Treehouse Vineyard

Treehouse Vineyard founders Matt and Kate Carlin began their Tasmanian wine odyssey in 2007 with the purchase of a stunning 17ha bush block at Little Swanport. It sits roughly halfway between the East Coast townships of Swansea and Triabunna.

The east-facing site looks out over Great Oyster Bay to Schouten Island and the iconic Freycinet Peninsula. Cool climate wine varieties have thrived in the district's ancient geology since the early 2000s. The closest vineyard neighbours – Boomer Creek and Lisdillon Estate – are both less than five kilometres away. Mayfield Estate is within 10 kilometres.

All three sites have produced award-winning wines from the mix of weathered dolerite and sandstone that gives way to well-drained sandy loams and alluvial gravels.

After devoting the best part of five years to constructing a family home and a towering treehouse in a giant eucalypt, the Carlins made plans in 2012 to develop their own vineyard. They collected and prepared their own cuttings and grew them on in a nursery bed they established at Mayfield Estate.

In 2013, the couple's greenfield site became home to their young Pinot Gris vines. Chardonnay plantings followed suit in 2020, with Pinot Noir being established in 2021.

Today, Treehouse spans 2.5ha in a typically Tasmanian close-planted arrangement.

The East Coast's maritime climate is characterised by mild days, cool nights and gentle sea breezes. The conditions are almost ideal for long, flavour-packed growing seasons. Average annual rainfall is close to 550mm in these parts, making drip irrigation a necessary adjunct to quality cool-climate viticulture.

Every critical vineyard operation – pruning, shoot-positioning, leaf plucking, harvesting and the overall management of plant nutrition and crop protection – is carried out by the owners themselves. Learning by doing has been complemented by help and good advice from industry peers.

The Carlins' inaugural vintage of Treehouse Vineyard Pinot Grigio comprised 2,136 bottles and was released late in 2021. The 2024 wine – produced from the same vines – is stylistically different and carries the Pinot Gris moniker. Other current releases include a dry 2025 Pinot Rosé and 2024 Chardonnay.

Wines are made under contract in the Coal River Valley by Anna Pooley. A celebrated Dux of the Australian Wine Research Institute's Advanced Wine Assessment Course, the Cambridge-based winemaker was named Australian Young Winemaker of the Year in 2010 by The Wine Society.

These are early days for the Carlin family's small, well-managed venture. 

Recent participation in the coast's Great Eastern Wine Week came in the form of a well-supported, pop-up, on-site cellar door.

Stay tuned for further Treehouse adventures.

Key details:

• Matt Carlin: owner/operator
• Kate Carlin: owner/operator
• Tom Carlin: vineyard hand
• Anna Pooley: contract winemaker

Vineyard/cellar door address:

10923 Tasman Highway, Little Swanport, TAS 7190

No cellar door tastings. Refer to website and social media for details of sales and events

Telephone:

• Matt Carlin: +61 (0) 459 091 907
• Kate Carlin: +61 (0) 429 311 885

Email:

treehousevineyard@outlook.com

Website:

www.treehousevineyard.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 diversity of growing conditions here. Consider: Apsley Gorge (MJT 17.0°C; 988 GDD) and Milton Vineyard (MJT 18.0°C; 1196 GDD).

Vineyard sites on the Australian mainland are far warmer than any of those in Tasmania.

South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Victoria's Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.

Climate data* for Tasman Highway, Little Swanport, 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 560mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 343mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 125mm
• Mean January temperature: 17.6°C
• Growing degree-days: 1104 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: 16

*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