Stefano Lubiana Wines

Steve and Monique Lubiana established their Tasmania estate in 1990 on the slopes above the Derwent River outside Hobart — a location that, at the time, was among the coldest and most marginal for viticulture in Australia. The gamble was on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a climate where ripeness was not guaranteed, and the farming philosophy they adopted — converting to Demeter certified biodynamic practice — was applied to a place that rewarded the attentiveness biodynamic farming demands.

The estate is self-sustaining in the way that biodynamic philosophy intends: chickens, cows, composting, cover crops, and a market garden that supplies the on-site restaurant all contribute to the farm system. The vineyard is one of the few in Tasmania to have maintained biodynamic certification over a long enough period for the soil biology improvements to have translated visibly into wine quality.

The Primavera Chardonnay and Vintage Sparkling have drawn 95 points from James Halliday, and the estate's Pinot Noir has earned a following among collectors interested in cool-climate Australian Pinot who find the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula styles too warm. Tasmanian Pinot Noir at the serious end is still a small category; Lubiana is one of its defining producers.

The view across the Derwent from the restaurant is, by all accounts, as good as what's in the glass.