Ghost lustres

Cellar doors are great places to visit. The best are bright, warm, and hospitable, and preferably just metres away from the vineyard. That way, all senses are stimulated - not just the tastebuds - and visitors come away with a genuine awareness of place. Indeed, that's what wine is really about - people and places.

Last week's opening of Ghost Rock Vineyard's new cellar door at Northdown, just outside Port Sorell on the North-west Coast, ticked all the right boxes, according to Braddon Liberal MHR Mark Baker, who officiated at a launch on the property last Saturday afternoon.

He described the tasting and function room that occupied the site once used as a horse training facility as a world-class tourist attraction, and a testament to the vision, passion and dedication of owners Colin and Cate Arnold.

"This is another marvellous example of what we can do here on the North-West Coast," Mr Baker told invited guests.

"It's been an amazing week. One day we're announcing funding for a malt whisky distillery at Burnie, and the next day we're in a vineyard opening a new cellar door.

"It's another very exciting innovation that's putting us right on the map from the tourist's perspective."

The completion of the cellar door and its nearby 2ha vineyard marked the end of a long, four-year journey, the Arnolds said.

Cate and Colin Arnold first entered the wine business in 2001. They began with the purchase of a small (1.4ha) plot of vines at Northdown, known as Patrick Creek Vineyard. 

After a handful of successful vintages there, trading under the name of Ghost Rock Vineyard, the couple decided to relocate the business to its current site on highway B74.

The reasons?

Better market access, more favourable growing conditions for its vines, and picturesque views overlooking Bass Strait. A winning trifecta.

"We're really pleased to have made the move here," says Cate, who divides her time as the vineyard's marketing dynamo with managerial roles associated with the couple's other business, a Devonport-based printing company called Richmond Concepts & Print.

"We do a lot of agricultural jobs and we print everything from stationery to manuals and handbooks. We even print our own wine labels. We designed those in-house."

The wine business's new home base is located at 1055 Port Sorell Rd, the main thoroughfare connecting the quiet seaside resorts of Shearwater and Port Sorell with nearby Devonport.

The surrounding region has a long and proud history, having been established in the early 1820s as part of the first European settlement on the North-West Coast

The cellar door has a striking, modern design, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere. It offers sales and tastings of Ghost Rock's Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines each Wednesday to Sunday, as well as public holidays.

Opening hours are 9am to 6pm Wednesday to Friday, and 10am to 5pm weekends. Phone 64284005.

New plantings should see their first vintage in 2008. They followed extensive work on the green field site, including installation of 2.5km of vineyard drainage and construction of a storage dam and irrigation system.

Ghost Rock wines are made under contract by Tamar Ridge Wines, located at Kayena north of Launceston.

First published 16 April 2006: The Examiner