I recently traveled to Tasmania from Sydney for four days. There were so many highlights, from nature and museums to city strolls, but in this post, I want to focus on the three places I visited that had to do with alcoholic beverages. Tasmania is more than just unspoiled nature, it also produces incredibly high-quality wine and beer, which made for some truly wonderful times on my trip.
Everyone associates Australia with good wine, but I honestly had no idea that Tasmanian wine was also well-known. In doing some research before my trip, I decided that I really wanted to visit the Moores Hill Estate on the outskirts of Launceston. It’s famous for being Tasmania’s first 100% solar-powered winery, and they try to make their wines as naturally as possible. It’s a small operation, but the quiet location overlooking the vineyards and the warm, homey feel make it an incredibly cozy place to visit.
I tried a Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and other varietals at the tasting, and each one was memorable for its clean palate that reflected Tasmania’s cool climate. The Pinot Noir in particular featured a good balance of fruitiness and acidity, making it a bottle you’d want to savor slowly over time. The wine itself was great, and the cheeses they provided with it were exquisite as well.
One way that I’ve changed since coming to Australia is learning to enjoy beer. One of the breweries I wanted to visit while in Tasmania is in the northern part of the island and is connected to James Bond. It’s famous for being the place that brewed the craft beer that was used as a model for the beer he drank in the film 007. Although I’m typically more of a wine person, I took the opportunity to taste four different kinds of beer in their taproom, including an IPA and a pale ale.
The brewery I particularly liked on this trip was Cascade Brewery in Hobart. It’s famous for being the oldest brewery in Australia. The historic building it’s located in is beautiful, and the way it blends with the surrounding greenery makes it look like a painting. There is also an on-site restaurant, where you can get a meal as well as tastings. I wanted to try everything, of course, so I ordered a four-beer tasting.
Drinking beer on the spacious terrace in their garden felt like pure luxury. It’s not far from the city of Hobart, so I ended up going twice during my stay. They even had live music on the weekend, making my trip that much more memorable.
I did a lot of other things during my four days in Tasmania, including getting out in the gorgeous natural environment, hiking, visiting art museums, and going around to historical sites. But the place was amazing, even just thinking back on the wineries and breweries alone. I’ll share more about the magic of Tasmania in my next post.