This Island off the Coast of Australia is a Hidden Paradise For Sparkling Wine Lovers

The stunning scenery in Tasmania only enhances the otherworldliness of the light. Standing at the highest point on the estate Stefanolubiana Wines and looking over the vineyards that sloped toward the Derwent River, I could understand why Lubiana, a South Australian winemaker, would have taken a gamble 32 years ago. It wasn’t just the stunning view of Hobart that brought him here. He dreamed of making sparkling wine of the highest quality, which meant a specific location.

Lubiana said, “I wanted a place that had a cool climate but without frost. I also wanted a variety of soils and a longer growing season.” He was the first to realize that the island off the coast of Australia, which is a part of Australia’s southeast, had the perfect climate and topography for his needs. Growing up in a family of winemakers, his ancestors produced wine in Italy. Nearly 40 percent of the wine produced in the island state is sparkling. This wine has recently gained recognition on the international stage.

In 2020, Decanter, one of Europe’s leading wine magazines, awarded the E. J. Carr 2004 bottling of House of Arras in the northern Tasmanian Tamar Valley as the best sparkling wine in its World Wine Awards. This beat out many other wines from Champagne and well-established regions.

The Stefano Lubiana Wines Estate offers a view of the Derwent River.

COURTESY STEFANO LUBIANA WINE

In June, after an hour’s flight from Melbourne, I rented a vehicle and drove two-and-a-half hours to Launceston. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania. While I did not have to travel very far, guests from abroad can also make this trip–Australian borders opened to travelers again in February. Launceston is the perfect starting point to explore the Tamar Valley, where most of Tasmania’s sparkling wines are produced. Launceston is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and will be designated as such in 2021. It has a haunted feel, possibly because it was once a harsh penal colony, and before that, the Aboriginal people were almost wiped out. It’s also gorgeous. In the spring, the countryside is bursting with lilacs. And in the winter it’s cold and bright.

After my first night in Launceston, I went to Stillwater Restaurant & Seven Rooms, a boutique hotel inside an 1840s mill overlooking the Tamar River. It is Launceston’s most popular dining spot. After a delicious dinner of grilled quail and local mushrooms, and a good night’s rest in a spacious, vaulted-ceiling room, I drove north for 40 minutes to the House of Arras Winery, where I toured the property and spoke with the head winemaker Ed Carr.

Left: baked Tasmanian scallops in the half shell, Stillwater Restaurant. Bright red barn doors are a part of the Stillwater Seven Hotel.

ANNIE BLAIRE/COURTESY STILLWATER. NAT MENDHAM/COURTESY TOURISM TASMANIA

Carr’s winemaking in Tasmania is long, but he began focusing exclusively on sparkling wines in 1995 when he founded the House of Arras. Carr’s sparkling wines are often made from Chardonnay or a blend between Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. However, some also include Pinot Meunier to add complexity and balance. He said he focused on the tannic composition rather than just the sweetness and acidity.

It will take some time to convince the rest of the world that Tasmania’s sparkling wine can compete with Spanish cava and Italian Prosecco. Because the best Australian sparkling wines are only available in Australia, they have a different reputation internationally than other high-quality products from the country, like Shiraz. The samples I tried on that trip were up with some of the best wines I have ever tasted. Each producer has their style, but there is a common thread: a balanced acidity that will allow these wines to age for many years.

Andrew Pirie was the vintner I met later that day at Apogee, a tiny vineyard on a hill about 20 minutes from Arras. Andrew Pirie’s effervescent wine is delicious and graceful enough to be drunk immediately, but who knows how good it will become in the future? Pirie stated, “My first vintage was here in 2010, and not one of my wines has reached its peak.”

House of Arras’ winemaker Ed Carr, left, with a glass of Brut Elite on the Freycinet Peninsula in eastern Tasmania. House of Arras’ Pinot Noir clusters are ripe.

COURTESY HOUSE of ARRAS/ACCOLADE WINE

The impressive tasting room of Jansz Tasmania was another stop. This is one of the state’s most prominent sparkling wine producers and a rare label in the United States. It would be best if you visited Tasmania to experience the best of Tasmania.

It is not a problem. The following day I drove back via Highway 1 to Hobart, stopping at vintage shops and cafes. As I went to my hotel, I thought about how the island had changed. Until a few years ago, most of Tasmania’s accommodations were available for rent through Airbnb. The Rox is a collection of luxury apartments in Hobart, some with a modern feel while others are more stylishly vintage. The two units are in a former schoolhouse, featuring high ceilings, brick walls, and Tasmanian art.

At the Museum of Old & New Art, outside Hobart, the Faro Bar & Restaurant looks out over the river Derwent.

JESSE HUNNIFORD/COURTESY OF MONA

I spent a day at the Museum of Old & New Art. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. The museum was built on the site of the Moorilla Estate, which still produces sparkling wine. The team behind the museum created Dark Mofo in 2013, a winter solstice arts event inspired by ancient rituals. The two-week festival sees the streets of Hobart filled with people enjoying the food and drinks that have become popular in recent years.

That night I ate at Dier Makr, a moody, dimly lit little restaurant known for its highly modern–yet somehow utterly unpretentious–cooking. I also tried a delicious foamy amalgamation of sunchoke, cheddar, and duck fish tartare, layered with bright slivers of radish. Along with a glass of bright–dare world-class?–sparkling wine, it was a meal worth traveling hours, or even days, to experience.

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