Stroud
Located between Copping and Bream Creek, Stroud Dairies – home to Bream Creek Dairy – has become a cornerstone of the Tasman District's agricultural heritage. The Bignell family's connection to the land in these parts reaches back over three generations.
In 1958, John Bignell established Stroud with just 32ha (70 acres) of land and 12 cows. Over the next 60 years, he and his wife Kay – together with sons Richard and Charles and their families – expanded the property to a diversified farming business spanning over 900ha (2,000 acres).
Life there is still centred on grazing and milking cows. But beyond the improved pasture and 800 carefully-bred Friesians, the family's traditional dairy operations are supplemented by the production of a range of artisan cheeses, cask-aged single-malt whisky, and a striking pair of single vineyard wines bearing the Stroud label.
The family's vineyard is a tiny passion project spanning just 1.0ha. It was planted in 1999 with varieties that consistently produce the district's best cool climate wines – Riesling and Pinot Noir.
The vines bask on a sunlit north-facing ridge overlooking Marion Bay. The district's maritime climate ensures long, mild ripening seasons, with the heat of the summer months tempered by the cooling effects of sea breezes arising from the bay nearby and the ocean beyond.
The pasture and vineyard soils here are deep, mostly brown to black clay loams. The region is primarily underlain by Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks – including mudstone and sandstone – with periodic appearances of dolerite and basalt.
Vines planted on higher ground benefit from excellent drainage and good water-holding capacity.
Stroud's first wine releases came from the high-quality 2003 vintage.
Yields from the site are invariably small to moderate, so the family seldom has sufficient stocks to reach minimum entry requirements for capital city wine shows. 'Value over volume' is the Stroud catch-cry.
On the home front, the 2017 Pinot Noir received one of only two gold medals awarded in the 2017 varietal class judged at the 2021 Tasmanian Wine Show. It was the family's first wine show participation.
The 2019 Stroud by Bream Creek Dairy Riesling won a silver medal in the same competition.
It was just reward for a family that's been working Tasmania's ancient soils for almost a century. There's no doubt at all that combining heritage and innovation can be a winning formula for on-farm success.
Key details:
- Richard Bignell: co-owner/operator, vineyard manager
- Charles Bignell: co-owner/operator
- Alain Rousseau: contract winemaker, Frogmore Creek Wines
Vineyard/cellar door address:
184 Marion Bay Rd, Bream Creek TAS 7175
No vineyard cellar door
Refer to website for online sales
Telephone:
+61 (0) 407 317 215
Email:
info@breamcreekdairy.com.au
Website:
www.breamcreekdairy.com.au
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 Bream Creek Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 696mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 391mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 165mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.1°C
- Growing degree-days: 1057 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: 8
*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: March 2026