Pressing Matters
Pressing Matters was founded in 2002 by Riesling and Pinot Noir aficianados Francis Douglas and Greg Melick, along with Greg's wife Michelle. For the next two decades, Melick juggled distinguished law and military careers as a senior counsel and Major-General in the Australian Defence Force Reserves, while overseeing development of a remarkable cool climate wine portfolio.
The Tea Tree vineyard is archetypal Coal River Valley. Jurassic dolerite on sunlit slopes, with vines rooted in lean, well-drained clay and sandy loams over limestone.
Melick's patient search for his perfect site ended when long-time friends Peter and Brenda Bosworth referred him to a landowner with property for sale adjoining their 20-year-old, 3ha Morningside Vineyard.
With a playful nod to Melick's incessant 'pressing matters' of law and wine, the first Rieslings from the couple's former greenfield site were released in 2006. Made under contract by Julian Alcorso at Winemaking Tasmania, their various levels of sweetness became their product labels eg R0 denoting 'zero residual sugar,' R9 denoting '9g/L residual sugar' etc.
Releases of estate-grown and made Pinot Noir soon followed.
In 2008, the tyranny of distance finally took its toll on Sydney barrister Francis, who sold his interest to the Melicks and wished them well.
It wasn't long before Pressing Matters accumulated media acclaim and a vast collection of wine show awards. National and international recognition for their wine quality soon followed. That success – and Melick's shared love of Burgundy with Melbourne friend and company director Anthony Hall – led to the formation of a strategic partnership in 2019. The new arrangements came into effect in time for the Melick and Hall families to celebrate the vineyard's 30th major trophy and 110th wine show gold medal.
With the Bosworths next door moving into retirement, two vineyards became one. Morningside Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were added to a 12ha varietal mix that now includes Gamay and Shiraz.
A program of new builds and refurbishments – including a 200-tonne winery and an impressive vineyard cellar door – brought Pressings Matters a Master Builders Tasmania nomination in their 2023 Awards for Excellence.
In 2024, Pressing Matters was named Tasmania's Vineyard of the Year by the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania. Quite coincidentally, the year also marked the end of Sam Connew's long tenure as Pressing Matters' contract winemaker.
In 2025, the Melicks sold their remaining share in their Tea Tree developments to Fogarty-Hall, a partnership formed between the Hall family and WA's Fogarty Wine Group.
Winemaking continues to take place on the Pressing Matters site, albeit under the guiding hands of Liam McElhinney. He is chief winemaker at the Fogarty-owned company of Tasmanian Vintners and was shortlisted for the Halliday Wine Companion's 2025 Winemaker of the Year.
Success matters.
Key details:
- Peter Fogarty: owner/director
- Anthony Hall: owner/director
- Greg Melick: founder
- Liam McElhinney: chief winemaker
Vineyard/cellar door address:
711 Middle Tea Tree Road, Tea Tree, TAS 7017
Telephone:
+61 (0) 474 380 109
Email:
N/A
Website:
www.pressingmatters.com.au
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 Middle Tea Tree Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 548mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 312mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 115mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.2°C
- Growing degree-days: 1009 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: 21
*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