Southern Tasmanian Wine Region

• Summary
• Weather for Southern Tasmanian Wine Region

The whole of Tasmania is in fact a wine region. Tasmania is becoming increasingly well known and recognised for the premium quality wines. The Tasmanian wine industry was established in the 1970's and has been expanding ever since. The region has turned into a boutique wine region focusing mainly on handcrafted wines. Today, wineries and vineyards are becoming more tourist friendly offering accommodation, cellar doors and restaurants. The wines produced here are diverse due to the series of microclimates and differing soil conditions that the vines are subject to. Tasmania is unofficially divided into North and South areas, that produce significantly different wine varieties.

The wine region is Southern Tasmania is mainly centred around the Derwent Valley and the Huon Valley. Great care is taken to shelter the wineries and vineyards from the cold winds and frosts from the south and ensuring more sunshine during the day. Most vineyards and wineries are found around rivers and lakes to take full advantage of the tempering effects of the water. Harvest time is between April and late May, usually a couple of weeks earlier than in the north. The leading varieties are the table and sparkling styles.