You don’t have to venture far to find a great drop of wine in our area. The Tea Tree district in the Coal River Valley Region is home to many excellent wineries producing award winning wines. Some you can visit, but for those without cellar doors, keep your eyes out for these labels.

Here are some locals to check out:

Charles Rueben Estate www.charlesreuben.com.au

Established in 1989, Charles Reuben Estate vineyard was bought by the Volkmann family in 2013. In 2019, a distillery was added. They focus on being as environmentally conscious as possible - only using local fruit to cut down on food miles, creating a concrete storage bunker nestled into the hill to naturally reduce the need for temperature control, and with plans to become fully solar powered in the future. You can request a private tour by emailing or phoning the estate. Fancy a little staycation not far from home? Their Pinot Cottage is set among the vines and can be booked online.

Merriworth Wines www.merriworth.com.au

Merriworth is known for being a boutique producer of pinot noir and riesling. The vineyard was established in 2001 by John Skinner under the Third Child Vineyard label, and now owned by Mark and Kirralee. After several years studying viticulture and winemaking on the mainland, they moved to Tasmania to create wine responsive to the clean water, rich soils and mild climate. There are occasional events held at Merriworth, so you may be lucky to get to see the winery.

Mapleton Vineyards mapletonvineyard.com.au

Another delicious winery is Mapleton Vineyards, owned by the Laing family, Paul and his parents Denis and Kathryn. They specialise in riesling, pinot noir, chardonnay and a small amount of cabernet. Their riesling was awarded Best 2018 Vintage Wine at the Tasmanian Wine Show. They occasionally hold Open Days (keep up to date on their Facebook page) and in the meantime you can taste these drops at the Gasworks Cellar Door in Hobart.

Drews Wines

Robert Drew’s wines grow on land sloping down the Merriworth Rivulet in Tea Tree. Like above, while they’re not open for a visit, you can find Drews Wines at the Gasworks Cellar Door in Hobart. Try the Drew cabernet merlot 2020 for a sweet dark berry flavour, or the Drew riesling 2019 for a lighter, zestier taste.

Pressing Matters www.pressingmatters.com.au

Pressing Matters now also incorporates Morningside Vineyard, with the vineyards co-located in the Coal River Valley. Like others in the local area they focus on pinot noir and riesling, having received a huge array of medals and trophies for their wines. Their cellar door is open Thursdays to Sundays, with tastings by appointment.

Petrichor Wines www.petrichorwines.com.au

Run by Kate and Tim, this close-planted vineyard is farmed with biodynamic principlesmade from grapes that have been grown with a particular ecological, ethical and holistic approach. You’ll find shiraz and pinot noir, as well as less common varieties such as gamay and grüner veltliner.

Stargazer www.stargazerwine.com.au

Next door to Petrichor, Stargazer is run by renowned winemaker, wine judge and former lawyer Sam Connew. Since taking over the site in 2016, Sam’s hero wine is her riesling, with pinot noir and chardonnay also proving popular. At this stage there isn’t a cellar door but planning is underway.

Torchbearer Wines www.torchbearerwine.com return

As part of TasPride, young LGBTQIA+ Tasmanians are invited to The Link’s weekly free lunch to participate in a podcast workshop. Search This Way//That Way on Eventbrite to book a spot.

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