Vélo Wines

When former Olympic cyclist Micheal Wilson and his wife Mary bought an old vineyard at Legana in 2001, they renamed it with the French word for 'bicycle.' They knew they'd become custodians of 35 years of viticultural history. Vineyard founders Michael Curtis and Graham Wiltshire produced Tasmania's first gold medal wine there in 1976. 

Cabernet Sauvignon from those same 1966 plantings had later gone within a whisker of winning the prestigious Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 1983 Royal Melbourne Wine Show. Under different ownership, the vineyard had been the source of the 1997 Legana Cabernet Sauvignon, named Best Museum Wine at the 2003 Tasmanian Wine Show.

Curtis and Wiltshire called their business Chateau Legana. In 1976, that morphed into Heemskerk Vineyards, after Wiltshire persuaded major Sydney investors to take on the challenge of cool-climate viticulture in North East Tasmania. His Cabernet Sauvignon flopped at Pipers Brook but Wiltshire's sparkling wine trials from 1985 onwards would eventually become Heemskerk Jansz. 

Under its Hill-Smith family ownership, Jansz Tasmania at Pipers Brook has subsequently evolved into one of Australia's foremost, traditional method sparkling wines.

Ownership of the Legana vineyard from 1984 enabled Launceston psychiatrist Dr Steve Hyde to establish his celebrated Rotherhythe Wines. The small family operation won critical acclaim and a swag of wine show trophies during the 1990s. Eventually relocated to a new site at Gravelly Beach, Rotherhythe would later become Stoney Rise under Holyman ownership.

Wheels within wheels.

The Wilsons spent several years painstakingly rehabilitating Vélo's 0.9ha of Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.5ha of Shiraz. Estate plantings were increased to 4ha to include new Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The small winery the couple built was joined by a smart new cellar door facility and an award-winning vineyard restaurant in 2012.

In late 2016, Launceston business owners Peter Bond, Ken Hudson and David Vautin purchased Vélo Wines. They expanded and upgraded visitor infrastructure, and successfully negotiated a 10-year restaurant lease for what has become a valley superstar, Timbre. 

The talented Matt Adams works wonders at his kitchen pans. In 2025, Timbre won both the Tourism & Hospitality and Business of the Year categories at the Launceston Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Awards.

Viticultural advice and hands-on management from Rod Thorpe – formerly a founding partner in Moores Hill Estate – saw a decade of continuous fine-tuning on the Vélo site. In early 2026, Frank Huisman took on the key vineyard role, enabling Thorpe to periodically cruise through the site in semi-retirement mode.

Huisman is no stranger in these parts. He and his wife Nicole purchased Winter Book at Loira in 2010. They ran a very successful small family business operation there until they moved to Kangaroo Island in 2021. The couple acquired their viticultural and winemaking skills on the job, producing a string of popular and award-winning Winter Brook wines. Huisman understands the importance of viticultural rigour.

Thorpe's winding down corresponded with a quick flurry of success. The 2025 Vélo Pinot Gris was judged Best Pinot Gris at the 2026 Tasmanian Wine Show. Its coveted trophy award was accompanied by an even more significant one: the Chair of Judges Selection.

Growing seasons at Legana are characterised by long, mild ripening conditions. Gentle afternoon sea breezes and cool nights prior to harvest favour wines with elegant structures and fine natural acidity.

Vélo winemaking is managed off-site by industry rising star, Matthias Utzinger. His family's Utzinger vineyard and winery are less than 4km away. Utzinger was a finalist in the 2024 and 2025 Young Gun of Wine, winning 2024 trophies for Winemaker's Choice and Danger Zone. The latter was awarded for winemaking innovation.

Vélo is a Tamar Valley winery on the move. You can bet your yellow jersey on it.

Key details:

• Peter Bond: owner/operator
• Ken Hudson: owner/operator
• David Vautin: owner/operator
• Rod Thorpe: vineyard manager
• Matthias Utzinger: contract winemaker, Utzinger Wines

Vineyard/cellar door address:

755 West Tamar Highway, Legana TAS 7277

Telephone:

+ 61 (3) 6330 1582

Email:

leganaestate@gmail.com

Website:

www.velowines.com.au

Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.

Growing conditions in the Tamar Valley fall under the moderating influence of the river itself. Consider: Eversley Vines (MJT 17.7°C; 1065 GDD) and Evenfall (MJT 18.4°C; 1230 GDD). Coolest vs warmest sites.

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 West Tamar Highway, 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 743mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 346mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 164mm
• Mean January temperature: 18.4°C
• Growing degree-days: 1230 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