Darlington Vineyard
Before taking on Darlington Vineyard in late 2021, Janice and Dale Evans spent 35 years living not far from the property that overlooks Maria Island and its former convict settlement. When the couple first built their home in Orford, there were two houses in the street.
It was parkland and seascape with serenity in spades. Then came COVID-19 and the hordes of pandemic escapees. Serenity was now suburbia. It was time to move.
The Evanses looked for a green belt nearby with a couple of acres. They found five.
"It just happened to have a vineyard. Now we're growing grapes."
Around 140 years ago, Maria Island had been the location of an ill-fated experiment by silk merchant Diego Bernacchi. He'd attempted to establish a vineyard there – and failed miserably. More than a century would pass before anyone else dared to differ.
Approaching retirement, Peter and Margaret Hyland planted 1.6ha of vines on their building block in Holkham Court in 1993. It was a world away from the tough soils and fickle weather of the island offshore.
Their 5000 rootlings were split four ways – Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. They were carefully laid out on gentle, north-facing slopes underlain by Triassic sandstone and mudstone. The vineyard also held pockets of gravelly, well-drained alluvium. Almost ideal for low-yielding vines.
Mild maritime conditions, abundant sunshine and cooling afternoon sea breezes set the scene for long ripening seasons that produced finely-structured, aromatic wines.
With the help of extended family and friends, the Hylands successfully charted a course through six vintages before selling their passion project to another pair of East Coasters in 2004.
Full-time educators Paul and Louise Stranan became part-time vineyard workers for a while, then eased themselves into much more active on-site roles. Rigorous, intensive hands-on viticulture produced award-winning wines – Riesling especially – and a steady local following discovered an attractive cellar door.
Darlington 2016 Pinot Noir won gold at the 2018 Tasmanian Wine Show.
Now the Evanses have plans for more of the same.
Unusually challenging seasons on the East Coast made life difficult at the outset. There were no wines at all in 2023, but the hobby horse hit its strides in 2024 and 2025.
Pinot and Pilates and Sip and Paint now add a little levity to new lives being spent among vines and wines. That beats suburbia, every day of the week.
Key details:
- Janice Evans: owner/operator
- Dale Evans: owner/operator
- Alain Rousseau: contract winemaker, Frogmore Creek Wines
Vineyard/cellar door address:
63 Holkham Court, Orford TAS 7190
Telephone:
+61 (0) 418 565 398
Email:
darlingtonvineyard@gmail.com
Website:
www.darlingtonvineyard.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 Holkham Court, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 568mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 336mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 127mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.8°C
- Growing degree-days: 1168 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: 10
*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: February 2026