Driving along the Tamar Valley Wine Route

A Uniquely Tasmanian Sunday drive along the Tamar Valley Wine Route 

Our first stop on our Sunday drive was just outside of Legana at Velo Wines. Velo has recently undergone a transformation and now has a magnificent cafe serving breakfast and lunch daily. Velo was purchased by Micheal and Mary Wilson in 2001. Velo is the French word for bike which reflects Micheal’s passion for cycling, he is a former Olympian and International Cyclist. The historic vineyard had its first vines planted in 1966 by Graham Wiltshire. At Velo, handpicked fruit is nurtured from vine to bottle, producing outstanding, handcrafted wines. The wines are carefully selected from classic French varieties that particularly suit the cool Tasmanian climates. Hand picking, hand plunging and gentle basket pressing reflect in the character of the wines. The beautiful new Cellar Door and Barrel Room Cafe is a wonderful place to visit. The cafe is surrounded by a stunning deck where you can enjoy a glass of wine and a delicious wood-fired pizza. We absolutely loved the Velo Pinot Gris. To find out more about Velo wines visit http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/velo-wines/

Velo Wines Pinot Gris

An aromatic straw coloured wine shot with an exciting touch of pink that was acquired pre-ferment from a short time spent in contact with the skins. White peach and pear elegant minerality and a crisp and refreshing finish with lime nuances.

Best other White Wine at 2013 Festivale.

Silver Medal at the 2013 Tasmanian Wine Show

You can purchase this wine at http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/velo-2011-pinot-gris/

After having a delicous lunch we decided to contiue our lovely drive along the Tamar River and found ourselves at Goaty Hill Wines. Situated at Kayena, Goaty Hill Wines is located in the famous Tamar Valley which is approximately a 35 to 40 minute drive from Launceston. Goaty Hill Wines is an award winning producer of magnificent Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sparkling and Sauvignon Blanc.

The first vines were planted at Goaty Hill in 1998. The vineyard and is owned by two families; Natasha, Kristine, Markus and Tony.

The vineyard is open daily from August to May. The cellar door is surrounded by an outdoor entertainment area with the Tamar Valley providing a perfect backdrop for guests to sit back and relax and enjoy a glass of award winning wine. Wine is always best when enjoyed with food and the cellar door serves tasty cheese and gourmet platters made from local produce. To find out more about Goaty Hill Wines visit http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/goaty-hill-wines/

Goaty Hill Wines 2012 Riesling

Pale straw in colourLime, green apple and slate aromas with hints of honey.
Elegant, crisp lime, grapefruit and green apple flavours. 
A precise palate, with lively mineral acidity and good texture; very long, bright and pure.
An excellent food match with smoked cheese, blue cheese, seafood, spicy dishes and Thai cuisine
2012 best Riesling at 2013 Festivale. 
You can purchase this wine at http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/goaty-hill-riesling/

Take a virtual tour of Goaty Hill Wines

Take a virtual tour of Velo Wines

Visit to Van Dieman Brewing

Van Dieman Brewing is located just outside the historical Tasmanian town of Evandale, just a short drive from Launceston. When arriving at the farming property you are greeted by century old English oak trees which guide you towards the microbrewery where more magnificent English oaks stand guard over the beer making operation.

Will Tatchell is the man behind the brewing; learning his craft in the UK he now brings this experience and knowledge to Van Dieman Brewing. Will prides himself on producing high quality craft beer. He sources first-rate ingredients; in most cases grown and sourced from within Tasmania. This together with his passion and dedication ensures he brews supremely good real craft beer.
All of the Van Dieman Brewing ales are brewed without using any additives or preservatives and use water sourced from natural springs on the farm.
Van Dieman Brewing have four signature brews all of which take their names from local Tasmanian sites;

• Stacks Bluff oatmeal stout
• Jacobs Ladder amber ale
• Ragged Jack pale ale
• White Hills white ale

Van Dieman Dubbel Shot - Belgian coffee Dubbel 500ml 6.6% 

A Belgian Abbey Dubbel infused with cold drip coffee from local roasters, Ritual Coffee. The cold drip avoids the charred bitterness normally associated with coffee additions in beers, resulting in a beautifully sweet and rich hazelnut coffee aroma, along with Belgian chocolate and bready malt character. These blend seamlessly into a complex palate, expectant of a Dubbel style, filled with raisins, spices, dark fruit and creamy malt sweetness.
The mash up series is a collection of collaborative brews with local Tasmanian primary produces. A mash up can best be described as a composition created by blending two or more products, usually one seamlessly over another, to the extent that such works are ‘transformative’ of original content.
Click here to purchase a Dubbel shot http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/van-dieman-brewing-dubbel-shot/

 Van Dieman Brewing Dubbel Shot hamper

 Contents of this hamper include:
2 x Van Dieman Brewing Dubbel Shot 500ml 6.6%
1 x fudge ‘a’ fare milk chocolate fudge 40 gram
1 x Hill Farm Dijon Mustard 180 gram
1x Hill Farm Tomato Relish 250 gram
1 x Tasmanian Honey Company Meadow Honey 350 gram
In your hamper you will also receive a recipe for Sticky beef ribs which perfectly matches the flavours of the Dubbel Shot. Finish your meal off with another glass of Dubbel Shot and the milk chocolate fudge.
Click here to purchase a hamper http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/van-dieman-dubbel-shot-hamper/

William McHenry and Sons Distillery

A 90 minute drive from Hobart will take you to many fascinating and wonderful unique locations in Tasmania. The Tasman Peninsula is world renowned as being the gate way to the mesmerising Port Arthur; however there are many hidden gems along the way for the passing traveller. One of these gems is the William McHenry and Sons Distillery which specialises in producing hand-made single malt whisky. The William McHenry and Sons Distillery is part of a small band of Tasmanian whisky distilleries that are gaining a worldwide reputation for producing premium spirits. The distillery is nestled on the side of Mt Arthur and overlooks the stunning Port Arthur site. This site has some of the cleanest air and water in the world and this purity helps transform the rich malty whiskies into something exceptional. Situated at 43° south the cool and temperate maritime climate means the spirits have time to mature slowly and retain their essential flavours. This slow maturation process resembles the conditions found in Scotland – the heart of whisky making.

The William McHenry & Sons Distillery currently produces four different products including;

• Three Capes – 10 year old single malt whisky
• Puer Vodka – a triple distilled Vodka
• McHenry Classic Dry Gin – a double distilled London Gin
• Sloe Gin – using sloe Blackthorn berries sourced from the hedge rows around the Tasmania’s north

I made a short Clip with William - click here to have a virtual tour of the distillery 

We decided to feature the Three Capes single malt whisky. The Three Capes ‘Signature’ brand is bottled by William McHenry & Sons from a carefully selected barrel from the Tasmania Distillery and cut back using the crystal clear spring water from the Distillery. This whisky is aged in American Oak Bourbon barrels with a guaranteed minimum age of 10 years. Some bottlings in the this range could be up to 14 years old. Click here to find out more http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/william-mchenry-and-sons/ 

Uniquely Tasmanian takes on the Tasmanian cider trail

The emergence of the Tasmanian Cider scene is well documented and written about. Having lived in London for a while I had already been lucky enough to sample many English ciders along with a lot of other European varieties. On returning to Australia I was always looking for great Tasmanian ciders to try and it didn't take me long to find many different varieties to sample. I discovered quite a few awesome Tasmanian ciders at the Tasmanian Beerfest in 2012 and was very keen to sample more of them and find out the stories behind them

Dickens Ciderhouse 

In December last year I featured Dickens Cider and gave people a ‘virtual tour’ of the new Ciderhouse which is located in Launceston. Click the link to view the clip I made with John http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/dickens-sparkling-cider/ Dickens Cider is based in Hillwood which is about a 25 minutes drive out of Launceston. John Dickens – the man behind the cider wanted to open a cellar door but felt that Hillwood wasn’t the place and that’s how the Ciderhouse idea emerged. Open everyday of the week the Ciderhouse is a fine place to enjoy a cider or two on the way to the theatre or just a lovely place to meet friends and relax. Dickens Cider produces five different cider varieties; Sparkling apple, Sparking perry, Cider rose’, Scrumpy and old English cider. All of the ciders are on tap at the Ciderhouse and just like a cellar door you can have tastings when you visit. Uniquely Tasmanian stocks the Sparking apple – click here to view tasting notes and find our more about it http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/dickens-sparkling-cider/

Following along with the fantastic festivals Tasmanian has to celebrate summer I was fortunate enough to attend the Tamar Valley Beerfest in Launceston. It was here that I was lucky enough the meet Naomie Port-Clark from FRANK’S cider. Naomie’s Great Grandfather was Frank Clark who was the third of six generations of the Clark family to grow apples and pears at Woodside orchard in the South of Tasmanian at Franklin. Naomie decided to look for a different way of using the fruit from the orchard and that’s where FRANK’S apple and pear cider was born. I had the opportunity to travel to Franklin and have a tour of the orchard to take a virtual tour yourself click here http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/franklin-cider-company/ We also now have FRANK’S Sparking apple and pear cider available online click here to find out more http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/franks-pear-cider/

http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/franks-apple-cider/

There are a number of other great cider makers in Tasmania and over the coming months be sure to follow our progress as we feature more of them. We also have the Two Metre Tall Company’s Dry Apple cider and the Poire available online. To find out more about these equally as amazing ciders click here

http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/dry-apple/ 

http://uniquelytasmanian.com.au/shop-online/pear/