Rivulet Wines
Rivulet Wines is the brainchild of 2023 Young Gun of Wine finalist, Keira O'Brien. Brought up in North East Victoria, O'Brien's early career moves led her on a merry dance through various property, retail and IT management roles before freelance writing and vintage experiences set her on a path into cool-climate winemaking.
In 2016, O'Brien moved south to take up a position at Winemaking Tasmania. She honed her knowledge and skills alongside industry pioneer, Julian Alcorso. As the new kid on the block, she also set out to forge close collaborative relationships with client growers across the State. It was to pay future dividends.
By 2018, O'Brien was ready to launch her side-hustle, Rivulet Wines.
Successful completion of Bachelor of Wine Science studies afforded her the intellectual freedom and motivation to begin championing the creation of characterful, small-batch wines. More importantly, O'Brien's primary focus is to produce wines distinguished by authenticity and a sense of place.
Her wine journey has seen old vines saved from imminent destruction. Unloved varieties like Siegerrebe and Sylvaner have been given chance to strut their stuff in expressive new ways that highlight texture and winemaking creativity.
Rivulet Wines soon developed a strong loyal following. In 2022, O'Brien was nominated for Winemaker of the Year in the annual Young Gun of Wine awards. Nomination again in the following year saw her announced as 2023 Winemaker's Choice. The trophy award highlights peer recognition, with the winner being chosen by that year's winemaker finalists.
Indeed, peer recognition and wine industry leadership loom large on O'Brien's career CV. In 2019, she was a participant in the Wine Australia Future Leaders Program. In 2024, O'Brien was a keynote speaker at the 2024 Australian Women in Wine National Symposium.
In her watershed year of 2022, O'Brien joined Freycinet Vineyard to work alongside the hugely-talented incumbent, Claudio Radenti. Her two years spent as winemaker/manager drew to a close with the 2024 purchase of her own vineyard, an established 2ha site outside Swansea.
This new-found nurturing role now supports 0.5ha of productive vines while hands-on rehabilitation of the remainder of the vineyard continues. O'Brien's longer-term goal is to replant with varieties better suited to the site, thus broadening and deepening Rivulet's roots in its Tasmanian cool-climate terroir.
In the meantime, Rivulet continues to draw on fruit resources from across the State. Huon Valley sites are always on her shopping list.
O'Brien's close connections to Elsewhere at Glaziers Bay have seen her develop a special and abiding love for the vineyard's old vines. Now owned and operated by Owen and Eve Knight, the property's plantings date back to 1984. Vineyard founders Jette and Eric Phillips were renowned for the care and respect they gave to their vines. Vintage after vintage of Elsewhere Pinot Noir brought them critical acclaim and bags of wine show gold through the 1990s.
These days, Milton Vineyard provides O'Brien with temporary work-space for her winemaking, bottling and cellar maturation.
Watch this space for further developments.
Key details:
Keira O'Brien: owner/vigneron
Vineyard/cellar door address:
600 Grange Road, Swansea TAS 7190
No cellar door sales. See the Rivulet Wines website for tastings and sales options.
Telephone:
+61 404 845 854
Email:
keira@rivuletwine.com
Website:
www.rivuletwine.com
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites on the East Coast highlight the wide range of growing conditions here. Consider: Saltwater River Wines (MJT 16.0°C; 859 GDD) and Sterling Heights (MJT 18.3°C; 1267 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 Grange Road, Swansea 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 605mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 396mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 140mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.5°C
- Growing degree-days: 1091 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: 18
*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