Bruny Island Premium Wines
Bruny Island Premium Wines is Australia's southernmost vineyard, located at the historic Wayaree Estate near Lunawanna on South Bruny. The island's horticultural history dates back to 1788, when Captain William Bligh explored Adventure Bay and planted the country's first grape vines and apple trees.
When he returned four years later, he found only apple trees remained. Not one of the nine vines he planted had survived.
European settlement began on Bruny during the nineteenth century. Nowadays, it's a tourism hot-spot.
In May 2020, Lonely Planet named it among its '10 best island tourism destinations in Australia.'
'Rugged Bruny Island – two hours south of Hobart – is a prime, panoramic place for whale watching...'
Lonely Planet
The Dillons – ancestors of vineyard founder Bernice Dillon – were among the island's early families. They established orchards at Coal Point, not far from Adventure Bay, in 1878.
Bernice Dillon purchased Wayaree Estate on Bruny's western shore in 1997. The property overlooks tiny Satellite Island, named Wayaree by its traditional owners, the Nuenonne clan.
With the help of her father John Dillon, Bernice planted Bruny Island's first vines of the modern era in 1998.
Today, the vineyard spans 2.0ha, comprising roughly 6,000 vines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The first vintage on the property was in 2003.
The soils here are derived from the island's weathered sedimentary rocks and light/sandy loams over clay. These drain freely yet retain enough moisture for hand-tended vines to do well. Jurassic dolerite and shale found here are characteristic of the region.
The site occupies a gently sloping block with a sunny north-to-north-west aspect. The heat of the summer sunshine is moderated by the cooling effects of the nearby Southern Ocean. Calm autumn conditions allow slow ripening and result in delicate, aromatic fruit characters that are typical of many of Tasmania's cool-climate vineyards.
Mid-late April harvests are carried out by a hardy band of volunteers, with all small batch wines subsequently being made on site by Bernice and her team.
A small, bespoke cellar door opened in 2005. The facility was virtually hand-built, its timber cleared from the vineyard site before planting. The tasting room later expanded into the Bruny Island Premium Wines Bar and Grill. Its casual alfresco dining among the vines is among the most popular visitor destinations on the island.
In 2016, estate-made apple cider – marketed as J. Dillon and Sons Cider – joined the impressive list of tourism offerings. It takes its name from Bernice's great grandfather and grandfather, who owned and operated one of Bruny's first apple and pear orchards, at Alonnah. The property remained in family hands for more than 100 years.
Having laid such successful foundations for a thriving island business, Bernice's more recent focus on quality viticulture and winemaking has handsomely repaid the care and commitment given.
In 2020, the family won its first major wine award, with the 2019 Bruny Island Premium Wines Pinot Noir Rosé taking out the Trophy for Best Other Variety or Blend at the Tasmanian Wine Show, chaired by Sydney's Huon Hooke.
The vineyard won a total of 14 wine show medals in 2025. They included three gold medals for the 2024 Mt Bounty Pinot Noir, a carefully handcrafted wine made from fruit harvested from a small (1.0ha) family vineyard established nearby in 2018.
Another little piece of island history, more than 230 years in the making...
Key details:
Bernice Dillon: owner/operator
Vineyard/cellar door address:
4391 Bruny Island Main Rd, Lunawanna TAS 7150
Telephone:
+61 (0) 409 973 033
Email:
info@brunyislandwine.com
Website:
www.brunyislandwine.com
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Huon Valley/D'Entrecasteaux Channel highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Nandroya, Two Bud Spur (both MJT 14.8°C; 622 GDD) and Bruny Island Premium Wines (MJT 15.4°C; 747 GDD) appear to be the coolest sites south of Hobart.
Tinderbox Vineyard (MJT 17.3°C; 1088 GDD) and Trial Bay Estate (MJT 17.1°C; 1044 GDD) are the warmest.
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 Bruny Island Main Road 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 966mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 482mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 224mm
- Mean January temperature: 15.4°C
- Growing degree-days: 757 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: 13
*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