When English navigator John Hayes arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1793, he sailed into the uncharted tidal estuary of what he would later name the River Derwent. It took just three more weeks of exploration to conclude the valley's fertile soils, gentle slopes and cool temperate climate appeared 'better suited to the cultivation of vines than of hops.'
They were prophetic words. More than 160 years too soon.
The founding of Hobart in 1804 saw early European settlers growing grain, hops, fruit, and vegetables instead. Almost two decades would pass before former convict Bartholomew Broughton established his renowned Prospect Farm and began growing 'black cluster' (Pinot Noir).
His vineyard's first vintage was highly acclaimed when offered for sale in 1827, but Broughton's success was short-lived. Quite possibly a thief and scoundrel, the gentleman farmer died in 1828, requiring Hobart citizens to wait another 130 years for the next commercial vineyard to be planted in the south of the State.
Claudio Alcorso's Moorilla Estate broke the local wine drought. In 1962, he produced a few dozen bottles of Riesling. Today, world-class Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines thrive in precisely the same conditions that Hayes admired more than two centuries ago.
Permian sandstones and mudstones – overlain by Tertiary basalt and alluvial loams – provide fertile, well-drained soils that are near perfect for aromatic, finely structured European wine varieties. Add in a temperate climate – with long, cool growing seasons moderated by river influences – and it's no wonder vineyard operators feel privileged working in this picturesque wine valley.
In 2025, they produced just 6 percent of Tasmania's total wine grape harvest.
Hobart is one of only 10 places on the planet listed among Expedia's 2026 Destinations of the Year. In May 20206, WorldAtlas named it one of the 9 Best Places to Live in Australia.
Also 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.'
When Gerald and Sue Ellis purchased their 2500ha grazing property from the Winspear family in 1976, a small trial plot of Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon came as part of the deal. Defying the advice of naysayers, the Ellises then set sail on a half-century voyage of discovery.
It's been 70 years since the first vines of the modern Tasmanian wine industry were planted. While French immigrant Jean Miguet waited patiently to harvest the first crop from his tiny La Provence vineyard in the north of the State, Hobart's Claudio Alcorso was making preparations to plant his 90 Riesling cuttings.
It's not exactly Clos Vougeot. The celebrated French wine estate came into being 900 years ago and spans 51ha. Mount Direction Estate (1.2ha) harks back 200 years. But if there's anywhere in Tasmania that feels like a Burgundy clos – enclosed garden – then this secret site above the Derwent must surely be it.
Most kids grow up in Tasmania with a swing and a slide and a sandpit in the back garden. Not Greer Carland. She had four rows of Pinot Noir and 10 rows of Cabernet Sauvignon. Mum was a teacher and Dad was an industrial chemist, but that didn't stop them from being bitten by the wine bug.
In the late 1980s, Steve and Monique Lubiana travelled almost 10,000km in search of an ideal place to grow grapes and make cool climate wine. Western Australia, South Australia, southern Victoria – you name it, they considered it.
Michael Rochford is a web guy. Sure, he's an IT professional with decades of experience. But if you ask him and his wife Lyn what matters most to them, it's the web of life. The Rochfords practise what they preach. Their 2ha Broadview Estate at Granton is driven by sustainable, earth-friendly viticulture, including some elements of biodynamics.
