Appellation · Australia
Tasmania
Australia’s coolest wine state, and its most important source of traditional-method sparkling wine.
Traditional-method sparkling wine of genuine quality, Pinot Noir that is light and red-fruited, Chardonnay with sharp acidity, and aromatic Riesling and Pinot Gris. Everything here is defined by acidity.
About Tasmania
Tasmania’s cool maritime climate produces the high-acid, low-alcohol base wine that traditional-method sparkling requires, and it now supplies most of Australia’s premium sparkling production.
Still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Tamar Valley and Coal River Valley are increasingly serious.
Australia’s coolest wine region by a wide margin, and effectively a different country viticulturally from the mainland. It supplies a disproportionate share of Australia’s premium sparkling base, and mainland producers buy fruit here for exactly that reason.
Production is split between the north — Tamar Valley and Pipers River — and the south around Hobart and the Coal River Valley, which is drier and needs irrigation. Total output is small: around one per cent of Australia’s crush, against a much larger share of its sparkling reputation.
What the name means
- Legal name
- Tasmania GI
- Type
- Australian Geographical Indication (GI)
- Set by
- Wine Australia
- Recognised
- 1996
- Regulates
- Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.
The boundary of the named zone, region or sub-region and the proportion of fruit that must come from it. Like an AVA, it does not prescribe varieties or methods.
Grapes
Wines from here
Climate
- Latitude
- 41.5° S
- Temperature
- Cool
- Day–night swing
- Moderate
- Rainfall
- Spread through the year
- Frost risk
- Moderate
The southernmost significant wine region in Australia, surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Ripening is slow and never guaranteed.
Tasmania has a cool climate with maritime influence, at roughly 41.5° of latitude. There is a moderate difference between day and night temperatures. Rainfall is spread through the year. Spring frost is an occasional problem. The southernmost significant wine region in Australia, surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Ripening is slow and never guaranteed.
Vintage variation
Vintage matters
Ripeness is usually achieved but not effortlessly, and rain or heat at the wrong moment leaves a clear mark on the wine.
- Spring frost. Frost after budburst is an occasional risk here and reduces the crop when it happens.
- Maritime influence. Nearby water lengthens the growing season and brings cloud and rain with it. Ripening is slower and less certain, and the spread between years is wider.
- Growing-season temperature. Cool. There is little heat to spare, so a cloudy summer shows in the finished wine.
Derived from the climate above, not from anyone’s view of particular years. Why there are no vintage scores here.
These are influences on how a wine turns out, not determinants of it. Picking date, yield, vine age and every winemaking decision sit between the climate and the glass.
What to eat, and how to serve it
Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.
Australian traditional-method sparkling
Serve at 8–10°C (fridge cold).
Try with fillet steak, salmon or asparagus.
Australian Pinot Noir
Serve at 14–16°C (cellar cool).
Try with fillet steak, bloomy-rind cheese or brie and soft cheese.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Wine Australia — regions, GIs and market information — Wine Australia