On the grapevine: Stephen Quinn explores Tasmania’s sparkling wine expertise
Peter Munro, winemaker at Abel’s Tempest in Tasmania
A touch of sparkle
In recent years, Tasmania has developed a global reputation for sparkling wine. One in three bottles of wine made on the island is premium fizz.
Tasmania, 240 kilometres off Australia’s southern coast, produces only half of one per cent of all Australia’s wine, but they win major prizes each year.
Ed Carr, group sparkling winemaker at Accolade Wines since 1994, is Tasmania’s most successful sparkling winemaker. His 2005 Arras Grand Vintage was named best Australian sparkling wine at this year’s International Wine Challenge in London.
Arras also won four gold medals at the inaugural champagne and sparkling wine world championships. Results were announced last month. The latter was organised by Tom Stevenson, former chair of Decanter’s champagne judging panel. You can read the results at www.champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk
It has the potential to equal champagne in terms of quality and price
Carr said Tasmania had become noticed globally, in recent years: “Tasmanian sparkling is in the media all the time,” he said. He believes it has the potential to equal champagne in terms of quality and price.
Young vines at the Abel’s Tempest vineyard in Tasmanian
Tasmania has a stable climate and produces good fruit each year, which was not always the case in places like the UK. Carr continued: “Tasmanian wine is only going to get stronger. Demand is certainly there and winemaking is well sorted.”
Pipers Brook is another of Tasmania’s iconic brands. James Halliday, probably the most influential of Australia’s wine writers, described the viticulture and winemaking at Pipers Brook as “fastidious”. Their premium sparkling is called the Kreglinger, named for the Belgium conglomerate that purchased the estate in 2001. Halliday rated the Kreglinger sparkling 2003 rosé as one of the best he had ever encountered, only bettered by the current 2004 vintage.
Rene Bezemer, chief winemaker at Pipers Brook, has been with the company for 25 years. He said Tasmania’s terroir and climate give it the potential for greatness.
