Tasmania

The whole island of Tasmania is an official wine zone however there is a division between Northern Tasmania and Southern Tasmania. Within this division there are also distinct viticultural areas including Pipers Brook, Tamar Valley, the North West and Eastern Tasmania, and in the south, the Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley, Huon Valley and D'Entrecasteuax Channel. Tasmania has a range of microclimates and soil types which lends diverse characteristics to the wine produced here.

The northern vineyard areas of Tasmania are based around Launceston which is located on the banks of the Tamar River. North West of the city is the Tamar Valley and to the north east is Pipers Brook and Pipers River. These areas combined are commonly referred to as the Tamar Valley Wine Route.

The north experiences more rain, higher temperatures and more sunshine hours than the south. This has a slight impact on harvest times with the north harvesting on average a few weeks later than the south. Site selection is critical to protect vines from frost and cold winds.

South East of Launceston is the vineyard area referred to as Eastern Tasmania or Freycinet as the vineyards are located between the towns of Bicheno, Cranbrook and Swansea adjacent to the Freycinet Peninsula.

Grape varieties of note are Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Southern Tasmania wine areas are centered around Hobart. North east of Hobart is the Coal River Valley taking in the towns of Cambridge, Richmond, Campania and Tea Tree. The vineyards are situated on the north east slopes of the valley to capture the sun.
South of Hobart is Huon Valley which runs the course of the Huon River as it flows into the D' Entrecasteaux Channel.

The vineyards of Southern Tasmania are carefully located for maxiumum exposure to the sun and protection from the cold southerly winds. They reside around rivers and bays therefore experiencing the tempering effects of large bodies of water. Harvest in the south is between April and late May, around two weeks eariler than the north with, however, some varieties such as Riesling ripening as late as June.

The key grape varieties in the south are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Table wine and sparkling wine are the predominant styles.