NW mining show gold

North West Tasmania has long been recognised as a small, quality-driven wine-growing district. It's too bad much of the praise comes from industry insiders. Wine judges, winemakers and wine media.

"Rumour has it a lot of people think North West Tasmania is just not suitable wine country at all," jests Ghost Rock co-owner Justin Arnold.

If that's case, doubting Thomases should look away now.

Tasmania's best red wine at the recent 2025 Tasmanian Wine Show just happened to be a Pinot Noir from the Arnold family's 30ha vineyard at Northdown, east of Devonport.

In fact, Ghost Rock's gold medal 2023 Pinot Noir was also named Champion Wine of Show, giving it pre-eminence over the 412 other Tasmanian wines put before the judging panel.

But wait, there's more.

Ghost Rock's 2024 Sauvignon Blanc also won gold and took out the Moo Brew Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc.

Other North West producers to come away with show medals included Devils Gate Vineyard, Eastford Creek and Meander Valley Vineyard.

Former Margaret River winemaker Andrew Gaman – now resident at Eastford Creek – clearly understands the various nuanced expressions of varieties being grown on North West sites. A total of 10 medals were shared among his three vineyard clients, including two silver medals for Eastford Creek's Estate Sparkling NV and 2023 Blacksmith Pinot Noir.

Arnold says, "Bringing home three trophies and three gold medals pays great tribute to our vineyard manager Izaak Perkins and winemaker Sierra Blair, as well as to the work of the Ghost Rock team more broadly."

"It was a wonderful achievement."

Arnold told local media the show's most recent results bode well for the future of North West Tasmania as a wine-growing area of renown.

"It's coming into its own, more and more," he said.

"With climate change starting to take effect, what we're seeing here is a level of consistency and moderation that other regions just aren't seeing at the moment."

This year's Tasmanian Wine Show marked the 35th time the annual event was judged in the State. Held at TAFE Tasmania's Drysdale Campus (Hobart) from 7-9 January, the show saw 65 producers of Tasmanian wine put forward exhibits for tasting and assessment.

With Shaw + Smith (and Tolpuddle Vineyard) winemaker Adam Wadewitz vacating the Chair of Judges position after four years in the role, there was a fresh face at the helm. Esteemed Western Australian winemaker Virginia Willcock.

The new Chair of Judges is an oenology (winemaking) graduate of South Australia's prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College. She's been chief winemaker at Margaret River's much-lauded Vasse Felix since October 2006.

Tasmanian Wine Show organisers can be justifiably proud of their decision to appoint Willcock to her new position.

She grew up in Perth. During Willcock's formative teenage years, she spent countless hours working in her family's small vineyard on the outskirts of the city. Not only is she an outstanding winemaking practitioner, she has a down-to-earth grasp of what it means to grow grapes and make wine in a small close-knit community. 

Barely two months ago, Willcock was named 2024 Winemaker of the Year at the annual ASVO Awards for Excellence held in Adelaide. The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology is a non-political organisation which provides its members with knowledge, connection, and ongoing professional development in the Australian wine industry.

Its website reads: 'The ASVO is your pathway to industry excellence… We represent a community of passionate members who show us every day it's not only what you know, but whom you connect with that matters.'

Coal River Valley winemaker Samantha Connew – owner/operator of Stargazer Wines – was one of three ASVO award finalists in 2020.

Willcock has a string of 'Winemaker of the Year' awards to her credit: 2017 Winemaker of the Year (Australian Women in Wine Awards); 2013 Winemaker of the Year (The West Australian Good Wine Guide); 2012 Australian Winemaker of the Year (Gourmet Traveller WINE).

According to Tasmanian Wine Show Society President Penny Jones, "Virginia's collegiate judging style promoted robust conversations and a generous spattering of trophies for 15 different producers over the 21 trophy classes that were assessed, pulling forward some outstanding wines."

Willcock was supported in her role by fellow judges Julian Grounds, Dave Brookes, Glenn Thompson, Luke Jolliffe and Leanne Altmann. Mia McIntyre and Jacqui Dolan participated as associate judges.

Tasmania's well-established national and international reputation for world-class sparkling wines was borne out once again by the results of the recent Tasmanian Wine Show.

Three different classes of sparkling wine were judged this year and the three trophy-winning wines were made by different Tasmanian winemakers.

The 2019 Josef Chromy Brut Finesse was named Best Vintage Sparkling wine.

The trophy for Best Non Vintage Sparkling Wine was awarded to the NV Clover Hill Blanc de Blanc Multi Vintage. Indeed, Class 3 provided a happy hunting-ground for judges, with a high medal strike-rate being achieved by non-vintage wines, the State's most affordable segment of the sparkling wine category. 

Judges were especially lavish in their praise of these non-vintage entries: 'An absolute pleasure to judge. Wines showed complexity, freshness, balance and expert blending.'

Winemaker Ed Carr and his team at House of Arras continued on their winning ways at this year's event. The 2016 Grand Vintage was judged Best Late Disgorged Sparkling Wine and Reserve Champion Wine of Show, while the 2008 Vintage Rosé came away with the trophy for Best Museum Wine.

Lovers of dry white wines will find lots to enjoy from among the current crop of Tasmanian Rieslings. The judging panel describe those from 2024 as 'a really strong class, with strong varietal expression and a great mix of wines with high drinkability, balance and persistence.'

Class 13 – for sweet wines – provided added proof of the variety's versatility. Wines exhibited showed 'lovely freshness' making them 'a unique style in Australia,' with the 2023 Pressing Matters R139 ultimately being triumphant.

Less joyful is the reality that Riesling remains under-planted and under-utilised in our vineyards. In 2024, Riesling accounted for less than 6 percent of Tasmania's total wine grape harvest.

A lovely Meadowbank Riesling was named Best 2024 Vintage Wine, while the 2023 Leo Buring Leopold was judged Best Riesling overall.

The show's Best Other Variety or Blend was awarded to the 2024 Son of a Bull Riesling Pinot Gris Gewürztraminer. Meanwhile, Fred Peacock's 2024 Bream Creek was named Best Pinot Gris.

The Best Rosé award went to 2024 Small Wonder Rosé.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir account for more than 75 percent of all vines grown in Tasmanian vineyards, so it's no surprise the various classes allocated to this traditional pair of Burgundy varieties are among the most closely contested each year.

Tasmanian Chardonnays grow old gracefully. At least, that was the view of the judges this year, with Class 11 revealing plenty of the highlights from 2022 and older vintages: 'A thoroughly enjoyable class to judge.' 

'Top wines showed purity perfectly balanced with winemaking. A huge confidence for how Tasmanian Chardonnay slowly reveals itself. A pleasure to judge.'

Class 23b judging - Museum White wines, 2019 and older - prompted discussions around how long a consumer should keep Chardonnay in their cellar. They concluded 'younger Chardonnays from Tassie still preferred... up to the 5-7 year old mark.'

The class's traditional scrap between Riesling and Chardonnay saw the 2018 Mapleton Riesling take the honours for Best Museum White.

That noted, January's show highlighted the embarrassment of riches Tasmania possesses when it comes to producing topnotch Chardonnay. 

The Brown Family Wine Group were all smiles at the event's trophy presentation. Not only did Tom Wallace and his team craft the Best Chardonnay - the 2022 Devil's Corner Mt Baudin - the company's 2022 Patricia Chardonnay flagship was right there alongside it at the trophy taste-off.

So, too, Small Wonder with their 2023 Auburn Chardonnay and Dawson James with the 2022 Chardonnay, grown in the Derwent Valley. The latter was acclaimed the Phil Laing Export Wine of Show. The Cospak-sponsored award is named in honour of the Tasmanian Wine Show's late founder.

The Brown Family Wine Group was also named Most Successful Exhibitor at the conclusion of the event.

Pinot Noir lovers would be wise to study the Tasmanian Wine Show catalogue sooner rather than later if they are to pick up the best of the 2023 vintage.

The panel's comments regarding class 16 - Pinot Noir 2023 - point to a rare and truly noteworthy vintage in Tasmania: 'So many great Pinot Noir wines, with depth of fruit, purity, beautiful nuance of character and great texture.'

Pinot Noirs in Class 18 - 2021 vintage and older - underscored the wisdom of allowing these fastidiously crafted wines to have some time in the cellar.  It was 'a very strong class. The best wines showed strong varietal expression, intensity and complexity. Older vintages are holding well.'

Class 23c - Museum Red wines - provided consumers with a few hints on optimum cellaring time. 'The ageing potential of Pinot Noir was displayed well here... Like Chardonnay, perhaps the 5-7 year window is good while holding freshness.'

Tasmanian Wine Show Pinot Noir trophy winners in 2025 were:

• 2022 Cascades Bay Pinot Noir, Best 3yo Pinot Noir
• 2023 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot Noir, Best Pinot Noir
• 2023 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot Noir, Champion Wine of Show
• Gala Estate, Pinot Producer of the Year

Gala Estate on the East Coast also produced the show's Best Shiraz: the 2023 Gala Estate Black Label Emerald Syrah.

Results and photos from the 2025 Tasmanian Wine Show can be accessed from the show's website here:

Last page update: 26 May 2026