Peco Wines
Everything old is new again at Peco Wines. Hannah Cox and Ben Pearson are the winemaking couple behind this small, natural 'zero-zero' wine project in the Tamar Valley. It sprang to life from what they describe as a shared love of 'wine without compromise.'
Elementary winemaking. Nothing added, nothing subtracted. Just the essential ingredients of sustainably grown and managed wine grapes.
Cox and Pearson both grew up around vines and wines.
Their first wine made together was an experimental batch of 150 bottles of 2019 Pinot Noir called Wild Child. It was grown and made at the Cox family's Swinging Gate Vineyard and Winery at Sidmouth, north of Launceston.
The subsequent creation of the Peco brand is emblematic of the couple's KISS-approach to all things vine and wine. It's a catchy portmanteau, formed from the first two letters of their surnames.
With traditional Tamar Valley winemaking boundaries breached by their new release, Cox and Pearson headed to Europe in mid-2019. They worked in a large commercial winery in Croatia before moving to England. They took on further vintage winemaking at a small 'low-fi' natural winery.
Shared experiences piqued their passion for wild ferments and ancient techniques.
On returning home to the Tamar Valley, the couple set about establishing a 2.5ha vineyard of their own. Their vine selections are eclectic. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier play key roles. Auxerrois – a white sibling of Chardonnay – is likely to add support in the near future.
The past five years have seen Peco Wines expand from their initial small-batch release to its current offering of more than half-a-dozen distinct wines. These include cuvées made and matured in clay and porcelain fermentation vessels as well as traditional oak barrels. Those created in Georgian Kvevri and clay amphora display earthy nuances in addition to more orthodox terroir characteristics.
Peco will be a label to watch. Pearson and Cox continue to develop their vineyard and are determined to create wines that express their full-on commitment to natural viticulture and lo-fi winemaking.
Key details:
Ben Pearson: owner/vigneron
Hannah Cox: owner/vigneron
Vineyard/cellar door address:
140 Glendale Rd, Sidmouth Tasmania 7270
Tastings and cellar door sales at Swinging Gate (separate entry)
Telephone:
TBA
Email:
pecowines@gmail.com
Website:
www.peco.wine
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Growing conditions in the Tamar Valley fall under the moderating influence of the river itself. Consider: Eversley Vines (MJT 17.7°C; 1065 GDD) and Evenfall (MJT 18.4°C; 1230 GDD). Coolest vs warmest sites.
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 Peco Wines on Glendale Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 856mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 392mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 196mm
- Mean January temperature: 18.0°C
- Growing degree-days: 1173 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: 14
*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