Industry seeking People's Choice

10/20/2026

As a former kitchen hand in a busy Hobart restaurant, Rod Ascui's move into his own small café on the site of Launceston's historic Ritchie's Flour Mill seemed just another career milestone back in 1984. Young, ambitious and streetwise, the new business owner set about cooking up a whole a bag of treats for the city's residents.

They included Launceston's first eatery offering outdoor dining, Sunday trading, and tasty foods that showcased the best seasonal local produce.  

Ritchie's Flour Mill, c1870 - QVMAG Archives
Ritchie's Flour Mill, c1870 - QVMAG Archives

Next came establishment of a cool-climate vineyard called Lalla Gully near Pipers River. Part of its production was contracted to the region's emerging Clover Hill Vineyard. The rest was made into wine to be sold under its estate-grown label.

"That was the one thing we found really challenging," Ascui recalls of the venture he shared with his wife, renowned marketing professional Kim Seagram. 

(Ascui and Seagram are pictured below, second and third from left.)

"We always used to struggle selling our Tasmanian wine to Tasmanian restaurants.

"We couldn't understand it. People came to Tasmania but they couldn't buy Tasmanian wines in the places they came to visit."

By 2000, the entrepreneurial couple had decided it was time to put things right. In October of that year, Stillwater Restaurant opened its doors for the first time in a stylish re-imagining of the old 1830s mill.

Ascui and Seagram – along with their business partners Don and Mel Cameron – hit the ground running. Two days before Bastille Day in July of 2001, Stillwater was named Australia's Best Restaurant in the inaugural Renault Haute Cuisine Awards.

Dubbed an Australian version of France's Michelin Guide, the win catapulted the Launceston business into the front rank of the nation's vibrant restaurant scene. Tasmania's small-scale wine industry shone in its reflected glory.

Image: Stillwater, courtesy Phillip Biggs, The Examiner
Image: Stillwater, courtesy Phillip Biggs, The Examiner

Twenty-five years on, Stillwater (above) remains an industry pace-setter. Now owned by head chef Craig Will, sommelier James Welsh and his wife Bianca, the iconic Launceston eatery is being pitched into battle for the title of the Tasmanian Wine List of the Year

They were announced Judges' Choice Best Tasmanian Wine List 2025, the overall winner of the coveted title. (Highly commended Black Cow Bistro was launched by the same Stillwater team before its change of ownership in 2022.)

First established in 2018, the annual award is an initiative of industry body Wine Tasmania. It gives recognition to the best wine list in the State that champions the island's world-class cool-climate wines.

The search goes down to the wire this month. Wine Tasmania is inviting members of the public to vote for the People's Choice Award.

Late last month, award organisers named 17 licensed venues as this year's finalists.

Those shortlisted were selected from a strong field of award nominees by a three-member judging panel:

  • Curly Haslam-Coates, a Tasmanian wine educator and the founder of Vintage Tasmania. Originally from the UK, the passionate sparkling wine aficionado has three decades of experience spanning hospitality, wine retail, vineyard cellar doors, events and education.
  • Cassandra Charlick, an award-winning wine and travel writer, wine judge and television presenter who lives dual lives in Tasmania and WA's Margaret River. She contributes to leading UK wine publication Decanter, in addition to a variety of culinary and travel publications that include Delicious, Halliday, Selector Magazine, International Traveller, and Escape.
  • Nola James is a Hobart-based journalist and editor with over 15 years' experience across food, wine, travel and publishing, backed by more than 20 years of working in hospitality. As well as contributing to leading publications Decanter, National Geographic, Halliday Wine Companion, Delicious, Good Food and QANTAS In-flight magazine, James is also a highly experienced member of the judging panel for Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards.

Image: The Old Bank of Geeveston
Image: The Old Bank of Geeveston

Strong regional wine sales are critically important for an emerging industry seeking to make its presence known on the world stage.

"Cellar doors provide that wonderful direct connection with the people and places behind the wine, but the experience shouldn't stop when visitors leave the vineyard," says Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies.

"Seeing Tasmanian wine proudly represented in our restaurants, bars and retailers helps carry that story right across the island – and gives locals plenty to discover too."

Recent sales figures suggest there's plenty of purchasing going on beyond discovery. Wine Tasmania estimates that 40 percent of Tasmania's wine is sold within Tasmania. Around 55 percent is sold in interstate markets.

A wide range of licensed premises – including wine bars, restaurants, hotels, bistros and bottle shops – were invited to enter the 2026 Tasmanian Wine List of the Year back in August. Following the close of entries on September 11, the judging panel spent two weeks preparing their shortlist of finalists.

Judges looked closely at the breadth and representation of Tasmanian wine on offer at each establishment, giving priority to how thoughtfully each list was put together and how well it told the Tasmanian wine story.

"The standard of entries this year was exceptional and the pride in our local wines is so gratifying to see," Davies observed.

"With several new entrants, this year's finalists represent the most diverse group in the nine years of the program. What we love about these awards is that there's no single formula for a great Tasmanian wine list. It might be a beautifully curated restaurant list, a cracking selection at the local pub, a small wine bar pouring something unexpected, or a retailer helping customers discover a new favourite.

"The finalists are spread right across the island, from Geeveston to Stanley and from Strachan to Swansea. Each has its own approach, but they all share a genuine enthusiasm for Tasmanian wine and the talented people who grow and make it."

My regional hero, Vintish Wine Bar, Oatlands
My regional hero, Vintish Wine Bar, Oatlands

So, it's over to you Tasmanian wine lovers. Click HERE to vote for People's Choice Best Wine List. 

The 2026 Tasmanian Wine List of the Year finalists are listed below alphabetically:

The People's Choice Award sits alongside the following independently judged categories:

  • People's Choice Best Tasmanian Wine List (Stanley Wine Bar in 2025)
  • Judges' Choice Best Tasmanian Wine List (Stillwater in 2025)
  • Judges' Choice Best Wine List – Hobart/Launceston (Stillwater in 2025)
  • Judges' Choice Best Regional Wine List (The Branch Swansea in 2025)
  • Judges' Choice Best Small Wine Bar List (Stanley Wine Bar in 2025)

Every person who votes will go into a draw to win 12 mixed bottles of Tasmanian wine. Public voting for the People's Choice Award is now open and closes Friday 30th October 2026.

Tasmanian Wine List of the Year award winners will be announced from Monday 2 November 2026.


Last page update: 21 October 2026




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