Producer Profile – Pressing Matters
Anthony Hall answers our Q&A about his celebrated Tassie vineyard – and gives us some great recommendations for wine and food pairings.
We’ve stocked wines from Pressing Matters wines since the vineyard’s inception. We love the way they express the locality of the Coal River Valley and we’re proud to have them on our shelves.
Recently we caught up with Anthony Hall, one of the early partners in the business, and asked him a few questions about his very special wines and the very special place they’re produced – and received some great recommendations for wine, cheese and food pairings.
Q: What do you produce and where do you produce it?
A: Pressing Matters produces premium, estate-grown wines from the Coal River Valley in southern Tasmania. Established since 2002 on a single vineyard site, we specialise in Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; varietals that are well suited to our cool-climate conditions. All wines are produced from fruit grown on our estate, with a focus on expressing the purity, balance, and distinctive minerality of the Coal River Valley.
Q: How did you start in this business?
A: Pressing Matters is a business founded, nurtured and continued by winelovers. In 2002, Greg Melick and his wife Michelle were inspired by the quality of the neighbouring vineyard, Morningside, and planted with the first vintage in 2006. In 2019 I purchased Morningside and merged the two vineyards to become the new Pressing Matters and the changes have continued with Peter Fogarty and I now running the business.
How did we start? Drinking fine wine and thinking how great it would be to produce something of similar quality ourselves.
Q:Tell us about your business today.
A: If you haven’t visited the vineyard in the last two years - be set for a surprise. A 200T winery and a beautiful tasting room/cellar door greets you set amongst new plantings that brings the site to 21ha under vine.
The changes have not altered the commitment to quality, and we were delighted to be recognised with the Richard Langdon Trophy for Vineyard of the Year 2024 by the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania as part of the Royal Hobart Wine Show.
Today, Pressing Matters is part of a larger family of wineries, allowing us to share our wines with a broader audience while maintaining our small-scale, hands-on approach to viticulture and winemaking. We continue to prioritise quality, sustainability, and authenticity - values that have defined Pressing Matters since its beginning.
Recently we have made wines from Ossa and Lowestoft available at the cellar door.
Q: How did you come to work with Hill Street?
A: Pressing Matters has been a devoted customer of the Hill Street for many years. Recently we planned a private wine dinner to be held at a Hobart restaurant. Unfortunately, the host got the date wrong and we discovered at 6 pm the night of the dinner we had 8 people with rare wine looking for a gourmet meal. There was only one thing to do and an emergency trip to the one place that “had it all” resulted in a fabulous, self-catered meal that we cooked ourselves. The fine produce and range of Hill Street saved the day. It’s a delight to have our wines represented by a company that understands fine food and wine so well.
Q: What is special about your wine?
A: In a nutshell the hero that makes our wine special is the unique soil and exposition of our vineyard site. We celebrate this on our label and feature the limestone soil that gives our wines their special finesse and elegance. Our winemakers focus on purity, balance, and making sure we express the unique qualities of our site. Our estate vineyard in the Coal River Valley enjoys a unique combination of long sunlight hours, cool nights, and ancient soils; conditions that produce fruit of exceptional intensity and character.
We are best known for our range of Rieslings, crafted across varying levels of residual sugar to showcase versatility and balance, from bone dry to richly off-dry styles. Alongside Riesling, our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, reflect a refined, elegant style that speaks clearly of Tasmania’s cool-climate origins. Every wine is produced from estate-grown fruit, hand-tended and carefully made in small batches to preserve the distinctive personality of our vineyard.
Q: Which is your personal favourite and why?
A: The truth is it depends on the food I am eating. Pigeon and Pressing Matters Pinot is heavenly. Yumbah (Cameron’s) Tasmanian Oysters makes me reach for our dry Riesling R0 and fruits and curries call for the off-dry styles R9 and R69. Passionfruit Souffle demands R139 and Nichols Chicken suggests our Texture Riesling or Chardonnay and good Tasmanian beef our Cabernets. So, they are all my favourites.
Q: What do you like most about being a producer in Tasmania?
A: Proximity to a good grocer! Seriously it is the quality of the local produce and the support and respect for those trying to make the best of it.
Q: What are the challenges?
A: Honestly, selling enough wine to support the costs of high-quality viticulture and winemaking is the main challenge.
Pressing Matters wines are stocked at Hill Street West Hobart, Hill Street Lauderdale and Hill Street West Hobart.