Barringwood Wines
Vanessa Bagot found the 5ha Barringwood Park Vineyard listed on the property market while living in Sydney in 2012. It was a life-changing moment. She was then pursuing a career in market research. Owning and operating a vineyard in NW Tasmania seemed like an interesting past-time or side-hustle. A welcome distraction from the humdrum of city life.
Purchase was completed in a matter of weeks. The site at Lower Barrington was wonderfully picturesque. It overlooked Bass Strait and was 20km from Devonport Airport and the Ferry Terminal. Cradle Mountain was just 70km away. What could be better?
First planted in 1993 by former teachers Ian and Judy Robinson, the vineyard began somewhat tenuously as a hobby project. It operated in conjunction with a small sawmill that came with the purchase of their 30ha bush block on the edge of native forest.
A decade of developments – including an attractive cellar door – gave Barringwood Park more than commercial viability. The property became a renowned producer of traditional method sparkling and still table wines, an extraordinary achievement for a greenfield, pioneering venture in these parts.
Rich, generous Pinot Noir became their stock-in-trade.
Barringwood Park Mill Block Pinot Noir – with vintages from 2005 and 2008 – topped the Winewise Small Vigneron Awards on two occasions. The annual event is held in Canberra and is often a who's who of premium wine from all over the country.
Barringwood Park won two trophies and two gold medals at the 2005 Royal Hobart International Wine Show. The vineyard was named the event's Most Successful Tasmanian Exhibitor.
The annual Halliday Wine Companion also attributed its coveted 5-stars winery rating to the Robinson family operation.
Bagot ownership brought the vineyard a subtle name change. Barringwood Estate. A striking new label depicted the site's native forest and saw-milling heritage. Vines almost 20 years old on the Gillams Road property soon became part of a significantly expanded production base.
New sites were established at Evandale – 18km from Launceston – and at Cranbrook on the East Coast. By 2016, these vineyards were planted with a total of 33ha of new vines.
Along the way, Barringwood Estate's 2015 Schönburger was named 2015 Winestate Wine of the Year in the alternative white varieties category.
The cool-grown German hybrid also became part of an expanded sparkling wine portfolio for a time. It was introduced to consumers as Schönburgersekt. Vintage Classic Cuvée, Vintage Blanc de Blancs and NV Tasmanian Cuvée telegraphed an evolving focus on sparkling wine production.
Each Barringwood sparkling wine is made using the traditional method, with bottle-fermentation being followed by a significant period of time on lees before disgorging. NV Cuvée typically spends a minimum of 24 months on lees to build depth and richness. Vintage products are reserved for exceptional vintages, with each wine being aged in bottle on its yeast lees for more than five years.
In 2022, the 30-year-old vineyard at Lower Barrington was sold. It became the House of Hargrave under the ownership of mother and daughter, Coral and Savannah Hargrave. Just months later – at the 2023 Tasmanian Wine Show – the 2021 Barringwood Estate Schönburger won gold and the event's trophy for Best Other Variety or Blend.
Nowadays the home base for Barringwood Wines, Cranbrook near Swansea enjoys spectacular views to The Hazards. The 14ha vineyard is part of an historic 1840s property, The Grange. It was established for superfine Merino wool production. Almost two centuries later, sheep have become part of its winter workforce.
Vine selections play to the East Coast's strengths. They include Pinot Noir (planted in 2016), along with Chardonnay and Pinot Gris (both planted in 2023).
While Bagot currently offers for sale back vintages of highly-prized Pinot Noirs from the old Barringwood Park site, award winners continue to be created from more recent plantings. Made by the talented Jeremy Dineen, the 2022 Grazier's Pinot Noir was named Best Tasmanian Red at the 2023 Royal Hobart Wine Show.
From little things big things grow.
Key details:
- Vanessa Bagot: owner/vigneron
- Jeremy Dineen: contract winemaker
Vineyard/cellar door address:
The Grange, 325 Grange Rd, Cranbrook TAS 7190
No vineyard visits or tastings. See website for wine sales
Telephone:
0422 748 647
Email:
info@barringwood.com.au
Website:
www.barringwood.com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites on the East Coast highlight the wide range of growing conditions here. Consider: Saltwater River Wines (MJT 16.0°C; 859 GDD) and Sterling Heights (MJT 18.3°C; 1267 GDD).
Vineyard sites on the Australian mainland are far warmer than those in Tasmania.
South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) in Victoria are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.
Climate data* for sites contributing to Barringwood Wines show significant variability.
Climate data* for Lower Barrington, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 1036mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 451mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 220mm
- Mean January temperature: 16.2°C
- Growing degree-days: 852 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 0
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 26
Climate data* for Grange Road, Swansea, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 596mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 366mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 141mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.5°C
- Growing degree-days: 1090 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 0
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 8
*Source: My Climate View, utilising past data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Funded by the Australian Government.
Last page update: January 2026