The Grape Escape: Following a Tasmanian Wine Trail

Introducing your personalised wine trail

But where to go to sample all this wonderful wine? If you’ve been to Tassie before, you might be familiar with the four wine trails already on offer – but the clever folk at Wine Tasmania have now taken things one step further, creating a Varietal Wine Trails feature on their website that allows you to name your favourite types of wine and let the site create a bespoke list of must-visit wineries for your next trip. If that isn’t the ultimate wine trail, we don’t know what is! Below, a few additional highlights worth adding to your list.

Tamar Valley Wine Trail

Tasmania’s oldest wine-growing area is just outside the northern town of Launceston. You’ll find some legends of the Tassie wine industry here, and some special cellar door experiences. Visit the Jansz Tasmania Wine Room and Interpretive Centre to discover why Tasmanian sparkling wines are rivalling their French counterparts in quality (while remaining a lot more friendly on the wallet). Josef Chromy offers not just a range of award-winning wines, but a fabulous restaurant and experiences such as winery tours and fly-fishing lessons. Clover Hill’s elegant sparkling wines earned it the 2016 Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year award. And at Bay of Fires Wines you’ll find an array of reds and whites plus the famous House of Arras sparkling.

East Coast Wine Trail

Follow the Great Eastern Drive, stay in B&Bs on the beautiful east coast, and visit small wineries such as Gala Estate, where the family business includes merino wool as well as Pinot Noirs and Rieslings. You’ll also won’t want to miss Devil’s Corner, owned by Brown Brothers, with its radical architecture and panoramic views of the Hazards range and Freycinet Peninsula.

Southern Wine Trail

Wineries right on Hobart’s doorstep include Moorilla, which shares a site with Mona, and offers some hard-to-resist experiences combining fine wine with gourmet food, cutting-edge art, luxury accommodation and winery tours. At Domaine A, Peter Althaus owns the oldest vineyard in the Coal River Valley. Call in and find out why so many luminaries rave about his wines, including a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Stefano Lubiana Wines is chemical-free, having been biodynamic since 2010. Its Osteria restaurant offers a daily changing menu and special events such as a pork and pinot night, with return bus to Hobart.

North West Wine Trail

Last but not least, Tasmania’s North West may be wild (think Tarkine wilderness and Cradle Mountain) but there doesn’t mean there isn’t a decent drop of wine to had along the way. Take the weight off your hiking boots and try the pinot noir, whites and sparkling, as well as lunch and Sunday music sessions, at Ghost Rock. And for funky-meets-rustic, call in on Prickly Mo, where an old shearing shed has become a cellar door with live music on Friday nights.

Of course, Tasmania is also famous for its fantastic food, and many wineries make the most of this by offering exciting culinary options as well as wonderful wine. The Tasmanian Seafood Trail offers a few ideas for combining the freshest catches with a glass of this or that. The biggest challenge you might face is narrowing it down to your preferred taste