Harvest 2026 Update

Harvest is just around the corner. We traditionally begin picking in late February or early March, depending on the season. As always, we start with our low-yielding sparkling fruit once it reaches 10–11 baumé.

This year has been an unusually cool season. Spring brought very little frost, but it was windy and showery. Summer so far has been cool and somewhat patchy, with a mix of overcast days with the occasional burst of warmth above 25°C.

Thankfully, frost impact across our vineyards has been minimal. As Stefano often says ‘site is everything’ and our Granton vineyard is a naturally safe site because it sits between 50 and 150 metres elevation, with a north facing aspect. In addition rocky, stony soils warm during the day and retain heat overnight. The Derwent River flows from the west and sweeps south, surrounding the vineyard on three sides. This allows cold air to drain away, while the river’s high flow rate, originating from Lake St Clair, helps carry cold air downstream and out the rivermouth to the sea.

Our Cradoc vineyard in the Huon Valley requires more active frost management. The Huon Valley is on average 2°C cooler than Granton and sits closer to sea level. While the vineyard fronts the Huon River at California Bay, it only has around 20% river frontage compared with Granton’s 90%. The gravelly soils act as a natural heat bank, but we also use portable frost fans positioned to push cold air towards the river, where the airflow carries it downstream.

Summer 2026 has been milder than last year, though somewhat inconsistent. One week we see mid-20°C temperatures, the next high teens with overcast skies and scattered showers. Growth has tracked slightly behind average, in other seasons we typically hedge before Christmas, but this season we began around 14th of January.

In early February, the weather has settled into a warmer, drier pattern, which is typical for this time of year. Our warmest days usually arrive through February and into March. Consequently these are some of the best months to visit Tasmania.

We have completed fruit thinning, a standard practice that ensures the crop level matches the season’s ripening capacity. This helps us achieve balanced yields and wines with concentration, flavour, natural acidity and structure.

Netting is underway, and in around four weeks we expect to pick the first grapes of the season. We have an experienced team and with harvest nearly here, we’re ready!

26/02/2026 at 9:00 AM Permalink

Selector Magazine Feature

In August last year, we had Selector Magazine visit us and interview Stefano. Upon reading the article released this week, it has made us reflect on our journey over 35 years. From ambitious and challenging beginnings, through decades of hard work and determination, to now making wines of distinction and every year in pursuit of making the best wine from the vineyard.

There were delightful quotes from industry stalwarts Michael Hill Smith MW, James Halliday and Jancis Robinson MW. To read the full article follow the link to Wine Selector's website below.

23/01/2026 at 11:00 AM Permalink

2023 Sasso Pinot Noir & 2023 Collina Chardonnay

Knowledgeable wine consumers say the best examples of Australian Pinot & Chardonnay are produced in Australia’s coolest climates.  Both chardonnay & pinot can be grown anywhere; we believe Tasmania is where you will unearth the truest diamonds.

Generational winemakers Stefano and Marco produce the purist expression of these wines from vines grown with sustainable inputs, in Tasmania’s pristine, cool climate, from the same fields for decades.  The father and son team are devoted to biodynamic viticulture on a site that has proven to produce distinctive wines with presence, poise and brilliance.

Seasonal influences create variations in each vintage.  This is normal.  The French, compared to Tasmanian winemakers, sometimes experience larger climatic swings.  They manage this through a classification system.  At our Granton Estate the climate has proven consistent over the decades, assisted through biodynamic management.

This farming system produces and promotes an underground sponge like phenomenon that protects the vine and its roots from any intense climate anomalies.  In addition the close proximity of the Derwent river regulates the microclimate with its cooling capacity during summer and its warming ability during the springtime.

Our Collina Chardonnay & Sasso Pinot Noir are brimming with concentration of flavour and elegance yet they embody powerful structure that allows for cellaring.  It is their purity, tannin profiles, palate tension and perfectly supported oak regime that transforms these wines to an elevated level.  Wines with effortless mouthfeels that bestows ultimate luxury to the consumer.  They are a reflection of our unique vineyard site that responds intimately to the huge amount of hand tending, the traditional winemaking intuition that was imparted by previous generations as well as superior oak quality that is matched perfectly to these wine’s composition.

Read the recent reviews for both premium flagship selection wines below:-

2023 Sasso Pinot Noir Biodynamic

Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes - 96 points
James Suckling, Ryan Montgomery - 96 points

"Deeply perfumed and lifted, with aromas of dark cherries, wild blackberries, rhubarb and orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of cranberries, dried herbs, graphite and blueberry bush. Quite austere and focused... Delicious."   Ryan Montgomery - James Suckling

2023 Collina Chardonnay Biodynamic

Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes - 95 points
Vinous, Angus Hughson - 95 points
Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin - 96 points
James Suckling, Ryan Montgomery - 96 points

"The incredibly impressive 2023 Chardonnay Collina radiates strength and detail. The nose offers waves of oat bran, peach skin, flowers and nectarines, with understated savoury notes in the background. Explosive flavors follow, firm acidity lending precision and definition through to a fine finish of exceptional length. This is a very serious wine that will only get better with time."   Angus Hughson - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

26/11/2025 at 12:00 PM Permalink

2024 Pinot Gris journey from vineyard to winery

Imagine you are a little bunch of Pinot Gris grapes. It is February 2024 and the growing season is closing.  The days of careful canopy management and the regular tingling sprays of sulphur mist, arresting disease, are complete.

We bathe in warm sunlight.  The human feeling is akin to lying on grass or on warm sand at the beach.  We are absorbing the surroundings and allowing time to pass in carefree space.  Our small berries are starting to swell with thick, sweet juice.  We are shrouded in protective white netting.  From a distance, it appears as a cloth but up close, the nets resemble a bride's vale.   The netting is a protective shield from the birds.

It is only a few weeks until we will be picked.  The vine rows are alive with the hues of lush jade greens, with shades of lime green waxing and waning when the dappled light pierces our canopy in the gentle afternoon breeze.  The expansive vibration of the vineyard is high, and the humidity is now stable as we wait for vintage.

Harvest day has arrived and it is 6.30AM The tractor crew is cautiously removing the nets and we can see the car headlights of the picking crew arriving.  Soon we will be harvested by youthful hands and transported to the winery.  We are as cold as the morning, 11 degrees celsius.

At the winery, we are tipped onto the sorting table then crushed and chilled before we reach the press. We rest chilled for 3 days to release the tannins from our skins.  Once pressed, our juice is sent to the dark underground cellar where it is poured into puncheons.  As pure and vibrant juice, it waits for the natural yeasts to ignite then slowly and calmly, it ferments under the careful watchful eyes of the winemakers.

Enjoy our wondrous journey with a glass of chilled Stefano Lubiana Pinot Gris with your favourite food.

12/09/2025 at 9:00 AM Permalink

2024 Primavera Pinot Noir - 31st Vintage

We often hear that consistency is what our customers love about this premium Tasmanian Pinot Noir.  If Primavera Pinot Noir wine had a motto it would be ‘numquam confundit’, never disappoint! Made annually since 1993, a showcase of vibrant berry fruits balanced with velvet tannins and supportive oak.  Strawberries, cherries and raspberries dominate the nose. They are the sort of berries that are grown in Tasmania and sold on the side of roads in little tubs.  Ripe plump fruit that is lovingly picked daily by its growers. Berries with an intoxicating aroma, full & mouth watering flavour and racy juicy acid.  

Knowing one day we would ultimately move to Tasmania from South Australia in pursuit of our winemaking dream, to find the perfect vineyard site. It was our experience that we noticed how everything tasted more delicious in Tasmania, an experience that many Island holiday-goers and locals would resonate with. The fresh cows milk, bread, meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts all taste next level.  This we believe is mainly due to the number of small dedicated master growers and the very long growing season that Tasmania offers more than any other Australian State. Autumn and winter can arrive early, and quickly in Tasmania.  Seasoned growers know their limits as to how much they can ripen successfully without being caught out with unripe produce by being in-tune with their crops accordingly.

Primavera Pinot is and always was about capturing fruit whilst not forsaking structure and length.  Pinot noir not only requires a true cool climate, but discipline and careful attention in the vineyard as well.  We are very conscious of crop levels and how they impact wine quality if they do not reach their intended sugar and phenolic ripeness.  We make sure we manage the yield to avoid diluted flavour and thin body while preferencing and illuminating the luscious fruit component.

Primavera Pinot is your go to wine to have on hand for any occasion.  A shared bottle or gift that is sure to please.  Enjoy with all cuisines and on any occasion.  A wine that might tempt the ‘white wine only drinkers’ and is almost certain to be appreciated by a ‘burgundy hound’ for its purity and clarity.

22/07/2025 at 10:00 AM Permalink

2013 the 1st year of Biodynamic Certification

This generous and elegantly presented méthode traditionnelle wine was made 12 years ago.  In my memory, the 2013 vintage, it was a well above average year for both quantity and quality.

In 2013 Stefano already had 21 years of experience of making sparkling wine from our Granton Estate. The first ever Grande Vintage was released in 1995. More intuition, confidence and vast experience is exhibited in this unique current release Grande Vintage. Earlier in 2013 we became certified biodynamic after 3 years of conversion, making this 2013 release of Grande Vintage certified biodynamic. 

I remember the feeling of being very proud and pleased with ourselves, being certified biodynamic/organic is no easy feat. It was an ambitious and important goal we set out to accomplish in 1992, soon after buying the property.  Biodynamics is the solution to making synthetic free wine.  It brings life force from the cosmos to the soil and vines, this is then gently guided by hand with minimal input into luxury wines. 

The general consensus and our experience is - farming certified biodynamically on a commercial scale is a difficult choice, but well worth the dedication.  The adventure, inspiration and growth that comes with this farming model brings so much goodness.  Intellectually, biodynamics can be easily understood.  It is the physical implementation and the practical problem solving aspects that demands constant attention from the vigneron and vineyard team.

The light and essence in the cosmos, through the instrument of biodynamics, has been captured in the 2013 Grande Vintage, producing a graceful expression of sparkling wine that can be enjoyed now. We celebrate success with biodynamic farming and we hope our 2013 Grande Vintage is a wine that you can celebrate with your successes.

The nose of the 2013 Grande Vintage is reminiscent of lemon, mineral and a hint of fresh honeycomb. There is a fine bead and delectable mousse. The palate is lithe with bright lemon, jazz apple and winter nelis pear with balanced acid. Hazelnut meal, honey nougat and marzipan back up the fresh first impression carrying into a long finish. Drinking beautifully now this wine can also benefit from further bottle ageing.

27/06/2025 at 12:00 PM Permalink

The many facets that make a great Chardonnay

An analogy that you may have heard us refer to in the Cellardoor is that Collina Chardonnay is like a diamond with its many facets.  The diamond’s technical term for brilliance is ‘super ideal’ with ‘D Clarity’, ‘flawless’ and a higher weight or ‘carates’ all highly desired.  If there was a wine scale like the diamond scale then the Collina is a brilliant diamond.  The Estate Chardonnay is on the next class down with the Primavera Chardonnay following closely behind. Many of our customers will understand this analogy - in each Chardonnay we craft, our goal is to integrate as many of these 'facets' as possible while maintaining clarity and ensuring no single element overshadows the others. We aim to make wines of balance that shine with many facets.

This meticulous process begins in the vineyard, where different chardonnay clones are grown and it is the viticulturist's job to cultivate each to maximise their strengths.  For example one plot might be shoot thinned to control vigour, while another is not. Similarly we pluck the vine’s leaves nearing harvest on the eastern side of a row to optimise sunlight exposure - whereas in a less vigorous row, no leaf plucking is done to prevent sunburn on the delicate berries. Each plot of chardonnay, and sometimes rows within a plot, might be harvested on different days. We are not only looking for sugar ripeness but phenolic ripeness as well.

The grapes for chardonnay at our winery are always whole bunch pressed.  All juice is fermented on full solids.  We use a number of different French oak coopers for our chardonnay, we use barriques for the more premium wines and a mixture of barriques and puncheons for our Primavera Chardonnay. This allows the winemaking to build a facet with more or less oak depending on what the wine requires, we are always in harmony with what the vintage requires having crafted chardonnay from our site for over 3 decades.

Malotic fermentation is another tool we use to create a textural facet.  There is a more creamy texture in our more premium chardonnays compared to our Primavera Chardonnay.  This is deliberate - our Collina Chardonnay and Estate Chardonnay yielded at 3 and 5 tonnes/ha, respectively, compared to the Pirmavera Chardonnay that yielded 7 tonnes/ha.  Lower yields add more tannin and body, allowing for more creaminess to be included without forsaking balance. For the Primavera, where we aim for a fruitier profile, we only allow 80% malolactic fermentation to suit this wine’s profile.

Biodynamics offers another facet in so much that wine is free of pesticides, fungicides and artificial fertilisers.  In addition biodynamics, according to Rudolf Steiner, draws to the vineyard a spiritual connection to the cosmos creating harmony within the vineyard.
 

27/05/2025 at 11:00 AM Permalink

Champagne & Sparkling

Today is International Champagne Day - a day to not only celebrate the fantastic Champagnes of France, but also, a day to celebrate sparkling wines from around the world that offer tremendous value. Once qualified as an Onenologist Steve undertook an internship in Reims, France. It was this experience that inspired him to grow and craft sparkling wines in Tasmania with his first vintage released in 1993.

So what is it that sets Champagne apart from other sparkling? Can you compare Champagne to our sparkling wine? Champagne is only produced in Champagne,  France under specific rules of appellation. The area of Champagne is known for soil types rich in minerals that also hold various deposits of limestone and chalk. Similarly, in Tasmania, the soils and the cool mild weather conditions allow grapes to develop a slow accumulation of sugar with higher acid. A prerequisite for sparkling wines & Champagnes. Some of the Champagnes we enjoy on occasion include Krug and Roederer as far as Champagne houses - we also like to taste grower Champagnes from Egly Oriet, Agrapart and Vouette & Sorbee.

Steve and I moved to Tasmania in 1990 to grow and craft sparkling wines. We selected our site in Granton because of the climatic conditions and unique terroir, which we knew would grow wines of distinction. Over the years we have honed our méthode traditionnelle style and we now have several wonderful expressions including a Prestige, Grande Vintage, Blanc de Blanc, Brut Rosé and Reserve Brut NV.

Having two sparklings from the exceptional 2011 vintage currently in our range is outstanding, as 2011 was the perfect season for sparkling in Tasmania. We welcome back, for the third time, the supreme Prestige 2011 which is 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir and has rich tertiary characters. We are almost sold out of the 2011 Grande Vintage which is 50% of each chardonnay and pinot noir. The 2016 Blanc de Blancs newly included to our sparkling range, with the first vintage being 2014, the 2016 is a complex chardonnay expression brimming with dessert characteristics. The 2017 Brut Rosé is a perfect accompaniment to hors d'oeuvres as it has supple acidity and freshness. We are proud to introduce the next vintage of Reserve Brut NV, which is predominately from the 2022 vintage, and has reserve wine (approximately 10%) dating back to 2012. Reserve Brut NV with the iconic and dashing red label is a sparkling wine we have been crafting for 30 years now!

25/10/2024 at 1:45 PM Permalink

Francing Around

Our most recent travels took Steve and I to Paris.  We were excited as we picked up a hire car and headed straight for Champagne.  Here, we met our family friends Calum Peace and his wife Marion.  Marion is the daughter of Christian and Sylvie Peligri who are Champagne producers in Colombey les-deux-Eglises.  They produce excellent wines, available for purchase in Australia. We toured the Peligri winery, which was formerly a cheese factory, and family vineyards totalling 12 hectares. Calum and Christian explained to Steve their production facility and we compared champagne production equipment to ours.  Calum also gave us a tour of their vineyards and explained comprehensively the various soil types, vine clones and inputs.  Their vineyards are steep, compared to most Australian vineyards, reminiscent of our 1.2 ha close-planted block at our estate vineyard in Granton.

In France it is very common for a vineyard to be owned by separate people/entities.  For example, a plot of 40 continuous rows of grapevines may be owned by 6 different people. And another plot 500 metres down the road could be owned by the same group of people, or others.  These varied ownership rules have come about mostly due to inheritance.  Vineyard rows are divided amongst family and, if not farmed by that person, they are sold off to other family members, vignerons or lay investors.  A stark contrast and a completely different system to how vineyards are owned in Australia. Their vineyards, like many others in the region, are managed by contractors who are instructed to cultivate, spray, and canopy-manage. The Peligri family do their own viticulture planning, pruning and harvesting.

During our time in France we also visited many wineries where we tasted 2023 wines from new and seasoned barrels.  The first reason was to gauge our wines against like-minded French producers and, the second reason, was to taste wines matured in Millard barrels. Minier and Millard are two separate barrel manufacturers based in Chagny, Burgundy.  We already purchased barrels from Minier and have done so for about 10 years.  Minier is a consistent cooper who supplies us with barriques which we use to mature our very exquisite Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.  Millard on the other hand is a newcomer to our barrel sale business.  We came across his barrels during our 2022 ‘American Odyssey’ trip, where we tasted wines from Ceritas, CA.  Steve could see the synergy between our wines and theirs, and how well the oak enhanced the finished wine.  Last year we were lucky enough to get hold of a couple of Millard barrels.  A trial took place over the past year and both Steve & Marco found the Millard oak, together with the Minier oak, contributed more shine to our extra special Estate and Collina Chardonnays.  We are now distributors for both coopers.  If you are in the market for barriques drop us an email steve@slw.com.au

Once the barrel research was completed we headed to Lyon.  On the way we stopped for lunch in Chablis and tasted some wines from various Caverns. Caverns are cellar doors located in and around the main streets.  After Chablis we arrived at Beaujolais where we had a tasting at Château Chénas where Noel and Corrine Minier’s daughter, Manon, manages the cellar door.  We were very impressed by these wines and may import them to sell in our Hobart boutique wine shop, Molto.  At our last stop in France, we arrived in Lyon and stayed the night so that we could visit Antic Wines; a wine shop in the old town that specialises in exclusive wines.  We met George dos Santos when he visited our stand at an organic/biodynamic wine fair 'Milo Bio' in Montpellier some years ago. We always hoped that we would get time one day to visit his very famous wine shop. We made an appointment and luckily George was on site on the day and immediately remembered Steve.  George happened to have a bottle of DRC ‘The Saint Vivant’ open, Steve casually tasted this very special wine whilst they chatted.  Maybe one day you will be able to visit Lyon and purchase a bottle of Stefano Lubiana Wines at George’s landmark establishment! 

30/09/2024 at 9:00 AM Permalink

2023 Estate Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Release

The 2023 growing season was cool with a drier than average winter and spring. This was followed by a summer which at the beginning was marred by ferocious winds resulting in poor flowering. The following months were cool and the vintage was delayed until late March 2023. Although yields were down, our diligent and tireless work in the vineyard resulted in grapes that were excellent quality with a high concentration of flavour and intensity.  

Our 2023 Estate Chardonnay has a nose of meyer lemon, nectarine and orange blossom. On first impression there are rich notes of honey nougat and crème brûlée, followed by a core of lemon, peach and white nectarine. This wine has a fine line of acid and a mellifluous texture, a full rounded chardonnay which will age extremely well.

Our 2023 Estate Pinot Noir has an attractive nose with notes of dark cherry, mulberry and blackberry. There is a hint of spice and dried rose petals. The palate marries the nose with more red fruit - cranberry, plum and rhubarb. The wine is very approachable on release, the finish is silky whilst possessing taut tannins and buoyant acid. 

19/08/2024 at 11:28 AM Permalink