Hands-on love affair

Now at an age when most people think of slowing down their lives – or putting their feet up for a well-earned rest – winemaker Steve Ferencz is still developing plans for his future, and retirement isn't among them. That's hardly surprising coming from this 67-year-old who's lived the past half-century as a workaholic.

From baker to businessman, and prison-guard to plumber, Panorama Vineyard's Steve Ferencz has done it all – and probably more. The former Hungarian immigrant came to Australia in 1949. In 1962, he then moved to Tasmania.

In the 1960s, Ferencz set up Tasmaid and introduced Tasmanians to yoghurt. In the late 1970s, he played a key role in the development Big M milk.

Having had enough of food manufacturing, Ferencz then packed away his gold medals for cheese-making and flavoured milk to pursue his dream of capturing gold medals with wines grown and made on his 3ha vineyard site at Cradoc in the Huon Valley.

It was first planted in 1974, the same year in which the Pirie brothers established Pipers Brook Vineyard in the north of the State.

Located roughly halfway between Huonville and Cygnet, Panorama Vineyard has produced award-winning wines almost since day one.

Ferencz's first commercially released dry white earned a trophy and gold medal at its first wine show outing. Originally inspired to begin growing and making wine by Moorilla Estate's Claudio Alcorso, he now finds his small, low-profile enterprise competing with the State's oldest commercial vineyard for top show honours.

In the past three years, a veritable gold rush has brought home no less than three Royal Hobart Wine Show trophies and four gold medals. They were awarded to red wines variously made from Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Heavy consumer demand has meant there's only his 1993 Panorama Vineyards Pinot Noir on sale at the moment, priced at $12 cellar door.

Densely coloured and deeply flavoured, it shows strong, ripe varietal characters in the dark plum and red berry fruits spectrum, with rich cooking chocolate over-tones. Cast in a classic cool-climate mould, it'll improve over many years.

Despite his successes, Ferencz remains a modest individual, giving credit where it is due to his beloved vineyard.

"You cannot make a good wine out of bad grapes," he says.

"You have to look after the vineyard and not be worried about making lots of money."

Panorama is modelled on traditional European sites. When he first began his winemaking odyssey, Ferencz visited Europe four times to gain first-hand knowledge of viticulture.

His vineyard management is low-impact and pesticide-free.

Harvests here come very late in the season, a daunting prospect for Cabernet Sauvignon growers especially. Spring can also be challenging, with frost being an ever-present menace while young buds and shoots are susceptible to loss and damage.

Apple growers in the valley suffered major crop losses on several occasions in early 1970s.

The 30-year-old Cradoc venture remains very much a hands-on love-affair for its owner. While going solo usually means you have to be a Jack of all trades – something that seems to come naturally to this remarkable innovator – Frenecz has become a master of the art of grafting.

He see it as a worthwhile precaution against the scourges of parasitic infection in his vineyard. All his vine selections are firmly established on special phylloxera and nematode-resistant rootstocks.

With a wealth of vineyard experience behind him, Ferencz encourages enthusiasts and other vineyard owners to benefit from his knowledge and skills. On September 25, a special grafting field-day will be held at his Cradoc property. It's free and open to anyone who is interested.

The event offers a rare opportunity to learn from one of the local wine industry's great visionaries. And a celebrated one at that.

For more details, contact the vineyard on (002) 66 3409.

First published 18 August 1994: The Advocate

Latest page update: 31 August 2026