quite popular throughout the wineries in Tasmania.
Coal Valley Vineyard produces a range of wines (Riesling, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), however their key focus is Pinot Noir (and we tasted why!). If we hadn’t of had such a filling lunch, I would have loved to have sat there and had a platter to really soak up those views.
Great service too!
Address: 257 Richmond Rd, Cambridge TAS 7170
Phone: (03) 6248 5367
Hours: Please visit the Coal Valley Vineyard website for more info
2 Hours from Hobart
Devil’s Corner
This was our flop day. Our plan was to travel from Hobart to Launceston with a stop at Freycinet National Park on our way. The Wineglass Bay walk has been on my bucket list for awhile now. We made it to Freycinet National Park, and we even paid our $22 park fee to get in, but we didn’t do the walk. Why? It was hectic! We drove around the carpark for nearly an hour, and because we didn’t want to park illegally we ended up giving up. It was frustrating, to say the least.
Thankfully though, just around the ‘corner’ was Devil’s Corner winery where they had live music, wine and food – not a bad runner up prize I think. We ended up having a glass of bubbles, some fresh oysters and wood-fired pizzas. I think we all could have stayed a bit longer, though the wind chill and the fact we still had about 2 hours to travel to our AirBnb in the Tamar Valley, pushed us back onto the road.
Devil’s Creek is an impressive spot – again, it has amazing views that a picture doesn’t even do justice. I love this explanation of their becoming:
On a small island cast adrift, a shipwrecked coast is buffeted by the crashing waves of the Southern Ocean. Around a treacherous bend, the mysterious sea relents, and a protected haven comes into view. And it’s here, where vines meet the sea, that we found our home. Welcome to our corner of the wild.”
There are a few wineries in the area. Initially we planned to do a night around this sort of spot, but accommodation booked up quickly.
Therefore, make sure to book your accommodation beforehand. There are a lot of available options at Booking.com.
If you can stay a night or two, you’ll be able to visit Devil’s Corner and the surrounding wineries.
Address: 1 Sherbourne Rd, Apslawn TAS 7190
Phone: (03) 6257 8881
Hours: Please check the Devil’s Corner website for more info
Tamar Valley (Wineries near Launceston)
For the second half of our trip we headed north to Launceston. For extra convenience, you can book a round trip from Launceston with this Tamar Valley on a small-group wine tasting tour.
We decided to grab an AirBnb on Gravelly Beach in the Tamar Valley, which was nice. Though I think next time we’d try and nab one of the little apartments which is on the Tamar Ridge property as they are a stones throw away from the cellar door and look to have amazing views.
You can book the accommodation at Booking.com, as there are several available options at your disposal.
From our accommodation in Gravelly Beach we were still able to walk to one winery, so let’s start there…
Stoney Rise Wine Company
Stoney Rise was our first cellar door experience in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. In fact, after our day travelling up from Hobart, we literally dropped our bags at our accommodation and went straight to the cellar door as it was already around 4pm. It took us about 10 minutes to walk to.
It was actually a really lovely walk as we walked up past the vines and the view looked out to the Tamar River (technically a 70-kilometre estuary also known as Kanamaluka). Once we got to the cellar door at the top – where they have also designed it to soak up those views, we dove in for a taste. When we visited there were only reds to taste, which was a shame as I was eyeing up the Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner on the list. I think they were out of stock.
However saying that, the reds went down pretty well I must admit. And afterall, it had at least been about 3 hours since our last sip of wine. Don’t you love holidays!
We firstly started with the ‘No Clothes Pinot Noir’ which is fresh, juicy Pinot Noir meant to be served cold. It also contains no SO2. When then moved onto the rest of the Pinots and it was the Project X Pinot which had my mouth salivating. Which made Mr Spittoon roll his eyes as naturally that was the most expensive at $90. Definitely worth every cent in my eyes though 😉
Address: 96 Hendersons Ln, Gravelly Beach TAS 7276
Phone: 0418 853 924
Hours: Please refer to the Stoney Rise Wine Company website
Marion’s Vineyard
This was our second Tamar Valley cellar door and yes we made it on the first day before they closed after visiting Stoney Rise. I think this would be a favourite for all 4 of us. From the view to the wines and of course Marion’s hospitality, we really enjoyed our visit.
Marion has a great sense of humour and the quality of the wines really shined. The cellar door is very rustic with plenty of arty labels and even a wine cork wall – see the pictures below.
As it was a rather chilly day Marion was in-fact warming our glasses up by pouring warm water into them and discarding the water before pouring the tastings. She was doing this because when you serve up a wine too cold (or too warm) it will impact the aromas and flavours of the wine – so they won’t be showing to their full potential. I thought this was a great idea, as it wasn’t too long ago I was at a cellar door where they put the wine in a microwave (you should have seen the shock on my face when they did this). I much prefer Marion’s technique.
At the end of the stay we actually went back to grab a few bottles but unfortunately Marion was closed. The reason being that we ended up drinking what we purchased within hours of leaving the cellar door. Ha!
It was the Afterglow Rose at $28 a bottle and the Chardonnay at $38 that we really loved. I didn’t write a tasting note for the Rose unfortunately but here you can find my note for Marion’s Vineyard 2015 Chardonnay.
My Mum and Dad also bought a bottle of the Mavrodaphne for their cellar – this is a Greek grape (an ode to the family’s Greek heritage) and it’s the only planting in Australia!
Address: 335 Deviot Rd, Deviot TAS 7275
Phone: (03) 6394 7434
Hours: Please check the Marion’s Vineyard website
Holm Oak
Holm Oak was on the list to visit as Vineyard 28 from WA’s Geographe wine region, had recommended on social media that we stop in there. I also remembered the name from the Australian Women in Wine Awards, as Rebecca Duffey of Holm Oak picked up the Owner / Operator of the Year in 2015.
This was our first stop for the day and it’s safe to say it didn’t disappoint. We really enjoyed our visit and of course the wines too. There was so much to look at and read about in the cellar door. Plus I also need to make a mention that the customer service was fantastic. Despite a rather busy morning, they managed everyone well.
I am a sucker for nice wine glasses. Therefore, I love how they served up the Pinot’s in a nice big Pinot Riedel glasses – there’s something about drinking out of nice glassware. They also had a Coravin device, so that we could try some of the top of the range reds too. If you are a hardcore Pinot lover, then you’ll have to do their Pinot wine flight, which I think is about $25 from memory. You can also do barrel room tasting and sit down for a platter – check out their website linked below for more info.
We loved hearing all about the history of the property and Pinot the Pig has to get a mention too! After our tasting we went out and fed the pigs a few apples.
I ended up buying bottles of the Arneis and Chardonnay. I could have easily spent a lot more money though!
Address: 11 W Bay Rd, Rowella TAS 7270
Phone: (03) 6394 7577
Hours: Please refer to the Holm Oak website
Goaty Hill Wines
Goaty Hill Wines wasn’t actually on our map, however we spotted it while driving in the area, so we thought it would be rude not to stop in.
We could safely presume two things about this Tamar Valley winery:
- They love goats
- They’re a popular spot
The last point didn’t work in our favour though, as it meant the wines were pretty much poured and then the guy shot off to serve someone else, so unfortunately we didn’t learn a lot about the winery or the wines. Plus they don’t seem to have an About Us page on their website, so I can’t tell you a lot about this one sorry guys.
Despite that my palate took a shine to the Goaty Hill 2018 Riesling and a bottle ended up making it as far back to the Airbnb with us.
Address: 530 Auburn Rd, Kayena TAS 7270
Phone: 1300 819 997
Hours: Please check the Goaty Hill Wines website
Cabbage Tree Hill
Thanks to our Airbnb host, she gave us the heads up that Cabbage Tree Hill Wines had literally just opened that week. Therefore we thought we had better check out the newest cellar door in the Tamar Valley while we were there.
We actually got talking to the owners for quite awhile, who are super lovely people. Cabbage Tree Hill is their side project which they are hoping to turn into a full time gig. I think with the fantastic little cellar door looking out over the vines and those amazing platters – they will definitely do that sooner rather than later.
The wines went down a treat as we tasted our way through them. At the tasting bench, we were invited to pull up a stool as we made our way through the wine list. It was the bubbles that really caught my fancy.
I then went on to have a glass of the sparkling as we soaked up the winter sunrays on the picnic table on the lawn. We decided to order one of their platters, which from memory was around the $65 mark, so on the pricey side but oh man did it deliver! This platter is definitely up there for one of my favourite platters – there was so much quality goodness on it that they specially source. Worth every cent!
I would definitely recommend stopping in here for lunch – yes the platters are that big that they are enough for lunch!
Address: 104 Greens Beach Rd, Beaconsfield TAS 7270
Phone: 0407 705 095
Hours: Please refer to the Cabbage Tree Hill Wines Facebook page
Moores Hill Estate
Have I mentioned that my favourite time for wine travel is autumn? Vineyards look so pretty when the leaves start to turn a variety of reds, yellows and oranges. Moores Hill was looking especially pretty on the day we visited in April. The cellar door sits up the hill, so you have nice views down over the vineyard.
Meeting Otto the wine dog at the cellar door was a definite high. He is exceptionally friendly, especially when he realises he’s going to get a lot of pats out of you.
We did a tasting through most of the range which was lovely, however we weren’t really told by the people serving us much about the winery. Perhaps we should have been more forward with asking, but there just wasn’t that chatty vibe there. Which is a shame. However they have a great website which filled me in on the geeky-wine stuff I wanted to find out 🙂
The wines however did speak for themselves and it’s safe to say they have a great range from bubbles to reds. It was the Moores Hill 2017 Riesling which we all really enjoyed and we had to buy a bottle to take back to our Airbnb.
It’s also very cool that they are Tasmania’s first 100% off the grid winery, using solar power.
Address: 3343 W Tamar Hwy, Sidmouth TAS 7270
Phone: (03) 6394 7649
Hours: Please check out the Moores Hill Estate website
Swinging Gate Vineyard
Swinging Gate Vineyard would be one of those Tasmanian wineries which would be high on my list to recommend people to visit. This rustic barn which looks out over the vines is full of all sorts of goodness. Including plenty of wine!
In fact the rustic barn used to be the old machinery shed and it’s not just the cellar door now, but also a day spa!
We had a fantastic tasting when we visited and even got to sample some of their yet to be released Gruner Veltliner Pet Nat. Which was superb by the way.
However, it was the Whole Bunch Pressed Pinot Grigio and the Swinging Gate 2016 Pinot Noir Rose which I just had to buy. The Rose is dry, zesty and 100% moreish.
Great wines, location and customer service!
Address: 103 Glendale Rd, Sidmouth TAS 7270
Phone: 0419 599 710
Hours: Please check the Swinging Gate Vineyard website
Bay of Fires Wines / Arras / Eddystone Point
On our third day in the Tamar Valley, we decided to head to the other side of the estuary. First up was the Bay of Fires, Arras and Eddystone Point cellar door. I wish I had been a bit more organised and booked in an Arras tasting. We’re big sparkling wines fans and Arras produces some world class bubbles right here from little old Tasmania.
However we still really enjoyed our visit and tasting through the ranges. It was the Bay of Fires ‘Trial by Fires’ 2018 Pinot Rose which really took my fancy. In fact on this Tassie trip, I was blown away with the quality of Rose which is being made in Tasmania – it is delicious!
The Rose is from their project wines range is only available from the cellar door or online via their website. It’s part of the ‘project egg’ range. Which means it was fermented in a porous concrete egg-shaped fermenter.
Wines released under the Trial by Fires range are special, small production parcels nurtured by the winemaking team at Bay of Fires. Made using unconventional techniques, this truly represents the creative and adventurous spirit of our winemaking teams in cultivating and showcasing the best possible wines from our cool climate vineyards.”
I’d never come across these project wines before, so this was most definitely the highlight for me. I also liked the little garden display outside to show their vine training techniques and how they keep frost at bay in the vineyard.
Cellar door tastings are $5 per person, however this is wavered if you buy something.
Address: 40 Baxters Rd, Pipers River TAS 7252
Phone: (03) 6382 7622
Hours: Please visit the Bay of Fires website for more info
Delamere Vineyards
The Delamere cellar door is a section of their Pipers River Estate winery. I loved it because you’re sitting down at the tasting bench and you can see the barrels and tanks where wines are ‘growing’. It had a lovely smell and a relaxed rustic atmosphere.
The wines are top of the notch at Delamere, it’s safe to say they make quality wines and have a nice range to choose from. I am a sparkling wine lover, so I immediately noticed that they have at least 4 to taste, which put me in a good mood. However I ended up walking out the door with a bottle of the Delamere 2018 Pinot Noir Rose. Definitely one of my favourite roses I’ve had this year!
Delamere is a family owned affair and everything is made onsite. They exclusively grow and produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – the darling grapes of Tasmania. They have various clones of each grape planted, which they are more than happy to tell you all about. I love all the geeky wine knowledge, and the guy on the cellar door was all over that. Great knowledge!
On our last night we enjoyed a bottle of their non-vintage sparkling at our accommodation in Launceston (Stillwater). Check out Booking.com for available options in the city.
Address: 4238 Bridport Rd, Pipers Brook TAS 7254
Phone: (03) 6382 7190
Hours: Please refer to the Delamere Vineyards website
Sinapius
If you asked me to recommend one cellar door out of the ones we visited in Tasmania, Sinapius would be it. it just ticked all the boxes for me. Great wines (classic and some unique beauties in there too, like Gamay), top of the notch service and an absolutely gorgeous cellar door and spot.
We pulled up to the cellar door, and were firstly greeted by the gorgeous German Shepard wine dog. Then upon entering the cellar door, Jason came out to greet us. He shook all our hands and asked us our names, which was lovely. I love the personalised touch!
When then sat down at the tasting bench and he told us all about Sinapius (including how to pronounce Sinapius properly as we were having debates in the car). As you can see from the photos below, there is decent selection of wines to taste.
I ended up walking away with quite a few bottles, and I still could have bought more and I probably will online over the next few weeks. By the way, they offer free shipping on orders as small as 6 bottles 😉
Address: 4232 Bridport Rd, Pipers Brook TAS 7254
Phone: 0417 341 764
Hours: Please check the Sinapius Wines website
Ninth Island / Pipers Brook / Kreglinger Wine Estates
Ninth Island, Pipers Brook and Kreglinger are all the one company and are at the same cellar door. We mostly stopped in for a few sips of the Kreglinger, which did go down a treat. I was close to buying a bottle but then realised I could get it back home at Dan’s for cheaper, so opted not to lug some back.
The cellar door experience is pretty standard – it’s what you expect for big wine companies like this. I did like the art and the toilet signs, they gave me a good giggle.
It was rather hectic with tour groups in when we first visited. However once the groups moved on, the cellar door tasting experience was a lot more pleasant.
The tasting fee was about $5 per person which was wavered if you bought something.
Address: 1216 Pipers Brook Rd, Pipers Brook TAS 7254
Phone: (03) 6382 7555
Hours: Please refer to the Kreglinger Wines website for more information
Clover Hill
I had heard through the grapevine that Clover Hill not only had fantastic sparkling wines but also a beautiful cellar door. Therefore it was on the list for us to visit and it’s safe to say, we weren’t disappointed.
Not to mention they did pick up a Gourmet Traveller WINE award for one of Australia’s Best Cellar Doors in 2019.
This modern winery looooves their sparkling wines, so I was right in my element. In fact their tag line is: “Created to rival the wines of Champagne”. I have to admit they were pretty good, I hate comparing wines, so I won’t compare them to Champagne, but my palate very much enjoyed them.
We actually walked away with a bottle of the Clover Hill 2012 Cuvee Exceptionelle Blanc de Blancs for $65, which didn’t last very long unopened. So I think that speaks for itself 😉
At the cellar door you can also order food – it would be a great spot to chill out for an afternoon.
Address: 60 Clover Hill Rd, Lebrina TAS 7254
Phone: (03) 6395 6114
Hours: Please check the Clover Hill website
Leaning Church Vineyard
Our last stop for the day – Leaning Church Vineyard – was really the true definition of rustic.
I liked the leaning church and the surrounds, but the cellar door was also what seemed to be a takeaway shop and restaurant counter too. I have a funny feeling that wine isn’t their focus.
Plus, I also noticed the property is up for sale at the moment. The spot looks to have potential, so if you are in the market to buy a vineyard, this might be the spot for you.
We didn’t end up buying any wine to take with us. It was our last stop of the day, so our palates were probably pretty tired – we may just have to revisit this one with clean palates one day.
Address: 76 Brooks Rd, Lalla TAS 7267
Phone: (03) 6395 4447
Hours: Please check the Leaning Church Vineyard website
Velo Wines
We actually visited the Velo Wines cellar door twice. The first time was for a tasting and the second time we were hoping to send our box of mix and match wines back to Gippsland. Like a few wine regions are doing now, the Tamar Valley offer the service, that you can collect a few bottles from each winery and then at the last one they will post it for you.
Though we didn’t know all the details when we went in, and took our box, pre-packaged only to be told in not the nicest tone that we weren’t supposed to pack it ourselves and that we had to leave it at the last stop on the day we purchased them. The guy did lighten up a bit when we told him that we did have some Velo wines in there. However after being talked at for a bit, he then told us it would cost more than it would be for extra luggage on the plane, so we opted to just carry it with us.
So if you are going to use this service, make sure to ask for all the details before planning on doing it. I think if you’re sending wines further afield, it would work out to be a good deal.
The Velo Wines cellar door was nice and cosy and I absolutely loved their re-purposed wine barrel for their firewood. We learnt that the winery started out as Legana Estate in 1966 by Graham Wiltshire – an icon of the Tasmanian wine scene. The winery was re-branded to Velo Wines in 2001 by Michael and Mary Wilson. The name is a tribute to Michael’s career as an Olympic cyclist. Then in 2017 the current owners took over the vineyard under the guidance of former Moore’s Hill founder Rod Thorpe.
I wish we had more time in the Tamar Valley as I hear the onsite restaurant – Timbre Kitchen – is great too.
After tasting through the range, it was the Velo Wines 2017 Chardonnay that ticked all the boxes for me and Mr Spittoon.
Address: 755 W Tamar Hwy, Legana TAS 7277
Phone: (03) 6330 1582
Hours: Please visit the Velo Wines website
Beautiful Isle Wines
Looking for a quirky Tasmanian winery experience? Head to Beautiful Isle Wines in the Tamar Valley! I absolutely loved this spot, actually so much so that I bought the t-shirt 😉
David was a great laugh, he has a great sense of humour and that shows through his ‘fancy Tasmanian cider and wines’. We started off our tasting with the 2018 pear and apple cider – I am not a huge cider drinker as I tend to find it too sweet. However this cider went down a treat. From first sip, I knew that I’d be buying one of the 750ml bottles to take back to our Airbnb to drink that night.
I actually really enjoyed most of the wines. Plus, we also bought a bottle of the Beautiful Isle 2016 White Delicious – being a spicy food lover, I knew this would go with a lot of dishes that I cook regularly.
We also found out while we were doing our tasting that Beautiful Isle and Marion’s Vineyard are the same family – so that was a nice connection to make as we really enjoyed visiting Marion’s Vineyard.
Again, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this spot, especially if you like a bit of quirk.
Address: Upper Mcewans Rd, Legana TAS 7277
Phone: 0418 379 548
Hours: Please check the Beautiful Isle Wines website
Tamar Ridge
If you’re looking for accommodation in the Tamar Valley then I would highly recommend looking at the appartments which overlook Tamar Ridge and are within walking distance to the cellar door. Next time, this will be my first port of call.
We got to Tamar Ridge about 10 minutes before the cellar door closed (yes we were those people!). However despite this, the staff were still super friendly and willing to take us through a full tasting.
The modern cellar door is lovely, and looks to be a great spot to enjoy a mid-afternoon platter. They are super passionate about Pinot Noir, so if you are a Pinot lover, make sure this cellar door is on your list!
I really enjoyed the 2012 Pirie sparkling wine alongside all the Pinots!
Address: 1A Waldhorn Dr, Rosevears TAS 7277
Phone: (03) 6330 1800
Hours: Please check the Tamar Ridge website
Relbia (near Launceston)
Josef Chromy
We were recommended to have lunch at Josef Chromy by a few people we had bumped into on our trip. Therefore we booked in.
For the ultimate experience, you can book a tour of the area here.
Josef Chromy was on the other side of Launceston from where we were staying. So about a 40-minute drive towards the airport.
From what we could tell, they get a lot of tourists, I would say the proximity to the city and airport helps. However I wouldn’t fault our experience at all.
We started off with a tasting at the cellar door. The lady was fantastic, she was so full of energy and really had a unique flair for describing the wines. As the tasting counter was pretty busy, she pulled us aside to an empty tasting bench to the side of the cellar door. Since we were having lunch in the restaurant, we didn’t have to pay a tasting fee, which is good.
In the restaurant, we decided to opt for the 4-course ‘trust the chef’ type menu for $75. My Dad can never resist a degustation! All up the food was good. For a couple of dishes we were served up our own plates. And the other couple were a share plate between two. We matched the food with a bottle of the Josef Chromy NV sparkling wine.
I was a bit slack and didn’t write down what the dishes were, however you can enjoy the pictures below.
I would go back.
Address: 370 Relbia Rd, Relbia TAS 7258
Phone: (03) 6335 8700
Hours: Please visit the Josef Chromy website for opening times
There are so many more cellar doors to visit in Tasmania. There is no doubt we will be visiting again. So bookmark this page as I aim to add more to it and update it over the coming years. Let me know what your favourites are in the comments below!
And for further accommodation options in Tasmania, make sure to check out Booking.com:
You lucky thing, I hope you have a great time Dawn! And I’m so happy my write up helped 🙂
Fantastic write up. We are heading to Tamar in January so I’ve noted down some of your recommendations.
You will definitely need to add Tassie to your list for your next trip, it’s a spectacular place and they’re producing absolutely fantastic wines!
After our visit to Adelaide a few months ago, we can’t wait to get back and see ALL the wine regions of Australia! While Tasmania wasn’t originally top of the list, we’re hearing so many good things about it, we’ll have to reconsider. Looks absolutely spectacular!
Thanks for stopping by the blog Jennifer – I am so glad you enjoyed the post! It was a massive week, but so much fun and we really want to head back sometime soon to visit the other two thirds of the cellar doors!
Good luck getting to all those Bordeaux cellar doors 😉
Wow, I’m super impressed you managed to visit nearly a third of the wineries in Tasmania in just a week. No wonder you felt wine-d out by the end of the trip! I’ve lived in Bordeaux for just over three years now and have visited somewhere around 100 wineries – there are over 7500. Tackling what you did in just a week is no easy feat! That takes some serious wine love.
I’ve always heard great things about the wine and food of Tasmania, so it’s been on my travel bucket list for ages. And your run down the wineries you visited makes me want to go even more!