On the Tasmanian Wine Route: Euro-Style Wine from Down Under

Let’s do some free association. I’ll say a word, and you respond with the first word that comes to your mind. Ready? Here we go:

Tasmanian.

Chances are good that you just said Devil. That’s certainly what I would have said a month ago. But now that I’ve been to Tasmania, the first word that comes to my mind is Pinot. Or, depending on my mood, maybe Riesling or sparkling wine.

Most people have no idea where Tasmania is, much less which wines it produces. For the record, Tasmania – which should be distinguished from Tanzania (in Africa) and Transylvania (in Europe) – is an island located just south of Australia’s eastern coast. Tasmania, which is one of Australia’s states (think Hawaii), comes in at roughly 26,000 square miles (think West Virginia) and 500,000 residents (think Wyoming).

The island is remote, tiny, and beautiful. Tasmania’s remoteness contributes to the scarcity of its wines – very few Tasmanian wines ever make it to the U.S., and a good many of the better producers sell out every vintage at the cellar door and via restaurant sales. The island’s small size makes touring its seven wine regions a fairly simple proposition. And Tasmania’s beauty – one-third of the island has been given World Heritage Site designation – means that visiting its wineries is a breathtaking delight. All of this is good news for the oenophile who finds himself in Tasmania – assuming, of course, that the wines are any good.

And wow, are they good.