Stargazer opens bijou vineyard tasting room

One of the most exciting wine brands in Tasmania has just opened a new mini tasting room.

Sam Connew's Stargazer Wines has unveiled a dedicated tasting room on its estate vineyard in the Coal River Valley.

The opening marks a significant milestone for winemaker and owner Connew, who founded the label in 2013 after being drawn to the region for its cool-climate conditions that reminded her of her native New Zealand.

Coinciding with the opening is the release of the 2025 vintage estate-grown Palisander wines - a single-vineyard pinot noir and riesling sourced from the now five-hectare vineyard that the tasting room overlooks. Tasting notes soon.

The small, architecturally designed space (above) reflects Connew’s bespoke, small-batch approach to winemaking.

Seating just 12 guests, it has been designed to host one-hour guided tasting experiences around a handcrafted communal table. Three guided tastings will be held per day, and the tasting room will also host special events, including collaborative dinners.

Before founding Stargazer, Connew had already built an impressive reputation across Australia and abroad.

She was senior winemaker at Wirra Wirra Vineyards in McLaren Vale, later managed Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley, and served as manager of the Hunter Valley node for the Australian Wine Research Institute.

 
A formative vintage in Oregon ignited her enduring passion for cool-climate viticulture.

“Opening this tasting room is a very personal achievement for me,” Connew said.

“Much of my earlier career centred on achieving consistency, but Stargazer has been about embracing the nuances of site, season and variety.

"This space is an opportunity to bring those stories to life and share them first-hand with the people who enjoy our wines.”

Bookings are essential for the intimate tastings, held Friday through Monday at 10am., 12:30pm and 3pm. 

Guests can reserve via the Stargazer website, with tastings priced at $35 per guest. Stargazer wine club members enjoy complimentary visits.

Bookings: stargazerwine.com.au

Image: Adam Gibson

A new reason to visit the Huon Valley in Tasmania

There are myriad reasons to visit the lovely Huon Valley in the deep south of Tasmania.

There are small towns like Cygnet, Franklin and Dover, with foodie magnets like Willie Smith's Apple Shed, The Old Bank, Red Velvet Lounge, Porthole Cafe, the Kiln Collective, Shio, Geeveston Old Bank, Masaaki's and Harvest and Light.

There are also cellar doors including Home Hill, Kate Hill Wines, Two Bud Spur and Elsewhere.

And now there is a local micro distillery with its own tasting room. Distiller Brian Hatfield says: "We strive to use the best Tasmanian ingredients to create the very best spirits and liqueurs."

Winsome Spirits produces absinthe, gin, vodkas and fine liqueurs and has glasshouse cellar door facility for tastings in the southernmost municipality in Australia. 

Winsome Spirits is at 8524 Channel Highway, Woodstock, Tasmania, 7109
0428 279 479. See https://winsomespirits.com/

Teakle family wine dream lives on

Regional wine pioneer Peter Teakle was a man with a vision.

And even though Teakle died last year his dream lives on. 

Founded by Peter Teakle in 2016, the business now known as Teakle Wines is based out of the wine mainstream at Port Lincoln on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

Teakle made his fortune printing wine labels, transforming his family's Adelaide business, Collotype Labels, into a global multi-million-dollar company.

He was so impressed with Port Lincoln after visiting that he decided it would be the perfect place for his impending semi-retirement. And a place that could become a tourism hotspot. 

The venue is now a regional landmark, offering much more than just wines.

"Peter’s commitment to transforming Port Lincoln and the Eyre Peninsula into a premier food and wine destination was evident in everything he did," his family said.

Peter’s philanthropy and unwavering support for the wider Port Lincoln community will be remembered and cherished. He leaves an indelible mark on our community, our region and our industry.

"Without doubt, Peter’s greatest strength was his ability to bring people together and he genuinely loved the personal and professional relationships he developed across his many endeavours.

Peter was the patriarch of our family and our business. We look forward to continuing his legacy for generations to come."

The business is being expanded by Teakle's family with expansive vineyards overlooking the fishing town, a tasting facility, winery tours, the Line & Label restaurant and some beautiful gardens that host picnics and gatherings.

“We are proud to carry forward my father’s vision”, says son Ben Teakle, now managing director, said at a recent re-launch of the brand. 

“While our wines will continue to evolve with the climate, our commitment to quality will never waver.”

The new Teakle Wines logo (above) draws inspiration from the barrel-shaped architecture of the cellar door. 

The wines are made by talented Liz Heidenreich, formerly of Wirra Wirra, Wolf Blass and Sevenhill, as well having her own Barossa -based wine brand.

 

I'm working my way through the current Teakle releases and have enjoyed the texturally interesting 2024 Riesling. 

See www.teaklewines.com

Barrels of fun: a new wine tasting experience in Rutherglen

 

Stanton & Killeen, a family owned winery that produces outstanding fortified wines, has opened a new speakeasy-style tasting space at its winery in Rutherglen, north-east Victoria.

The wine maker has transformed part of its century-old cellar into a cosy space surrounded by muscat barrels that is now open for group experiences and private hire.

The area is a new addition following a renovation of the old winery space.

Guests are able to step back in time and experience a 'Mystery of Muscat' tasting surrounded by old old oak barrels, or can book the space for friends or family groups.

The space is available for a minimum of four and maximum of 30 guests for a three-hour private experience featuring premium wines and gourmet provisions.

This is part of Stanton & Killeen's membership of Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia.

The producer has a history stretching back seven generations and almost 150 years.

See https://www.stantonandkilleen.com.au/

Tasmania to get a new premium cellar door

Tasmania is to get a new wine tasting facility later this year with pinot noir and chardonnay specialist Tolpuddle announcing the opening of its cellar door. 

Tolpuddle is based in the Coal River Valley and is owned by Adelaide Hills winery Shaw + Smith. 

Pip Anderson (image), one of Tasmania's leading wine professionals, will join Tolpuddle Vineyard and Shaw + Smith team in August. 

She will take on a hybrid role -  primarily as the manager of the Tolpuddle Vineyard Tasting Room in addition to overseeing the Tasmanian market alongside the Joval Wines team. 

Anderson was most recently general manager of hospitality at Tasmanian icon MONA and has previously been head sommelier at Merivale venues Felix and Ivy in Sydney. 

She is also an experienced wine judge, Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) educator, former Hobart chair of Sommeliers Australia and a Len Evans Tutorial scholar.

“I look forward to being a part of solidifying Tolpuddle Vineyard’s sense of identity and place here in Tasmania," Anderson said. "The Tasting Room will provide an incredible opportunity for people to visit one of Australia's most significant single vineyard sites. 

"I look forward to welcoming them all here.”

David LeMire MW, Shaw+Smith joint CEO and head of sales and marketing, said: “Pip was always our No.1 draft pick for the Tolpuddle Tasting Room. She will be fantastic.”

No date has yet been set to the opening of the tasting facility. 

The Tolpuddle vineyard was planted by industry experts Garry Crittenden,  Tony Jordan and Bill Casimaty in 1988.

Discover some Barossa wine gems - and then linger longer

Schubert Estate makes wines of power and precision, but tends to fly under the radar compared to some its higher-profile Barossa neighbours.

I've been working my way through some impressive wine releases and added their new tasting room to my "to do" list for my next visit.

The pioneering Schubert family planted vineyards along Roennfeldt Road in the Barossa in 1915, selling grapes to many neighbour wine producers.

In 2000, a small parcel was retained, yielding a single barrel of wine carrying the Schubert Estate name and the image of a goose - which the family chose as a symbol of courage, strength, and adventure.

Almost a quarter of a century on, winemaker Matt Reynolds produces artisan wines of style and substance.

The winery recently took out a Double Gold/ Diamond Trophy award at the Sakura Japan’s Women’s Wine Awards. 

For visitors, Schubert Estate "recently opened a magnificent new wine room and three-bedroom luxe residence", reports wine business consultant Howard Duncan.

The Wine Room (below) is open Monday-Friday11am-4pm and at weekends by appointment. The structured tastings include a complimentary sample platter and last for around 45 minutes.

Wines are also served by the glass and bottle, and can be paired with a gourmet platter.

For those wanting to stay awhile, the recently unveiled Residence, a classic old homestead, is set among he vineyards and gardens and offers premium self-contained accommodation for up to six people.

There are three double bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen.

See https://schubertestate.com/pages/the-residence

The Little Wine Company goes for Broke

On the verge of celebrating a quarter of a century in the winemaking business, The Little Wine Company has announced the opening of its new cellar door in the Hunter Valley hamlet of Broke.

Founded by Suzanne and Ian Little in 2000, The Little Wine Company has been a regional leader in the production of alternative grape varieties, and the Broke Fordwich region has been the family home for three decades.

The new facility, open from March 8, will operate in addition to the Wine House collective cellar door in Pokolbin, which offers wines from several producers.

“The Broke Fordwich region has been our home for nearly 30 years; it’s where our kids were born and raised, it’s where we built our winery and it’s where the majority of our grapes are grown, so it just feels right.” says Suzanne Little.

Ian Little says their brand - which is distributed by Single Vineyard Sellers - has struck a chord with adventurous consumers.

“The increasing curiosity of wine consumers prompted Suzanne and I to explore and cultivate alternative grape varieties, which are flourishing," he says.

"This strategic shift towards diverse and resilient varietals is also contributing to the sustainability of The Little Wine Company as a brand.”

To mark the opening of their new Broke cellar door rhe Littles are extending a special offer.

Throughout April 2024, patrons spending $100 or more at the new cellar door will receive a complimentary bottle from the White Label range as a gesture of gratitude for continued support.

Wine lovers can also join a Little Masterclass on March 16-17 - part of the Little Bit of Broke festival - where Suzanne will share six wines with six food pairings.

The new tasting facility is located next to Magoony’s Coffee House.

Among my recommendations: the excellent, shiny 2023 Vermentino (great with kedgeree) and the crisp and vibrant 2023 Pecorino, one of the first releases of this Italian varietal in Australia. Both offer excellent drinking for $26 a bottle. 

For more info see https://www.thelittlewinecompany.com.au/  

Patritti opens new tasting room in suburban Adelaide

It is 95 years since young Giovanni Patritti boarded a ship in Genoa, Italy, bound for an unknown future in Australia. 

Today, the wine brand that bears his name has just opened a new tasting room and events space in suburban Adelaide.

And the wines are full of innovation and invention - just like Patritti. 

Rather than travelling to meet his sister in the US, the 25-year-old set out on a journey that took him to the other end of the world and a new life in Adelaide. 

Seeing potential in the land around the Marion district to establish the kind of vineyard he knew from home, within a few years he and his best friend Cristano (Jimmy) Bissacca had built a winery and produced their first vintage - the start of a family business that endures.

Almost a century on, the business remains in the hands of Giovanni’s four children and continues to operate as a fully functioning winery tucked away in the quiet streets of Dover Gardens, only 20 minutes south of the Adelaide CBD. 

Over the past 12 months, Patritti has been transforming one of Giovanni’s original wine cellars - Cellar II - into a bar and tasting room. 

Cellar II was once a fermentation cellar and still functions as a working cellar, complete with nine huge American oak vats maturing fortified wines.

The adjacent outside area has been transformed into a spectacular “wine garden” where visitors can enjoy a glass of wine with an authentic Italian-style antipasto platter. 

Cellar II officially opened on October 1. 

See www.patritti.com.au/experience

Coinciding with the opening of Cellar II is the release of five unique wines made from fruit grown in the historic urban vineyards of Marion. 

These inventions of winemaker Ben Heide include the 2021 Warriparinga Vineyard Palomino Pedro Ximenez blend, a 2021 April Red Grenache Palomino blend and the Marion Vineyard Minimum 12-Year-Old Grenache Tawny B001. 

All the fruit for these wines is grown within 3km of the 1926-built winery.