Tasmania – click to enlarge

According to Wine Australia, Tasmania is just a single official GI (Geographical Indication) wine region within the wine zone of South Eastern Australia, which includes not just Tasmania but also the whole of New South Wales, Victoria, and those sections of Queensland and South Australia where grapes are grown. Unofficially, however, there are 7 distinct wine-growing areas recognised.

The Tamar Valley, located around Launceston and north to the coast, is the state’s oldest wine-growing area. It is a place where premium cool-climate wines, outstanding fresh produce, and award-winning restaurants go hand in hand. Cellar door tastings are a speciality of the area, and some magnificent vineyards around the region offer superb views and gourmet experiences. The region’s location provides outstanding accommodation and dining options, making it a great choice for a weekend away.

East of Tamar Valley is North East, a region pioneered by Andrew Pirie at Pipers Brook Vineyard in 1974. With a climate similar to Champagne in France, sparkling wines are the specialty here.

West of Tamar Valley is the North West wine region centered around the town of Devonport and is the newest wine region in the state, with only a handful of pioneering producers.

The East Coast wine region is the largest in the state with vineyards along the Great Eastern Wine Drive offering tastings and wine sales. This section of coast is perhaps the most beautiful of anywhere in Australia that we have visited and well worth spending a long weekend touring from St Helens, Bicheno, Swansea and perhaps the most stunning of all, Freycinet.

Travelling west you will find Coal River Valley, just east of Hobart, with wineries and vineyards surrounding the beautiful and historic township of Richmond.

South of Hobart is the Huon Valley, which is surrounded by the Huon River to its west and North West Bay to the east. It also take is the picturesque beauty of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, which is the body of water between the south-east of the mainland of Tasmania and Bruny Island. This is a region of waterways and wilderness, art and craft, forests, orchards and vineyards.

Taking in Hobart itself and the surrounding area to the northwest is Derwent Valley, where the road follows the beautiful Derwent River through rows of poplars, hops and vines and onto Tasmania’s central highlands.