Tasmania’s wine producers celebrated

Tasmania’s wine producers were celebrated last night at the inaugural Tassie Wine Stars event, hosted by Wine Tasmania.

Fred Peacock of Bream Creek Wines was crowned the 2020 Tassie Wine Stars LEGEND for his significant, long term and tireless contribution to the local wine sector, including more than thirty years of voluntary service on technical committees!

Top performers in Wine Tasmania’s VinØ (“vin zero”) Program were also recognised, with Pooley Wines being announced as the 2020 VinØ Champion (accepted by Matthew Pooley) and Cambridge Valley Vineyard as the VinØ Program Most Improved business (accepted by Matt Triffitt).

Now in its sixth year, the VinØ Program takes Tasmanian wine producers through a detailed, user-friendly resource to help them measure, benchmark and improve their management and sustainability practices.

Sheralee Davies, Wine Tasmania’s CEO, congratulated the three Tassie Wine Stars.

“2020 has been a very challenging year, and it’s been brilliant to get our wine producers together and celebrate successes.”

“Wine producers are a particularly resilient bunch, given they are farmers first and foremost and understand the vagaries of the weather and each season.”

“Last night there was a distinct feeling of optimism and confidence in the future. Our wines have never been better, our wine producers continue to share, support and learn from one another and necessarily take a long term approach to their businesses.”

“Yesterday’s Field Day focused on the key topics of sustainability, biosecurity and impacts of a changing climate, while today’s Winemaker Symposium is exploring Chardonnay, our second most planted wine variety.”

Wine Tasmania is hosting two days of events, including its annual Field Day and Winemaker Symposium, Annual General Meeting and the inaugural Tassie Wine Stars event.

At yesterday’s Annual General Meeting, Wine Tasmania Directors Martin Rees (Chair / independent director) and Nick Haddow (independent director) were reappointed, while David Milne (Josef Chromy Wines - producer director) was a new appointment to the Board, joining Rebecca Duffy (Holm Oak Vineyard - producer director), Samantha Connew (Stargazer Wines - producer director) and Tim Lyne (Spring Vale Wines - producer director). Chair Martin Rees thanked retiring directors Guy Taylor (independent director) and Joe Holyman (Stoney Rise Vineyard - producer director) for their significant contribution to the Tasmanian wine sector through their voluntary commitment.

The 2020 VinØ Program report is available at here, and an overview of the VinØ Program can be found here.

Wine Tasmania would like to acknowledge and thank the McLaren Vale Wine & Tourism Association, which generously gifted its sustainability program to the wine sector in 2014, providing a huge boost for Tasmania’s VinØ Program. The VinØ Program aligns with the Australian Wine Industry Standard of Sustainable Practice - Viticulture and Winery. VinØ also recognises formal accreditation programs such as Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification, Australian Certified Organics certification and Demeter Biodynamic certification, acknowledging that audited certification is a higher standard than VinØ’s online self-assessment tool.

Further information:

Sheralee Davies, CEO - 0407 004 959