Tasmania

Wine Tasmania records that Tasmania's first recorded vineyard was planted in 1823 and that Australia's first sparkling wine was made in Tasmania from the 1826 vintage. It also notes that one of the very first experiments with grapevines in Tasmania produced a wine shown at a Paris exhibition in 1848. After this early start, Wine Tasmania says, the island's wine production all but disappeared until the 1950s. Wine Tasmania dates the revival to 1956, when Claudio Alcorso, an Italian, planted a vineyard just outside Hobart at Moorilla, and Jean Miguet, a Frenchman, planted one north of Launceston in Lilydale, now known as Providence Vineyard; neither was aware of the other when they first planted. Moorilla's own history dates Alcorso's first vines to 1958 and its first foot-stomped vintage to 1962. Dr Andrew Pirie founded Pipers Brook Vineyard in 1974, according to Decanter, and Kreglinger Wine Estates describes its Pipers Brook Estate label as coming from vines planted in 1974 among the volcanic soils of Pipers Brook. Wine Tasmania says Australia's first appellation system was developed in Tasmania in the 1980s, when the island's vineyard area was less than 100 hectares. In 1986 the Champagne house Louis Roederer partnered with Heemskerk Wines to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in Pipers River, and the Hill-Smith family purchased the property in 1998, according to Jansz Tasmania. In November 2024 Wine Tasmania named Claudio Alcorso, Graham Wiltshire and Andrew Pirie its inaugural Tasmanian Wine Trailblazers.

• 1823: Tasmania's first recorded vineyard planting; 1826: the vintage of Australia's first sparkling wine (Wine Tasmania)
• 1956: Claudio Alcorso plants at Moorilla outside Hobart and Jean Miguet at Lilydale north of Launceston, per Wine Tasmania; Moorilla's own history gives 1958 for its first vines
• 1974: Dr Andrew Pirie founds Pipers Brook Vineyard; Kreglinger bought it in 2001 (Decanter)
• 1986: Louis Roederer and Heemskerk Wines plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Pipers River; the Hill-Smith family bought the property in 1998 (Jansz Tasmania)

Wine Australia describes Tasmania as an island off the south-east coast of mainland Australia and gives the GI's size as 68,582 km2, with its southernmost point at latitude 43.743 degrees South and altitude from 0 to 1,264 metres (region page, accessed 2026). Wine Tasmania's growing-area map identifies seven wine growing areas: North West, Tamar Valley, Pipers River, East Coast, Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, and Huon Valley / d'Entrecasteaux Channel. As an island, Tasmania has a moderate maritime climate, cooled by prevailing westerly winds off the Southern Ocean, according to Wine Tasmania. Wine Australia notes high humidity and spring frosts, says 40% of the annual rainfall comes during the growing season, and lists growing season rainfall of 477mm (accessed 2026). In Decanter's 2024 report, Bay of Fires winemaker Stewart Byrne said the wine growing regions lie predominantly on the eastern half of the island: 'These are dry, typically receiving 300-500mm of rainfall a year.' Wine Tasmania says the landscape is dominated by dolerite-capped mountains that shelter the state's wine regions from high winds and rainfall, and that vineyard soils on the lower slopes are formed from ancient sandstones and mudstones and from more recent river sediments and igneous rocks of volcanic origin. Wine Australia lists sandstone and schist in the Derwent Valley, peaty alluvial and sandy low humus soils in the Coal River Valley, deep, free-draining, friable soils in Pipers River, and gravelly basalt on a clay and limestone base in the Tamar Valley. The Tasmanian vintage usually runs from mid-March to late May, and Wine Tasmania states that vintage variations are greater in Tasmania than in any other Australian region.

• GI area 68,582 km2; southernmost point at latitude 43.743 degrees South; altitude 0 to 1,264 metres (Wine Australia region page, accessed 2026)
• Moderate maritime climate cooled by westerly winds off the Southern Ocean (Wine Tasmania); high humidity and spring frosts (Wine Australia)
• Soils per Wine Australia: sandstone and schist (Derwent Valley), peaty alluvial and sandy low humus soils (Coal River Valley), deep, free-draining, friable soils (Pipers River), gravelly basalt on a clay and limestone base (Tamar Valley)
• Vintage usually runs mid-March to late May; Wine Tasmania says vintage variations are greater than in any other Australian region

Wine Australia names Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris/Grigio as the main varieties grown in Tasmania. By tonnes in the 2026 crush, its Region Snapshot 2025-26 records Pinot Noir at 49%, Chardonnay 27%, Pinot Gris/Grigio 9%, Sauvignon Blanc 7% and Riesling 4%, and it gives red varieties as 48% of plantings on its vineyard-area data (National Vineyard Scan 2020 and ABS 2015). Wine Australia describes Tasmanian Pinot Noir as a light to medium-bodied, delicate and fragrant style, and Chardonnay as elegant, complex and subtle with high natural acidity; both are also used in sparkling wine. Of the island's traditional method wines, made primarily with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Wine Australia says: 'Considered to be the best in Australia.' It adds that the cool climate is well suited to 'high quality, age worthy Riesling, vibrant Sauvignon Blanc and crisp Pinot Gris'. Wine Tasmania's 2026 vintage report puts sparkling wine at 41% of all 2026 Tasmanian wine and describes it as an effervescent version of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Decanter reported in 2024 that about three quarters of Tasmania's Chardonnay and just under half of its Pinot Noir are used to make sparkling wine. Writing in Decanter, Huon Hooke noted that Cabernet Sauvignon was widely planted in the early years and little remains today, while Shiraz is making a minor comeback.

• 2026 crush by tonnes: Pinot Noir 49%, Chardonnay 27%, Pinot Gris/Grigio 9%, Sauvignon Blanc 7%, Riesling 4% (Wine Australia Region Snapshot 2025-26)
• Sparkling wine: 41% of all 2026 Tasmanian wine, made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (Wine Tasmania)
• Pinot Noir: light to medium-bodied, delicate and fragrant; Chardonnay: elegant, complex and subtle with high natural acidity (Wine Australia)
• Cabernet Sauvignon was widely planted early on and little remains; Shiraz is making a minor comeback (Huon Hooke, Decanter)

When Australia's Geographical Indications legislation was drawn up, Tasmania opted to gazette just one region comprising the entire island, Huon Hooke wrote in Decanter, and Wine Tasmania's map calls Tasmania a single region (Geographical Indication). Under Wine Australia's blending rules, a wine must be made from at least 85% of a GI's fruit to claim that GI on its label. Wine Tasmania, established in late 2006, is the peak body for the island's wine producers, and it says its voluntary membership represents more than 98% of Tasmanian wine production. It counts approximately 156 licensed wine producers, 414 individual vineyards, 90 cellar door outlets and 3,000+ hectares under vine (accessed 2026), while its 2026 vintage report gives a total bearing vineyard area of approximately 2,451 hectares. House of Arras has its winery and cellar door on the banks of the Pipers River; Decanter reported in 2024 that chief winemaker Ed Carr has made its sparkling wines since the winery's inception in 1995, and the house gives 1998 as the first vintage of its E.J. Carr Late Disgorged. Jansz Tasmania describes itself as solely devoted to sparkling winemaking since 1986. Tolpuddle Vineyard, established in 1988 in the Coal River Valley, was purchased by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW in 2011 and is planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir across 31 hectares in total. Stefano Lubiana Wines established its vines at Granton in 1990 and describes itself as Tasmania's first certified biodynamic vineyard, cultivated using biodynamic methods since 2010. Kreglinger, a Belgian family company, bought the 1974-established Pipers Brook Vineyard in 2001, according to Decanter. Moorilla's own history records David Walsh's purchase of the estate in 1995 and a new winery on the Moorilla peninsula, the site that became home to his Museum of Old and New Art (Mona).

• One GI for the whole island; a single-GI label claim needs at least 85% of the wine from that GI (Wine Australia blending rules)
• Wine Tasmania (established late 2006) is the producers' peak body; it counts approximately 156 licensed wine producers and 414 individual vineyards
• Sparkling: House of Arras (Ed Carr chief winemaker since the 1995 inception, per Decanter; E.J. Carr Late Disgorged first vintage 1998) and Jansz Tasmania (sparkling only since 1986)
• Still wine: Tolpuddle Vineyard (established 1988, Coal River Valley, bought by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW in 2011); Stefano Lubiana Wines (Granton, biodynamic since 2010); Pipers Brook Vineyard (founded 1974)

Jansz Tasmania says the similarities of Tasmania's climate to northeast France, along with rich and free-draining basalt soils, led Louis Roederer to partner with Heemskerk Wines and plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in Pipers River in 1986. Wine Australia likewise describes the climate as very similar to Champagne and parts of the Rhine Valley. Exports are small: Wine Australia's Region Snapshot 2025-26 estimates that 6% of the 2026 crush was exported, against 68% for Australia as a whole, and gives the UK (23%), the USA (15%) and mainland China (15%) as the top destinations by bottled export volume in the year ending June 2026. Wine Tasmania's 2026 report valued recorded wine grape purchases at an average of $3,870 per tonne, against a national average of $570 per tonne, noting that the purchase survey captured 24% of the 2026 harvest. Wine Tasmania's VinØ program measures, improves and reports on the management practices of Tasmanian wine producers, and 40% of all the vineyard area in Tasmania was managed under it in 2025/26. Decanter reported in 2024 that Tasmania is phylloxera-free, and Wine Tasmania names grape phylloxera as its greatest biosecurity threat among the pests and diseases endemic to Australia.

• 1986: Louis Roederer partners with Heemskerk Wines in Pipers River, drawn by climate similarities with northeast France and basalt soils (Jansz Tasmania)
• Exports: an estimated 6% of the 2026 crush, against 68% nationally (Wine Australia Region Snapshot 2025-26)
• Average value of recorded wine grape purchases in 2026: $3,870 per tonne, against a national average of $570 per tonne (Wine Tasmania)
• 40% of Tasmania's vineyard area was managed under Wine Tasmania's VinØ program in 2025/26

Primary sources (Wine Australia and its Register of Protected GIs, Wine Tasmania, and producers' own sites for their own wines and history): https://www.wineaustralia.com/labelling/geographical-indicators/labelling-gi-tasmania, https://www.wineaustralia.com/market-insights/regions-and-varieties/tasmania-wines/tasmania, https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/fa5e0b7d-3d5c-40cc-ae42-a85dec33a7a1/MI_Tasmania-Region-Snapshot-2025-26.pdf, https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/fb571392-5d0c-4f9e-95fd-b7501076280a/REG_BlendingRules_v2.pdf, https://winetasmania.com.au/how-awesome-is-tassies-wine, https://winetasmania.com.au/how-awesome-is-tassies-wine/trailblazers-legends, https://winetasmania.com.au/who-we-are-and-what-we-do, https://winetasmania.com.au/crafting-the-good-stuff, https://winetasmania.com.au/vinzerolookingaftertheland, https://winetasmania.com.au/uploads/general/Growing_Area_Map.pdf, https://winetasmania.com.au/vintage2026, https://www.moorilla.com.au/our-story, https://www.jansz.com.au/en/jansz-story/, https://www.jansz.com.au/en/premium-cuvee-nv/JANBRU6.html, https://houseofarras.com.au/products/house-of-arras-e-j-carr-late-disgorged-2009, https://houseofarras.com.au/pages/cellar-door, https://www.tolpuddlevineyard.com/vineyard, https://www.tolpuddlevineyard.com/store/2024-tolpuddle-vineyard-chardonnay, https://www.tolpuddlevineyard.com/store/2024-tolpuddle-vineyard-pinot-noir, https://www.slw.com.au/Our-Story, https://www.slw.com.au/product/2024-Estate-Pinot-Noir, https://www.kreglingerwineestates.com/brands/. Secondary: https://www.decanter.com/decanter-world-wine-awards/tasmania-in-its-stride-uncovering-the-island-states-exceptional-wines-537114/, https://www.decanter.com/features/regional-profile-tasmania-245888/. Last verified 2026-09-28