The rest of the world may designate Tasmania as a single wine region, but we know that the weather and conditions can be quite different in the Coal River Valley than in the Tamar, or on the East Coast and in the Huon.
Our new wine selection for 2006 has been chosen to reflect not only the variation in the three major wine regions, but especially the individuality of single vignerons – that is men and women who grow their own grapes in their own soil and make their own wines from them.
Using this “singular†criteria, our wine consultant, Peter Althaus of Domaine A/Stoney Vineyard, has selected wineries for their individuality of site and soil, their different styles of winemaking and the special effort they put into their hand-made wines.
We had intended to have a “six of the best†theme, but as some of the wineries produce quite small parcels of wine, the list has grown to nine.
Starting this month, you will see featured on our shelves wines from these winemakers with notes that will help you to get to know their individual styles, their seasonality – how a wet or dry year, a huge or a small crop is reflected in the vintage.
This is not about a Tasmanian brand, or the best pinot in the state. When wines are made in such a personal way they cannot be the same each year. The single vignerons wines we will feature will reflect strongly the hands-on touch of the winemaker and what was happening in the soil and weather in any one year in their locality.
That said, our selected wineries have all won awards, but we have selected not particular prize-winning wines but the winemakers who have put in a consistent effort year after year, and not their whole range, but the wines that reflect the best of the season.
The selected singular vignerons are, from the Coal River-Derwent Valley region, Steve Lubiana of Stefano Lubiana Vineyard at Granton, whose wines have received rave reviews in Australia and also in London; Neil and Julieanne Snare of Winstead at Baghdad, famous for their riesling; Peter and Brenda Bosworth at Morningside and Peter Althaus himself at Domaine A/Stoney Vineyard.
From the East Coast, Peter Althaus has chosen Apsley Gorge Vineyard whose winemaker Brian Franklin works each year in Burgundy; John Austwick at Craigie Knowe, the East Coast’s pioneer vineyard at Cranbrook, which specialises in red wines; Freycinet Vineyard near Bicheno whose winemaker Claudio Radenti has won many awards and Kristen Lyne from Spring Vale, where tastings are conducted in an old stable.
The sole Northern representatives are Bertel and Anne Sundstrup, whose Dalrymple vineyard at Pipers Brook overlooks Bass Strait.
We hope you will enjoy getting to know with us these personalised wines from winemakers who put not only their name, but their own stamp of individuality to their products.
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