Frankcomb
Five generations of Frankcombs have farmed the riches of the Huon Valley's deep, loamy, free-draining soils. First it was potatoes and staple vegetable crops. Next came apples and pears in the 1840s, with hops for colonial brewers also taking hold on the fertile river flats.
The pioneering family soon found themselves joined by other valley orchardists. Together, they helped forge an industry that made Tasmania synonymous with 'the Apple Isle' for much of the 20th century.
Tom and Barbara Frankcomb even welcomed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to the couple's apple-packing shed during the 1970 Royal Tour of Tasmania.
In the early 1990s, Tom and Barbara's son John had his interest in cool-climate wine piqued by fellow orchardists and near neighbours, Terry and Rosemary Bennett. The Ranelagh couple had turned their backs on apples and established Home Hill Vineyard with six rows of Pinot Noir.
A skilled plantsman and horticulturist, the entrepreneurial Frankcomb spent his decade trying to grow truffles in the valley, before growing blackcurrants and planting one of Tasmania's first commercial cherry orchards.
While apples, pears and hops continued on as family mainstays, Frankcomb's wanderlust brought realisation that his valley home was equally well-suited to cool-climate viticulture. By 2015, his enduring passion to establish a patch of his own Pinot Noir finally got the better of him.
Selina Frankcomb admits she's more than just a chip off the old block. The former ski instructor and walking guide has the same passion and focus as her father. She didn't need any arm-twisting to become an active partner in a quality-driven Frankcomb Wines venture.
Encouraged by family matriarch Hilda Frankcomb, the dynamic duo set to work at The Glen, re-purposing the site of an old apple orchard established back in the 1920s. Vineyard planting material was sourced from the Bennetts at Home Hill.
Today, their lovingly tended vineyard on Glen Road is a testament to generations of Frankcomb grit and determination. All 3ha of its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were propagated on site from cuttings carefully taken from preferred Home Hill selections.
Vineyard end posts, wires and trellising are the stuff of valley DIY, writ large. Drainage and drip irrigation owe part of their installation and operation to 20th century orchard technology.
Not all of the 15,000 or so vines the Frankcombs planted survived their first year. An exceptionally warm and very dry spring in the valley took its toll. That became a distant memory when the father and daughter team first tasted the fruits of their labour in 2018.
Persistent smoke haze from rampant bushfires robbed all Huon Valley producers of their promising 2019 vintage. A massive local hailstorm dashed Frankcomb Wines' 2022 harvest plans.
The cool and late season of 2023 rewarded the family with a celebratory traditional method sparkling wine. That's still under wraps and awaiting release at some time in the future.
Frankcomb Wines are made under contract within a stone's throw of the vineyard. Each clone is hand-picked at optimum ripeness, then fermented and matured separately in small batches. (The bulk of the vineyard's small commercial harvests to date have been sold to key industry players in the south of the State.)
The current portfolio features a pair of award-winning Chardonnay (2024) and Pinot Noir (2023) table wines. Both are resplendent in freshly-minted labels that are the handiwork of the talented and highly respected Demelza Rafferty. The Tasmanian-born designer and art director worked overseas with some of the world's leading creative agencies before returning to her roots in 2018.
The challenging and unusually protracted 2026 vintage bore a small parcel of Chardonnay for sparkling wine base, not to mention a remarkably ripe and pristine volume of Pinot Noir for table wine. (Pictured.)
(Tasmania's 2026 harvest brought reductions of up to 50 percent in some locations. Skilful canopy and disease management on The Glen site resulted in crop yields somewhere close to 75 percent of the vineyard's long-term average.)
Wine grape production is always a moving target in cool-climate Tasmania.
That doesn't faze these quiet achievers. Five generations of Frankcombs have shown what matters most is maintaining the health and vitality of precious soils and plants.
One good turn deserves another.
Key details:
John Frankcomb: co-owner/operator
Selina Frankcomb: co-owner/operator
Vineyard/cellar door address:
140 Glen Road, Huonville, TAS 7109
No vineyard cellar door or tastings
Telephone:
- John Frankcomb: +61 (0) 407 878 440
- Selina Frankcomb: +61 (0) 428 438 358
Email:
hello@frankcomb.au
Website:
www.frankcomb.au
Vineyard climate data
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 Glen Road 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 772mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 387mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 167mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.1°C
- Growing degree-days: 984 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: 25
*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.
Vineyard elevation: 32m above sea level
Last page update: July 2026