Tolpuddle wines are fantastic

I discovered them a few years ago while dining out in Sydney

A trip to Tasmania a couple of years later locked in place where all the quality and attention to detail came from - the vineyard

Back then it was just carefully tended vines, now it boasts a tasting room

I list both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at all Lodge Bar Dining rooms for Rodd and Gunn

Tolpuddle Vineyard tasting room will be located at their Coal River Valley property in Richmond, Tasmania, 25 minutes from Hobart this Friday, 13 December.

The Tolpuddle Vineyard Tasting Room, managed by Pip Anderson, previously General Manager of Hospitality at Mona, will be open from Friday to Monday, 11am–5pm with appointments available online.

Visitors can taste a flight of four wines, a current release Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, each compared with a more mature back vintage.

Guests can also choose from a concise menu of small share plates with local ingredients featured where possible such as Tongola Curdy Goats Cheese with Hazelbrae Hazelnuts and Kunzea Honey, or Baked Tasmanian Scallops with Lemon and Garlic Butter, and Brioche Crumbs.

The Tasting Room will also be available for exclusive wine-focused events for 15-30 guests, again with a menu driven by quality Tasmanian produce to accompany the Tolpuddle Vineyard wines. Sam Bray, formerly of Mona and Manky Sally’s, will be managing events alongside Pip.

Designed by Hobart-based Tanner Architects and constructed by local builder Cordwell Built, the Tasting Room sits discreetly within the vineyard, with large floor to ceiling windows providing views over the vines. Salvaged timber from the West Coast of Tasmania features strongly throughout and there is seating both inside and out.

Tolpuddle Vineyard co-founder Martin Shaw, said: “When we first bought the vineyard in 2011, we envisioned a day when we would build a Tasting Room in the midst of the vines to showcase our wines from this special site. We love this vineyard and now have a tasting space so visitors can experience Tolpuddle Vineyard first hand.”

The Tolpuddle Vineyard Tasting Room is open by appointment Friday through Monday 11am to 5pm with last bookings at 4pm. Visitors can book online via the website. Tastings are $55 per person.

In 2011, Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith AM MW (founders of Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills) travelled to Tasmania intending to buy nothing more than lunch. Many wines were tasted throughout the trip, with the standouts from Tolpuddle Vineyard, a vineyard near Richmond established in 1988. The moment they drove through the gate, it was love at first sight.

With the first vintage in 2012, Tolpuddle Vineyard now operates a waitlist for their annual release. Recent accolades include:

2024 Langton’s Classification (the go-to guide to Australia’s most highly sought-after wines)
2021 Australian Red Trophy - International Wine Challenge UK
2022 White Wine of the Year – Decanter Magazine UK
In 2024, Halliday Wine Companion predicted that Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir will become Australia’s most collected Pinot Noir within the next three years.
2024 Halliday Wine Companion #18 Top 100 Wineries
2024 The Francois De Castella Trophy for Best Young White Wine, Melbourne Royal Wine Show, 2023 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay

info@tolpuddlevineyard.com www.tolpuddlevineyard.com @tolpuddlevineyard 37 Back Tea Tree Road Richmond +61 8 8155 6003

Tasmania is calling you.....