At Westella Vineyard, Will Adkins grows nothing but pinot noir. Long known for its apple orchards, the central riverside region at the top of Tasmania is thriving as a spot well-suited to the typically finicky grape.

“The thing with pinot is, if you grow it in a spot that it’s not suited to, you just don’t get the personality,” says Adkins who, with wife Jacquie, co-owns the vineyard. “It responds really well to our climate and we get interesting, different flavours and characters from the Tamar Valley compared to other parts of Tasmania.” Plums, dark berries and quince are among the flavours Adkins cultivates. The twisted vines at Westella are shaped by the winter winds and cool rains which, in turn, influence the future vintage of the pinot.

The Tamar Valley follows the kanamaluka / River Tamar from the northern coast to Launceston. Dotted with wineries specialising in cool climate pinot noir and chardonnay (both as sparkling and table wines), pinot gris and riesling, the area’s mix of ironstone and sandy soils, rolling hills and the unique climate all converge to give the Tamar its world-class character.

“It’s cool enough that we get the nice flavours we’re looking for in our pinots, and it’s cool enough to retain that nice acidity,” says Adkins. “We get enough warmth that we can ripen the grapes to get really nice flavour development and the climate gives us a nice, long growing season and a gradual build-up of flavours in the wines.”

The switch into the cooler season

As that growing season comes to an end in autumn and new wine goes into the barrel, viticulturists and winemakers breathe a sigh of relief. Then, they start again. “Once all the leaves fall off [the vines] we move into our pruning period,” Adkins says. “It’s a time to do all the jobs around the vineyard that you’re too busy to do once you get budburst and they’re all growing like crazy.”

While the wineries catch up on pruning and mulching, this cooler season offers plenty of clarity to see a different side of the region. Adkins recommends taking a cruise on the Tamar, hiking around Narawntapu National Park and heading to eateries like Timbre Kitchen in nearby Legana to really get a sense of the region’s Off Season. At Westella, this time of year is all about vineyard tours and a chance to sample still and sparkling pinot noirs across 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages.

“For us, the experience [is] about sitting down with four [tasting] glasses in front of you,” says Adkins. “[That’s] where you can really compare the impact of the season and the different blends that we do. You can taste the differences that the seasons bring to a wine. That’s an important part of how we try to tell the story of our place.”

Four more wineries to try

Westella Vineyard keeps good company in the Tamar. If you’re making the trip, keep an eye out for these other wineries that come to life in the Off Season:

Winter Brook Vineyard

As the name suggests, Winter Brook is well adapted to the cooler months. Sydney couple Sandy and Adam Gibson moved into the Tamar Valley in 2021 and have not looked back.

A 30-minute drive north from Launceston, the small winery (allowing no more than 12 guests at a time at the cellar door) specialises in pinot noir, but you’ll also find some rather obscure German varieties like dornfelder and baco noir (both pinot-ish red grapes) and a white field blend of grüner veltliner, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris. If you’re lucky, you may encounter the vineyard’s dachshund, Molly.

Sinapius Vineyard

Sinapius Vineyard is spread across 43 hectares, 80 metres above sea level. Owned and operated by Linda Morice, Sinapius is predicated on perfection – if the wine isn’t matured, fermented and blended just right, they don’t get bottled.

Modelling its vineyard plantings on Burgundy in eastern France, the tastings feature regional classics like pinot noir and chardonnay, as well as gamay (the grape synonymous with Beaujolais), riesling and pinot blanc.

Brook Eden Vineyard

In a cool-climate region, Brook Eden proudly asserts being the chilliest site around, which leads to some unique and impressive wines. A decade ago, more than 1400 native trees and shrubs were planted to create windbreaks and wildlife corridors, so the vineyard is truly part of the Tasmanian landscape.

Follow a country lane (dodging ducks and water hens) to the cellar door where $10 will get you a seven-wine flight that includes some of Tassie’s best riesling and pinot noir. Make it $20 and you’ll get yourself a platter of local cheeses, too.

Stoney Rise

Vertical timber cladding and panoramic windows let you know you’ve reached Stoney Rise, one of the most architecturally striking cellar doors in the Tamar. Designed by Melbourne’s Cumulus Studio, it sits atop a grassy knoll but is built in a way that fits in with the landscape.

The wines match up to the aesthetics, with pinot and chardonnay alongside lesser-known varieties like savagnin and trousseau giving you something to think about while you watch over the travelling waters of the kanamaluka / River Tamar.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Tourism Tasmania. Explore more wild, weird and wonderful experiences during Tasmania’s Off Season.