Join an expert for a lavish weekend celebrating fine Tasmanian wines

So you really enjoy cool-climate wines from Tasmania?

You don't mind splashing out on a special weekend of indulgence.

Wine writer and educator Tyson Stelzer might have something that is right up your alley with his Tasmanian Wine Weekend on May 23-25.

Stelzer, one of the world's leading experts on Champagne, will showcase top Tasmanian winemakers and their wines for what he describes as "the ultimate opportunity to immerse yourself in the places, people and processes behind not only Tasmania’s greatest sparkling wines, but its finest pinot noirs, chardonnays and rieslings, too."

The event will be be held after vintage in the Coal River and Derwent Valleys outside Hobart.

The weekend promises "lavish lunches, a cocktail-style dinner, prestige sparkling masterclass and a gala dinner, all in the presence of Anna Pooley and Justin Bubb (Pooley Estate), Steve and Monique Lubiana (Stefano Lubiana), Natalie Fryar and Hugh McCullough (Bellebonne and Wellington & Wolfe), Ed and Jen Carr (House of Arras) and Liam McElhinney (Lowestoft)".

The event coincides with the 30th anniversary of House of Arras and the 10th anniversary of Bellebonne, and the weekend will showcase more than 40 of the benchmark wines of current and back vintages from each of the six estates, matched to dishes crafted from the finest and freshest Tasmanian ingredients.

The all-inclusive weekend features all wines, meals, transfers via Apple Isle Tours and a choice of accommodation at Prospect Country House, Acquila Eco Resort or Travelodge Hotel Hobart Airport. Special rates are also available should you wish to extend your stay.

There will be free time for an optional helicopter tour, round of golf, or just or to relax.

"My Tasmanian Wine Weekend has been in the making for more than two-and-a-half years, and I am very excited to welcome you to experience the incredible people, places and wines of Tasmania," Stelzer says.

For full details: https://www.tysonstelzer.com/tyson-stelzers-tasmanian-wine-weekend-23-25-may-2025/

Major milestone for a hotel with a 200-year history

 

One of Tasmania's most historic hotels will celebrate a milestone next year.

Luxury boutique hotel The Woodbridge Tasmania will mark the riverside building's 200th year in early 2025.

The Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency The Honourable Barbara Baker AC and other dignitaries have been invited to mark the occasion at the grand mansion on February 2.

Hand built by convicts in 1825, on the riverbank at New Norfolk as a home for the first Constable/Magistrate of the fledgling colony, The Woodbridge is one of Australia's oldest historic houses.

Now a private hotel, The Woodbridge takes guests back in time to the colonial era - and it is just 30 minutes from Hobart.

Restored by Laurelle and John Grimley, who bought the property in 2003, the heritage-listed mansion was in a state of disrepair when the Grimleys first set eyes on it.

The couple stumbled upon the derelict Derwent Valley icon during a Tasmanian holiday.

" I am a Duchess of Duke Street and Downton Abbey tragic," says "and have seen the BBC series Pride and Prejudice so often that I can quote it verbatim!"

The Woodbridge offers delightful river views, a rich history, and a relaxed style.

Guests are well located to visit nearby Mount Field National Park, wineries including Derwent Estate and Stefano Lubiana, and just a 10-minute stroll to The Agrarian Kitchen for a long lunch.

The entire project was funded by the Grimleys personally without any government or Heritage funding.

"We realised that if The Woodbridge was to have a future, then it had to be able to pay its way," Laurelle said. 

"So we tried to combine the historical elements of The Woodbridge with the modern amenity required by today's guests."

For more info visit www.woodbridgenn.com.au

A spring festival in the southern vineyards of Tasmania

If you love cool-climate wines and have been meaning to escape to Tasmania for a few days then the weekend of November 1-3 might be the perfect opportunity. 

No fewer than 37 wine producers from the Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley and the Huon Valley/d'Entrecasteaux Channel are teaming up for Spring in the Vines, the fourth edition of a weekend of tastings and entertainment. 

They range from big names like Frogmore Creek, Pooley, Derwent Estate, Nocton and Bream Creek to tiny wineries like Yellow Point, Premaydena Hill, and Saltwater River Wines, perhaps making just 100 dozen cases off the beaten track. 

Spring in the Vines is presented by Wine South Tasmania who have teamed up with several top Hobart hotels and local wine tour guides to show off the wine trails across the south of the island state.

Tasmania is known for its pinot noir, chardonnay, sparkling wines and riesling, but there are also adventurous producers including Kate Hill Wines, who produce shiraz from the coldest and southernmost shiraz vineyard in the country. 

Plan your visit at https://www.winesouth.com.au/events

You can drive yourself, or join a chauffeured wine tour with The Derwent Experience, Ageing Barrel Tours, or Apple Isle Wine Tours. 

Hotels offering discounted rates of up to 15% for the weekend include The Tasman, Hadley’s Orient Hotel, The Old Woolstore and MACq 01.