Tasmanian wine: The Ridge is carving out a new family heritage

There would be few wine fans who've certainly not dreamt of planting vines of their own patch of filth. The trap of looking at the sun go down with a pitcher of your personal vino in hand can be challenging to withstand. however it wasn't anticipation of producing world-class gleaming wine that brought Susan Denny and Harry Rigney again home from Queensland 13 years in the past. It become the possibility of dwelling under the spell of picturesque Mount Arthur, north-east of Launceston. "I grew up beneath the mountain, and rode horses all around the mountain," Denny says, with a glint in her eyes. "i'm a mountain woman." nowadays an accomplished viticulturist as well as a painter, Denny is co-proprietor of The Ridge North Lilydale. The couple planted their two hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in 2013-2014. growing to be issues is a component of her genetic make-up, Denny adds. It was her grandparents Keith and Nellie Denny that emigrated from England in 1923 to pioneer lavender becoming on Tasmania's widespread Bridestowe estate. practically a century later, The Ridge's north-facing slopes overlook a wide expanse of river apartments that were once domestic to the Denny family unit's lavender plantations. Denny's father Tim moved the company to its current-day site at Nabowla, 20km north-west of Scottsdale, on returning domestic from militia service in World warfare II. The couple believe The Ridge is the state's optimum winery. it's near 360 metres above sea level. On a clear day, the steep web site offers dramatic vistas of north-east Tasmania's native forests, with unpredictable Bass Strait further past. additionally within view, more than 100 kilometres inland, lie the pristine peaks and periodic snow-capped tiers of Cradle Mountain. "We bought the property while we were residing and dealing in Queensland," Rigney explains. "Sue grew up in the family unit domestic on Browns street, which became handiest 400 metres faraway from modern ar ea of our home and winery cellar door. returned when Sue was young, this location was once the web page of a small dairy. She remembers coming right here, getting the milk. "We have been very lucky being in a position to purchase the property. It became on no account basically marketed for sale. We just took place to make just a few enquiries and finally discovered ourselves with 20 hectares of land and quite a lot of ideas about what to do with it. "we would been attempting to find quite a while, making an attempt to discover a bit little bit of Tasmania to name our personal. Sue's at all times been good at transforming into things and we considered beginning all forms of ventures on the web site. ultimately we settled on the conception of planting a small winery to produce glowing wine grapes. North-east Tasmania has a world-class popularity for sparkling wines produced the use of usual strategies. "This web page's entertaining elevation provides our vines with the long, cool tran sforming into season it's needed to supply Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for old and non-old sparkling wines." The couple spent three years making ready their vineyard slopes for planting. It turned into time smartly spent. In 2016, barely two years and two months after their vines had been established, The Ridge produced its first harvest. Rigney says the ensuing Pinot Noir table wine become brought to life after a bit coaxing from contract winemaker, Fran Austin. "We weren't expecting to be able to produce a wine, not to mention a table wine, so now we have all the time observed it as our surprising baby," he explains. "We have been very happy to have it but failed to see it coming." Success breeds success. In 2017, the couple's meticulous management of their challenging web page earned them the mantle of top-rated Small vineyard within the annual Tasmanian vineyard of the yr awards, performed with the aid of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania. The 2018 harvest yielded a superbly fragrant Pinot Noir that won a gold medal on the 2020 Royal Hobart Wine display. Then got here an extra gold at January's 2021 Tasmanian Wine exhibit. Cool climate viticulture has its challenges, Rigney admits, but says it has given the taxation lawyer, and half-time songwriter and musician a brand new hire of life. "probably the most jobs I had decades ago was on a tomato farm up in Toowoomba," he recollects. "I simply cherished it. There became whatever thing about training flowers and growing to be them beneath an elaborate device of management that I really enjoyed. "This vineyard has plenty in normal. or not it's no longer only brought us again domestic once more. in lots of approaches, it's allowed existence right here to turn full circle - for each of us." which you could taste The Ridge wines at the cellar door every Sunday. Bookings welcome. www.theridgenorthlilydale.com Craigie Knowe at Cranbrook on Tasmania's East Coast is a tough, often-parched web sit e for Riesling. The upside for consumers is that the winery produces small yields of shy, regularly very intensely-flavoured fruit each and every old. Wines may also be cellared with self belief if aged Riesling is the favored fashion for consumption. Very light within the glass, the 2019 is fresh and lemony with engaging spicy/gingery undertones on a food-pleasant dry conclude. just the issue for freshly shucked oysters, the wine additionally has good protecting expertise for as much as 10 years in case you like your whites mid-weight and slightly toasty. www.craigieknowe.com.au The cool, damp 2020 old turned into a difficult one in north-east Tasmania. This smart Rosé from Linda Morice shows that beautiful wines can nonetheless be wrought from adversity. Crafted from property-grown Gamay, the wine is a smooth, smartly-rounded early drinker that could go well with quite a number Asian dishes. gentle pressing and using historic alrightand time on lees have helped ensure its crimson apple, purple currant and crabapple jelly characters are delivered on a dry, properly weighted palate. there may be first rate acidity too, with a welcome savoury/minerally dimension. deal with yourself and your family unit this Easter. keep away from over-chilling. www.sinapius.com.au Pinot Noir is a fusspot grape, seldom happy past its ancestral Burgundy wine region. however in cool, favourable circumstances, it is wonderfully expressive with awesome complexity of aroma, flavour and texture. obviously youthful, this unencumber from The Ridge is already heading alongside the sort of course. it's fantastically fragrant now - redolent of juicy crimson fruits, kitchen spices and wild Tasmanian sassafras. The flavours that observe are deliciously enjoyable and neatly sustained. red cherry and raspberry nuances show remarkable elevate and vibrancy, whereas the universal impact is one among magnificence and finesse. stunning wine. www.theridgenorthlilydale.com

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HOMECOMING: The Ridge's Sue Denny and Harry Rigney at their cellar door. Picture: Supplied.

HOMECOMING: The Ridge's Sue Denny and Harry Rigney at their cellar door. photo: offered.

There can be few wine enthusiasts who've not ever dreamt of planting vines of their personal patch of filth.

The trap of staring at the solar go down with a tumbler of your personal vino in hand will also be tough to resist.

nevertheless it wasn't anticipation of producing world-class sparkling wine that brought Susan Denny and Harry Rigney lower back domestic from Queensland 13 years in the past.

It changed into the chance of dwelling under the spell of picturesque Mount Arthur, north-east of Launceston.

"I grew up beneath the mountain, and rode horses all around the mountain," Denny says, with a glint in her eyes.

at the moment an completed viticulturist in addition to a painter, Denny is co-proprietor of The Ridge North Lilydale. The couple planted their two hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in 2013-2014.

becoming issues is a part of her genetic make-up, Denny adds.

It was her grandparents Keith and Nellie Denny that emigrated from England in 1923 to pioneer lavender turning out to be on Tasmania's prominent Bridestowe property.

basically a century later, The Ridge's north-dealing with slopes overlook a large expanse of river apartments that had been once home to the Denny family's lavender plantations.

Denny's father Tim moved the company to its latest-day web site at Nabowla, 20km north-west of Scottsdale, on returning domestic from armed forces carrier in World war II.

The couple consider The Ridge is the state's maximum winery. it be close to 360 metres above sea stage.

On a clear day, the steep web site presents dramatic vistas of north-east Tasmania's native forests, with unpredictable Bass Strait additional past. additionally within view, more than a hundred kilometres inland, lie the pristine peaks and periodic snow-capped tiers of Cradle Mountain.

"We bought the property whereas we were living and working in Queensland," Rigney explains.

"Sue grew up within the family unit domestic on Browns road, which was only four hundred metres far from modern day area of our home and vineyard cellar door. returned when Sue was younger, this region was the website of a small dairy. She remembers coming right here, getting the milk.

"We had been very lucky being in a position to purchase the property. It became certainly not truly marketed for sale. We just came about to make a few enquiries and finally discovered ourselves with 20 hectares of land and a variety of strategies about what to do with it.

"we would been attempting to find reasonably ages, trying to find a little bit of Tasmania to call our personal. Sue's at all times been first rate at growing issues and we regarded starting all styles of ventures on the site. eventually we settled on the thought of planting a small winery to provide gleaming wine grapes. North-east Tasmania has a global-type reputation for glowing wines produced using ordinary methods.

"This web page's enjoyable elevation offers our vines with the lengthy, cool growing season it's vital to produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for antique and non-old glowing wines."

The couple spent three years getting ready their vineyard slopes for planting. It was time smartly spent.

In 2016, barely two years and two months after their vines had been based, The Ridge produced its first harvest. Rigney says the ensuing Pinot Noir desk wine became delivered to existence after a bit coaxing from contract winemaker, Fran Austin.

"We weren't expecting to be able to produce a wine, not to mention a table wine, so we've at all times spoke of it as our sudden child," he explains.

"We have been very satisfied to have it but didn't see it coming."

Success breeds success. In 2017, the couple's meticulous administration of their difficult website earned them the mantle of premiere Small winery within the annual Tasmanian winery of the year awards, performed by way of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania.

The 2018 harvest yielded a superbly fragrant Pinot Noir that gained a gold medal on the 2020 Royal Hobart Wine reveal. Then came an extra gold at January's 2021 Tasmanian Wine exhibit.

Cool climate viticulture has its challenges, Rigney admits, however says it has given the taxation attorney, and half-time songwriter and musician a brand new rent of existence.

"one of the crucial jobs I had many years ago became on a tomato farm up in Toowoomba," he recollects.

"I just loved it. There turned into some thing about practising plants and transforming into them beneath an complicated gadget of administration that I in reality loved.

"This vineyard has a lot in general. or not it's now not handiest introduced us lower back home again. in many methods, it's allowed life here to show full circle - for each of us."

you could taste The Ridge wines at the cellar door every Sunday. Bookings welcome.

prefer OF THE CROP

2019 Craigie Knowe Riesling $32

Craigie Knowe at Cranbrook on Tasmania's East Coast is a tricky, often-parched web site for Riesling. The upside for patrons is that the vineyard produces small yields of shy, commonly very intensely-flavoured fruit every old.

Wines can also be cellared with self assurance if aged Riesling is the preferred trend for consumption.

Very light in the glass, the 2019 is fresh and lemony with engaging spicy/gingery undertones on a meals-friendly dry finish.

just the thing for freshly shucked oysters, the wine also has respectable conserving abilities for as much as 10 years in case you like your whites mid-weight and a little toasty.

2020 Sinapius Jean Morice Rosé $32

The cool, damp 2020 antique changed into a difficult one in north-east Tasmania. This smart Rosé from Linda Morice suggests that captivating wines can nonetheless be wrought from adversity.

Crafted from estate-grown Gamay, the wine is a smooth, smartly-rounded early drinker that would go well with various Asian dishes.

gentle urgent and using historic okayand time on lees have helped ensure its pink apple, purple currant and crabapple jelly characters are delivered on a dry, nicely weighted palate. there is first rate acidity too, with a welcome savoury/minerally dimension.

deal with yourself and your family unit this Easter. prevent over-chilling.

2018 The Ridge North Lilydale Pinot Noir $forty seven

Pinot Noir is a fusspot grape, seldom happy beyond its ancestral Burgundy wine vicinity. however in cool, favourable situations, it is splendidly expressive with surprising complexity of aroma, flavour and texture.

naturally youthful, this liberate from The Ridge is already heading alongside this kind of path. or not it's beautifully fragrant now - redolent of juicy crimson fruits, kitchen spices and wild Tasmanian sassafras.

The flavours that observe are deliciously gratifying and neatly sustained. crimson cherry and raspberry nuances show great carry and vibrancy, whereas the average impact is one of elegance and finesse. wonderful wine.

www.theridgenorthlilydale.com

  • Examiner columnist Mark Smith wrote his first weekly Tasmanian wine column returned in 1994. He continues to chart the successes of the state's small scale, cool climate wine business with contributions to some of Australia's leading business publications
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