Tasmanian Wine and Cool Climate Food

Tasmania makes very little of Australia's wine and a large share of its best sparkling, because the island is cold enough to keep acid in the grapes. The main areas are the Tamar Valley and Pipers River in the north, the Coal River and Derwent valleys around Hobart, and a run of vineyards along the east coast. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and traditional-method sparkling are the strengths. Around the vineyards sits a cool-climate food economy: oysters grown in the estuaries, rock lobster and abalone, berries, cheese from Bruny Island and the north-west, and a distilling trade that has built a reputation for single malt whisky since the 1990s. Saturday market in Hobart pulls much of it into one place.

What you actually see

• The Tamar and Pipers River vineyards - the northern sparkling and Pinot country, within reach of Launceston.
• The Coal River Valley - cellar doors half an hour from Hobart, easy to combine in a day.
• Oysters and estuary seafood - farm gates on the channels and inlets, sold shucked to eat on the spot.
• The Saturday market in Hobart - Tasmanian produce, cheese and preserves gathered under one street of stalls.

When to go

December to April is the practical season, with the longest days and the vintage in March and April. Winter is cold, wet and dark by mid-afternoon, and many small cellar doors reduce hours or close. Weekends are busiest around Hobart. The Saturday market runs weekly in the morning. Book accommodation early over summer; the island fills.

Honest expectations

Tasmanian wine is expensive because volumes are small, and bargain hunting is pointless here. The regions are scattered across an island with slow roads, so a wine trip needs several days and a car. Cellar doors are small and some open only on weekends or by appointment. Weather changes fast in all seasons. Summer accommodation prices in Hobart are high for what you get.

Nearby

Hobart, the Derwent estuary and the east coast beaches are all within a day's drive.