New Cellar Door at Clover Hill

Drawing inspiration from the form of a clover leaf, the new Clover Hill cellar door ( sits on the edge of the valley, with the landscape of Lebrina unfolding below. In one of Australia’s premium sparkling wine producing areas, Clover Hill is acknowledged as one of the finest, using traditional varieties of Champagne grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Landscape and terroir are integral to winemaking, and the new $2 million cellar door creates a space that frames the vineyard view as much as it puts guests inside the glass. Rammed earth walls use the volcanic red soil from the vineyard, so guests can taste the wines inside the dirt from which the grapes were cultivated, and a glass concertina door opens out onto the expansive deck overlooking the sloping vineyard and out to the ocean. Inside, there’s a plush lounge area, tasting bar and a VIP room for Club Prestige members to enjoy a bottle from the museum collection dating back to 1991.

McHenry Distillery Cellar Door
 
On the Tasman Peninsula near Port Arthur lies McHenry Distillery, Australia’s southernmost distillery. Having recently opened a new cellar door at the Distillery, visitors can now enjoy tastings daily (check the website for opening hours) overlooking the rugged ranges where the pristine water that forms the basis of the spirits originates. Back in Hobart, McHenry Distillery also offer tastings at their Brooke Street Pier shop daily and Salamanca Market on Saturday.

Institut Polaire

With super-luxe interior of marble and icy grey leather, Institut Polaire (1/7 Murray Street, Hobart) embraces Tasmania’s position as the gateway to the Antarctic and a gorgeously climatic environment. As the tasting home of Süd Polaire gin and Domaine Simha wine, there are three signature tasting experiences and other wine, gin and whisky from around Tasmania and beyond with an emphasis on low input, organic, biodynamic farming and natural techniques. Bar snacks and grazing dinner plates feature fresh, organic ingredients from local growers and artisan producers.

Wines for Joanie

At Glendale Farm, 35 minutes from Launceston in the Tamar Valley, Wines for Joanie have their cellar door hidden behind an ageing red door in the lean-to of the old timber apple packing shed. This is no standard wine tasting experience - it’s down to earth and all about getting to know the wines through the people who make them. Winemakers Andrew and Prue O’Shanesy welcome guests to their self described “diamond in the rough”, with the cellar door open daily. They’ve also opened he Wines for Joanie Farm Cottage, a newly renovated, one bedroom, 1940’s built cottage on the 140 acre working farm - an incredible spot for quiet contemplation over a glass of wine.  

Moores Hill Winery Goes Solar

Moores Hill Winery recently opened their new winery near Sidmouth, including the installation of more than 100 solar panels on the roof of the winery building and a Tesla charging station for electric cars. While many wineries have solar power, Moores Hill are now completely sustainable in relation to their energy usage. The winery roof also captures rainwater for storage in two 50,000 litre tanks, which is used around the property. The cellar door is open daily and visitors can join a walking tour of the vineyard and new winery, including a tasting session ($45, daily except Sunday, check website for times and bookings).

Apogee New Cellar Door

Apogee, meaning ‘highest point’ in French, produce single vineyard wines in the Tamar Valley under the watchful palate of Andrew Pirie, one of Australia’s most respected winemakers. Using the Traditional Method, Apogee have limited the amount of grapes being cultivated to two hectares, the average size in Champagne, France, in a deliberate strategy to produce the very best Sparkling wine from the holding. Apogee recently opened a new cellar door for summer, hosting tastings from Wednesday to Sunday 11:30am until 4pm.

Willie Smith’s Distillery Tour

Just south of Hobart in the pretty Huon Valley lies Willie Smith’s, an organic cidery, apple shed, distillery and orchard. Tours of the distillery are now on offer, where guests will visit the Charles Oates Distillery to see the French Charentais Alembic still, the only of it kind in Australia, and learn how Charles Oates apple spirits are made and aged into Fine Apple Brandy (known as Calvados in France). After the one and a half hour tour with the distiller, guests will taste the spirits, matched with a platter of local produce designed by the Willie Smith’s Apple Shed Head Chef.

Iron Pot Bay Vineyard and Restaurant

The newly refreshed restaurant at Iron Pot Bay Vineyard is now open. On the banks of the Tamar River the historic cottage was designed in 1907 by Alexander North who designed numerous significant buildings in nearby Launceston and now creates a delightfully cozy wine-tasting space and dining room. The award-wining cool climate wines can be enjoyed in one of the tasting rooms or outside under the shade of the tree canopy overlooking the valley below. Local produce stars in the menu, including vegan, vegetarian and children’s meus.