You don’t have to venture far to find a great drop of wine in our area. The Tea Tree district in the Coal River Valley Region is home to many excellent wineries producing award winning wines. Some you can visit, but for those without cellar doors, keep your eyes out for these labels.

Here are some locals to check out:

Charles Rueben Estate

www.charlesreuben.com.au

Established in 1989, Charles Reuben Estate vineyard was bought by the Volkmann family in 2013. In 2019, a distillery was added. They focus on being as environmentally conscious as possible – only using local fruit to cut down on food miles, cre­ating a concrete storage bunker nestled into the hill to naturally reduce the need for temperature control, and with plans to be­come fully solar powered in the future. You can request a private tour by emailing or phoning the estate. Fancy a little staycation not far from home? Their Pinot Cottage is set among the vines and can be booked online.

Merriworth Wines

www.merriworth.com.au

Merriworth is known for being a boutique producer of pinot noir and riesling. The vineyard was established in 2001 by John Skinner under the Third Child Vineyard label, and now owned by Mark and Kirralee. After several years studying viticulture and winemaking on the main­land, they moved to Tasmania to create wine responsive to the clean water, rich soils and mild climate. There are occasional events held at Merriworth, so you may be lucky to get to see the winery.

Mapleton Vineyards

mapletonvineyard.com.au

Another delicious winery is Mapleton Vineyards, owned by the Laing family, Paul and his parents Denis and Kathryn. They specialise in riesling, pinot noir, chardonnay and a small amount of cabernet. Their riesling was awarded Best 2018 Vintage Wine at the Tasmanian Wine Show. They occasionally hold Open Days (keep up to date on their Facebook page) and in the meantime you can taste these drops at the Gasworks Cellar Door in Hobart.

Drews Wines

Robert Drew’s wines grow on land sloping down the Merri­worth Rivulet in Tea Tree. Like above, while they’re not open for a visit, you can find Drews Wines at the Gasworks Cellar Door in Hobart. Try the Drew cabernet merlot 2020 for a sweet dark berry flavour, or the Drew riesling 2019 for a lighter, zestier taste.

Pressing Matters

www.pressingmatters.com.au

Pressing Matters now also incor­porates Morningside Vineyard, with the vineyards co-located in the Coal River Valley. Like others in the local area they focus on pinot noir and riesling, having received a huge array of medals and trophies for their wines. Their cellar door is open Thursdays to Sundays, with tast­ings by appointment.

Petrichor Wines

www.petrichorwines.com.au

Run by Kate and Tim, this close-planted vineyard is farmed with biodynamic principles – made from grapes that have been grown with a particular ecological, ethical and holistic approach. You’ll find shiraz and pinot noir, as well as less com­mon varieties such as gamay and grüner veltliner.

Stargazer

www.stargazerwine.com.au

Next door to Petrichor, Stargazer is run by renowned winemaker, wine judge and former lawyer Sam Connew. Since taking over the site in 2016, Sam’s hero wine is her riesling, with pinot noir and chardonnay also proving popular. At this stage there isn’t a cellar door but planning is underway.

Torchbearer Wines

www.torchbearerwine.com

While they are a stone’s throw outside the municipal boundary, you can pop into Torchbearer Wines for a taste of their biody­namic offering. Their cellar door is open from 11.30am – 4.30pm weekends, or bookings can be made for during the week.