Lalla Colline Vineyard
Life moves in mysterious ways. When former Lake Leather business owners Ian and Robyn Lake purchased a derelict 10ha farm at Lalla in early 2016, they discovered a solitary grapevine. In the midst of a rambling blackberry patch. It sparked their vision for viticulture on the property.
Two years later, the couple sold their business and set about transforming a north-facing slope into a small family vineyard.
Its vines are planted at around 200 metres above sea level in the foothills of Brown Mountain. ('Colline' is French for 'hill.')
The vineyard's distinctive terroir is defined by ancient Permian soils. The 300-million-year-old remnants of a prehistoric ocean. Typically shallow, stony and well‑drained – with a mix of silty/clay loams over rock – they help constrain vine vigour and encourage the development of concentrated fruit flavours in vineyard harvests.
Cool air flowing downhill from the mountain adds a night-time chill late in the season, lengthening the ripening period and adding to intensity of flavour.
Lalla Colline grows a mixed selection of cool climate varieties that are well-suited to Tasmania's North East. Chardonnay (2 clones), Pinot Gris and Riesling rub shoulders with Pinot Noir (3 clones). Vines are meticulously hand-tended.
Fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted late in the season, then made into small volumes of carefully crafted dry table wines at a winery nearby. Its close proximity ensures the vineyard's precious crop arrives in pristine condition, still cooled by its crisp morning chill.
Wines for sale are complemented by a range of quality, wine-related merchandise, including gadgets, books, cheese boards, water jugs, coasters and coolers.
Lalla Colline's charming cellar door – opened in 2022 – has a storied past. It was originally a Presbyterian Church, famously moved by bullock sled down Brown Mountain in the late 1920s. The Lakes subsequently rescued the frail structure from its bush location. They had it trucked to its current spot, overlooking the vineyard amid a splendid picturesque setting.
To step onto the property is to step back in time. Every good business needs time.
Key details:
- Ian Lake: owner/operator
- Robyn Lake: owner/operator
- N/A: contract winemaker
Vineyard/cellar door address:
361 Lalla Road, Lalla TAS 7267
Telephone:
+61 (0) 047 550 830
Email:
info@lallacollinevineyard.au
Website:
www.lallacollinevineyard.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the North East highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Consider: Apogee (MJT 17.2°C; 975 GDD) and Handpicked Baxters Road (MJT 18.3°C; 1247 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 Lalla Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 970mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 434mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 217mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.8°C
- Growing degree-days: 1088 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 0
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 22
*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: January 2026