Pembroke Wine Company

When Peter McKay and Damon Hawker founded Pembroke Wines at Cambridge in 1980, only George Park's Stoney Vineyard (1973) and Bill Casimaty's GlenAyr (1975) had established vines in the Coal River Valley. The McKays had farmed its basalt-derived soils for more than 130 years. Could there be untapped potential beneath their feet? 

The former Friends' School class mates reckoned it was time to find out.

While their dream was big, McKay and Hawker started small. An experimental vineyard block – comprising a diverse selection of wine varieties freely available at the time – soon attracted the attention of the Tasmanian Department of Agriculture.

Next came a carefully managed trial of four clones of Pinot Noir, the first of its kind in the State.

The results were promising. Before long, McKay and Hawker found themselves pulling out established vines in their attempt to make room for more clones of Pinot Noir. The good news travelled fast. With a fledging industry then getting underway across the State, the pair soon found themselves inundated with orders for planting material from their 1.3ha patch of Pinot Noir.

Confirmation of the impending return to the State of winemaker Andrew Hood prompted McKay and Hawker to go ahead and arrange for Pembroke's first commercial wine to be made from the 1990 vintage. The pair were among Hood Wines' first clients in Tasmania. 

It was the beginning of a three-man foray into single vineyard Pinot Noir that would last until Hood's retirement in 2012. The latter's successor at Frogmore Creek – celebrated winemaker Alain Rousseau – took up the baton. 

The team re-united for an anniversary vertical tasting of almost 30 wines in September 2020. Their verdict? The 40-year-old vineyard was only just starting to hit its straps. 

The story continues...

Key details:

• Peter McKay: owner/director
• Damon Hawker: owner/director
• Alain Rousseau: contract winemaker, Frogmore Creek Wines

Vineyard/cellar door address:

190 Richmond Rd, Cambridge TAS 70170

Visits by appointment only

Telephone:

+61 (3) 6248 5139

Email:

sales@pembrokewines.com

Website:

N/A

Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.

Climate data* for sites in the Coal River Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Six Friends (MJT 15.9°C; 786 GDD); Pooley Cooinda Vale (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD); SISU (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) figure among the coolest sites.

Richmond Park Estate and Strelley Farm Estate (both MJT 18.0°C; 1189 GDD) are considered to be among the warmest, along with Coal Valley Vineyard and Cross Rivulet Winery (both MJT 17.9°C; 1185 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 Richmond Road, 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 564mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 328mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 126mm
• Mean January temperature: 17.1°C
• Growing degree-days: 1029 GDD
• Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 1
• Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 13

*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