Stefano Lubiana Wines
In the late 1980s, Steve and Monique Lubiana travelled almost 10,000km in search of an ideal place to grow grapes and make cool climate wine. Western Australia, South Australia, southern Victoria – you name it, they considered it.
What brought them to the Derwent Valley and the north-facing slopes of their Granton home was something found right under their noses. It was the aroma and flavour of Tasmania's cool-grown herbs and flowers; fruits and vegetables.
Their 28ha vineyard – first planted in 1993 – straddles a complex mix of soils, mostly glacially derived. Ancient gravelly loams, calcareous clays, and small rocks of dolerite origin are all low in nutrient but provide excellent drainage and add a distinct minerality to the vineyard's wines.
Dry and sunny growing conditions are moderated by the nearby river, ensuring long ripening periods that favour elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and traditional method sparkling wines. Other key varieties include Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Merlot, with trial plots of Grüner Veltliner, Malvasia, Blaufränkisch and Syrah.
A fifth-generation winemaker by birth, Steve Lubiana became Tasmania's first certified biodynamic winegrower by choice. He farms according to lunar and seasonal cycles, applying homeopathic preparations in the belief that vitality in the vineyard leads to purity in the wine glass.
Winemaking with minimal intervention – and the use of wild ferments, gentle pressing, and extended lees contact – produces textural wines that are expressive of their site.
These are wines of a new world with an old world sensibility.
That in part explains the small family company's unrivalled success in overseas markets. For example, in 2018 – barely five years into production as a fully certified biodynamic vineyard – the 2016 Stefano Lubiana Ruscello Pinot Noir won the family its third successive World's Best Biodynamic Wine award at the prestigious London International Wine Challenge.
In 2024, internationally renowned US wine critic James Suckling named the 2022 Stefano Lubiana La Roccia Pinot Noir his Australian Wine of the Year.
Past successes acknowledged, Steve and Monique Lubiana remain committed to producing world-class wines that require time and patience to show their best.
If ever there was need for proof, consider this: the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion's Sparkling Wine of the Year is the 2011 Stefano Lubiana Prestige, a traditional method sparkling first brought to life some 15 years ago.
Where were you 15 years ago?
Key details:
Steve Lubiana: owner/winemaker
Monique Lubiana: owner/manager
Marco Lubiana: vineyard manager
Jordan Pickles: winemaker
Vineyard/cellar door address:
60 Rowbottoms Road, Granton Tasmania 7030
Wine tastings at cellar door by appointment only
Telephone:
+61 (0) 434 821 118
Email:
cellardoor@slw.com.au
Website:
www.slw.com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Derwent Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. e.g. Mount Direction Estate (MJT 16.9°C; 967 GDD) and Invercarron (MJT 16.9°C; 934 GDD) figure among the coolest sites.
Those considered to be the warmest include Government House Tasmania (MJT 17.8°C; 1165 GDD), Lowestoft (MJT 17.8°C; 1148 GDD) and Moorilla (MJT 17.8°C; 1148 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 Rowbottoms Road, Granton 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 593mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 325mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 122mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.3°C
- Growing degree-days: 1025 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: 26
*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