Rivulet 2024 Glaziers Bay Chardonnay

 

Keira O'Brien is a talented winemaker who has worked with some of the best in the business in Tasmania. She sources small amounts of fruit from various vineyards around the state for her small-batch wines under the Rivulet label. This one uses grapes from Owen and Eve Knight's Elsewhere vineyard in the Huon Valley, one of the most southerly in the country. The chardonnay vines here are over 40 years old. This was one of the stars of the Budburst Tassie Wine Expo, with a symphony of flavours - elegant fruit, smartly-judged oak and bight minerality. Simply sensational drinking. Pair with old skool roast chicken and stuffing. $58. https://rivuletwine.com/  

Bream Creek 2025 Pinot Gris

 

You can choose any wine - literally any wine - from the Bream Creek range and you won't be disappointed. Fred Peacock and his team from the Tasman Peninsula are masters of consistent excellence. This has the lot - length, texture and balance - and probably sits midway between gris and grigio styles. It's classic cool-climate white with appealing pear/apple/citrus flavours and plenty of palate interest/crunchy acid alongside immediate drinkability. Pair this anything from a mushroom quiche to fritto misto. Startlingly good value at $36. https://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/

Stoney Vineyard 2023 Pinot Noir

 

From the David Walsh stable; Moorilla Estate/Domaine A, this is a very stylish pinot noir from the Stoney Vineyard in the Coal River Valley. Winemaker Conor van der Reest has conjured up a very elegant wine, what we used to call feminine, with classic cool-climate pinot character, well balanced flavour and a very smooth finish. This is one of those wines that just evaporates in your glass. Think cherries, chocolate notes, ginger, Asian spices but with a very sexy, soft finish. Pair with Chinese roast duck. My sample was provided by Wine Tasmania. Exceptional value at $42. https://domaine-a.com.au/

Quiet Mutiny 2025 Charlotte's Elusion Rosé

 

Here is a rosé with a difference; primarily made from the pinot meunier grape that is traditionally used in sparkling wines. This offers a food-friendly alternative dry table wine that is perfect for enjoying chilled over summer. Quiet Mutiny is the personal label of Greer Carland, whose family owns Laurel Bank vineyard overlooking the Derwent River. This was a standout at the recent Budburst Tassie Wine Expo. The fruit for this wine was sourced from the warmer East Coast of Tasmania and this lively number has both vibrancy and personality. Perfect for enjoying with a Middle Eastern mezze plate, or some pan-fried salmon (preferably not farmed salmon). $37. https://quietmutiny.wine/  

Aunt Alice 2025 Ocean Chardonnay

 

Alice Davidson is a talented winemaker who has worked with outstanding talents including Peter Dredge and is now building a formidable reputation for her own label, which sources fruit some several vineyards around the state. She is currently building a micro winery at Geeveston in the Huon Valley. This is a very impressive new release tasted at the Budburst Tassie Wine Expo that is at once varietal, fresh, vibrant and accessible. It is elegant and food friendly; suitable for short-term cellaring. You could pair this with anything from American pork ribs to traditional roast chicken. $55. https://www.auntalice.com.au/  

Hughes & Hughes 2025 Sauvignon Blanc

 

This is a perfect choice for enjoying on a warm afternoon. In fact I can't think of a wine that says "summer fun" so impressively. Hughes & Hughes is the the label the Hughes brothers from Mewstone Vineyard in southern Tasmania use for their entry level wines made using grower fruit. This recent release features grapes grown in the Iron Pot Vineyard in Rowella in the Tamar Valley in the north of the state. This is tank fermented, crisp, delicious, vibrantly fruity and best enjoyed well chilled with a picnic on the beach or on a riverbank. It is unfined, unfiltered and full of the joys of youth. $35.  https://www.mewstonewines.com.au 

Henskens Rankin 2019 Brut Rosé

 

Frieda Henskens and David Rankin craft tiny batches of outstanding sparkling wines in a former apple shed in the Huon Valley, They source small amounts of fruit from some of the best vineyards in Tasmania and only release their wines when they have reached their peak. Only 900 bottles of this sublime brut rosé were made from a multi-regional blend of 69% chardonnay and 31% pinot noir, so speed might be of the essence if you are tempted. This stylish and sophisticated wine would certainly be an impressive choice for toasting the new year. Berry and tropical fruit flavours canoodle with toasty/brioche notes on a palate that finishes with fresh saline acidity. Very impressive. $105. https://henskensrankin.com/