Tasmania
A place of beautiful landscapes, this quaint island is separated from mainland Australia by the 240km stretch of the Bass Strait, and is a wine lover's and fisherman's dream. Boasting some of the world's finest seafood, its temperate climate makes it Australia's coolest wine producing region. As would be expected, sparkling wine, riesling and chardonnay thrive in Tasmania, but pinot noir can be exceptional, with a delicacy and lift often lacking in wines from the mainland.
The vineyards are in the main part clustered close to the two major urban areas, the state capital Hobart in the south and Launceston in the north, though there are no geographical demarcations within the island and no matter where the grapes come from the wine is labelled ‘Tasmania’.
The west coast of Tasmania is one of the wettest parts of Australia, but the area around Hobart is one of its driest and all the commercial vineyards sit in the east. The Coal River, Huon Valley and Derwent Valley areas embrace Hobart...