North West Tasmania is a complex, patchwork quilt of ancient geology and landforms. Indeed, there is greater geological diversity here than anywhere else in Tasmania. Some parts continue to be explored.
Agriculture provides the major land use.
European exploration and land clearing in the early 1800s uncovered deep, rich red basalt-derived soils, where dairying sprang up and vegetables and cereals grew prolifically. Today, this is Australia's food bowl. Home to more than 75 percent of the country's frozen peas and beans.
North West viticulture is small scale and artisan. In 2024, its growers accounted for just 2 percent of Tasmania's total wine grape harvest.
While a handful of sites prosper on basaltic soils, others can be found in the alluvial soils of river valleys that historically supported berry farms and fruit orchards. Clays, gravels and river sands offer good drainage and fertility but can be shallow in depth.
On valley margins and hillside slopes, Jurassic dolerite makes its presence known.
Vineyards here are well-drained and moderately fertile but endure very cool growing seasons. This is ideal sparkling wine terroir.
North West Tasmania is hot property at the moment.
The annual Regional Movers Index – which analyses population movements between Australia's capital cities and regional Australia – found two of the nation's top five 'hot spots' in 2025 included Latrobe and Devonport in North West Tasmania. The Meander Valley was among the nation's top five locations for inter-regional migration in 2025.
Bronya Dance and Jade Nicholls left Melbourne's rat race and relocated to the Red Hills district of northern Tasmania in April 2021. The couple admit to purchasing the former 3 Willows Vineyard 'on the spur of the moment.'
Tim Lynch's Prickly Mo takes its name from a type of wattle pioneering landowners around Eugenana called 'prickly Moses' or 'prickly mimosa.' The 35-year-old vineyard was planted by Lynch's parents - John and Aileen Lynch (nee Girdlestone) - on land that has been in the Girdlestone family for more than 120 years.
Tim and Evie Walker established the 2ha Rusty Roof Vineyard on their family farm at Spalford - near Ulverstone - in 2022. Formerly home to crops such as potatoes, pyrethrum and poppies, the site now hosts plantings of Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
Former professional racing driver and Supercars team owner John Briggs established Scott's Mill Estate at Turners Beach in 2021. The Twin Oaks property - which had been unused for decades - has been given a new lease of life under the developer's respectful stewardship.
Located at Kimberley – 30km inland from Devonport – White Rock is among the oldest vineyards in NW Tasmania. Phil and Robin Dolan began their wine odyssey in 1992 as an adjunct to a 13.5ha hobby farm. The vines – 0.75ha Chardonnay, 0.25ha Pinot Noir – came with help and expert guidance from Delamere Vineyard founder, Dr Richard Richardson.
Jim Forchini was a NASA engineer who retired and bought a vineyard in Sonoma County in the early 1970s. By the time Sierra Blair was 16 or 17, the young Californian student knew she wanted to follow in her grandfather's footsteps.
