NW wine hit out of park

When Judy and Ian Robinson first began planting vines in the red gravelly soils of their Lower Barrington property behind Devonport, their prime motivation was to share a winemaking hobby with some friends. The plan seemed like a good idea at the time. 

The foursome reckoned their 500 vines would produce enough home-made wine to keep them all well lubricated, and there'd be a little bit of weekend fun to enjoy along the way. Sadly, the grand plan was short-lived. The Robinsons' friends moved away just a few years later, leaving the couple to wonder what to do about their patchwork vineyard and its quirky mix of European grape varieties.  

"We even tossed up whether we'd sell and move too," Ian recalls with a chuckle.

"In the end, we stayed put. I'd had a farm at one stage, and I'd grown things like spuds and poppies and Brussels sprouts, and I knew that whatever we did, it'd be hard physical work. A lot of people who haven't had any experience of growing crops think this job is easy; that within a couple of years they'll be millionaires. 

"That's not how it goes. It takes a lot hard work to put grapes in and establish a vineyard. But it's even harder to get good wines from them."

Now full-time vignerons on the site they first planted in 1993, the Robinsons have five hectares of vines under their care. Their decision to stay and give viticulture a go on the North West Coast was vindicated yet again during the past week. Barringwood Park's 2003 Pinot Noir was judged Best Tasmanian Red Wine at the 2005 Wrest Point Royal Hobart International Wine Show. 

The same wine - and a handful of other medal winners - also won them the trophy for the Most Successful Tasmanian Exhibitor. Indeed, the couple must have been in contention for a third and a fourth show trophy in Hobart. Their property's 2004 Pinot Gris scored 56 points, not only providing its owners with a second gold medal – unequalled this year by any other Tasmanian producer – but the wine went on to top its class against some highly fancied competition from New Zealand and mainland Australia.

An unexpected trophy win was all but confirmed until The Wine Society's 2005 Tasmanian Riesling prevailed in the contest for Best Tasmanian White Wine. That entry - made by Winemaking Tasmania - was also named Best Tasmanian Wine of Show.

Show success may have come as a surprise to these former teachers, but there's been writing on the blackboard for several years now. That's all due to the couple's exacting vineyard regimes, and their site's mild climate and relatively low cropping levels.

Many of the Robinsons' industry peers believe the couple's success is long overdue. The North West already enjoys a sound reputation for its award-winning sparkling wines. Until recently, the quest to find sites capable of fully ripening key varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris has been a somewhat different story.

Hobart has been a happy hunting ground for Barringwood Park. The vineyard's first commercial release of Pinot Noir from the 2001 vintage earned a silver medal there in 2002. The trophy-winning 2003 won a silver medal at the 2004 Royal Hobart International Wine Show, before claiming gold at the 2005 Tasmanian Wine Show, judged in January.

Trophies and medals aside, the current wines from Barringwood Park all bear the thumbprints of Michael Fogarty and his contract winemaking team at Gunns' Tamar Ridge Estates. 

The quietly-spoken winemaker with a first-class honours degree in oenology has played a key role in establishing the wine styles now embodied in the Robinsons' portfolio. His talent and his sympathetic handling of Barringwood Park fruit will be sorely missed following his departure from the Tamar Valley winery, post-vintage 2005.

First published 30 November 2005: The Examiner