From the earliest days of colonial settlement, the Coal River Valley surrounding Richmond became synonymous with tough, gritty dry land agriculture. Cereal crops came first – wheat, oats and barley – then broad-acre farming, based around sheep and cattle.
Dr James Murdoch at Craigow raised small crops of medicinal plants along with the apricots that grew to become a vast orchard by the beginning of the 1900s. Higher value crops – small fruits, wine grapes, vegetables and seeds – had to wait another 80 years for their time to shine.
Completion of the Craigbourne Dam in 1986 changed valley landscapes forever. No longer dependent on rainfall and seasonal river flows to maintain healthy soils and bank balances, smallholders showed what could be done with niche crops. They included Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.
The past decade has seen spectacular growth and development of the industry in the Coal River Valley. In 2025, growers there accounted for more than 30 percent of Tasmania's total wine grape harvest. Ten years earlier, it had been 16 percent.
Valley floors, river terraces and rolling foothills all bear vines. Higher ground is underpinned by Jurassic dolerite and sedimentary rock. Basalt flows often snake through alluvial sands, mudstone and gravels; heavy clay and clay-loams. Valleys are a complex mix of soil types, structures and textures.
The wines here are quite simply world-class.
In May 2026, National Geographic named southern Tasmania one of the 15 best places in the world for food right now:
'In Hobart, Tasmania's capital, that deep relationship to terra and tide surfaces in everyday food.'
Louise and Jens Volkmann purchased Charles Reuben Estate in 2013 after spending years looking across the road at their neighbour, thinking they'd much prefer an established vineyard with room to grow than their small orchard set on seven hectares.
The historic property of Clarence House dates back to colonial times, when the surrounding Clarence Plains district – now the Eastern Shore suburb of Rokeby – was part of a thriving food bowl, supplying produce to the 10,000 or so inhabitants of Hobart Town, some 10 miles away, on the other side of the river.
Clemens Hill was once part of the historic Craigow estate, established in 1822 by Scottish physician James Murdoch. Craigow grew to become a valley showpiece, spanning 1800 acres. By the time Hobart couple Kevin and Jacqui Wagner purchased their 22ha Clemens Hill in 1990, its connection to Craigow and the Murdochs had been consigned to history.
It's been 35 years since Drs Margaret and Gradon Johnstone stepped back to survey their new plantings and ponder the likely success of growing grapes in their young vineyard. Aeons of wind, water and weathering had already worked their magic. The setting was picture perfect for the Coal River Valley's first vineyard food and wine centre.
The historic Craigow property was first settled in 1822 by Scottish immigrant James Murdoch. A trained physician, he spent a quarter of a century demonstrating he was also one of colonial Tasmania's most innovative farmers. Murdoch introduced fruit trees, barley and livestock; medicinal poppy crops, and even conducted mineralogical soil surveys.
It takes years of backbreaking effort to bring a new vineyard to fruition. Its undoing can take just a single night, especially if you receive unwanted visits from hordes of native wildlife. The usual suspects come in a variety of shapes and sizes – and Lloyd Matthews has seen them all during the last 40 years.
Winemakers will tell you it takes a lot of good beer to make great wine. If that's the case, the rise and rise of Decades should surprise no-one. Decades is the brainchild of long-time mates Steve Flamsteed (winemaker) and Brad Rogers (craft brewer and co-founder of Stone & Wood Brewing Company).
Domaine A is one of Tasmania's most celebrated wine estates. Its story began in 1973 with the planting of Campania's Stoney Vineyard by George and Priscilla Park. The warm, dry, north-facing site became the first commercial vineyard in the Coal River Valley.
Robert Drew's home isn't exactly a shrine to taxidermy, though you might think it when you set eyes on the multitude of mounted stags' heads he has lying about the place. Drew just happens to be a crack shot and a very skilful hunter.
Every Man and His Dog Vineyard – just outside Richmond – has its roots in Tasmania's emerging cool climate wine industry of the 1980s. The property was established as Palmara Vineyard by Alan Bird. Its first 500 vines were planted in 1984 to determine whether viticulture might be possible on the site.
