Brinktop Vineyard
Todd Goebel and Gill Christian began their Tasmanian wine odyssey in the Coal River Valley in 1999, when they purchased the Johnstone family's 1ha Treehouse Vineyard outside Cambridge. Subsequently renamed Coal Valley Vineyard and expanded to 4.5ha, it became a popular food and wine destination before the couple decided on a fresh start in 2017.
Their move took them to a 65ha greenfield site at Penna. During 70 years of Iles family ownership, the property had operated as Killara Farm. Today, Killara is attributed to Brinktop Vineyard's top-tier wines.
Plantings span some 8ha, with Chardonnay (2ha) and Pinot Noir (4ha) rubbing shoulders with Syrah (1ha) and Tempranillo (1ha). Established in 2018, vines occupy rocky dolerite slopes that face east-north-east. That gives them some late afternoon sun protection.
Cooling sea breezes from Frederick Henry Bay offer further moderating influences on the vineyard's microclimate.
Carefully targeted vine yields contribute to wines that combine fragrance and vibrancy with intensity of structure and flavour.
Brinktop's 2024 Pinot Noir won a gold medal at London's prestigious International Wine Challenge in 2025. The bronze medal 2024 Killara Pinot Noir upped the ante in early 2026, winning gold at the annual Tasmanian Wine Show.
Little wonder. With Christian in charge of the vineyard and Goebel attending to on-site winemaking, the couple have developed a great understanding of their site's nuanced terroir and how it's expressed through their wines.
Small volumes of fruit purchased by the likes of Jim Chatto and Jonny Hughes bear witness to the quality of viticulture being undertaken on this inscrutably managed vineyard.
Brinktop's relaxed and welcoming cellar door offers opportunity to taste and buy a discrete range of bottle-fermented sparkling and dry table wines.
Well-appointed on-site accommodation – in an attractive two-bedroom, fully self-contained cottage – is also available. Rated 4.96 on Airbnb, Winemakers' Cottage has been a 'guest favourite' since 2022.
Gill Christian is an Airbnb superhost.
Superhost. Super wine.
Key details:
Todd Goebel: owner/winemaker
Gill Christian: owner/vineyard manager
Vineyard/cellar door address:
66 Brinktop Road, Penna, Tasmania 7171
Telephone:
- Todd Goebel: +61 (0) 400 934 353
- Gill Christian: +61 (0) 407 224 543
Email:
- Todd Goebel: todd@brinktop.au
- Gill Christian: gill@brinktop.au
Website:
www.brinktop.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Coal River Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Six Friends (MJT 15.9°C; 786 GDD); Pooley Cooinda Vale (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD); SISU (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) figure among the coolest sites.
Richmond Park Estate and Strelley Farm Estate (both MJT 18.0°C; 1189 GDD) are considered to be among the warmest, along with Coal Valley Vineyard and Cross Rivulet Winery (both MJT 17.9°C; 1185 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 Brinktop Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 527mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 305mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 119mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.7°C
- Growing degree-days: 1129 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 1
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 11
*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