Stargazer Wine

Located in the Tea Tree subregion at the northern end of the Coal River Valley, the original vineyard on Back Tea Tree Road was planted by Norm and Jan Gangell in 2004.

Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Tasman, who as an explorer and navigator, must have spent a fair amount of time gazing towards the heavens. Tasman, a Dutchman under the employ of the United East India Company was the first European to sight Tasmania (on 24 November 1642) and then the South Island of New Zealand, nineteen days later on 13 December. The vineyard is half Riesling and half Pinot Noir. The eleven-hectare property is also home to an olive grove. The property was taken over in 2016 and in late 2017 expanded the vineyard to include an additional two hectares of vines: more pinot noir (four clones), some chardonnay (anther four clones) and more Riesling. Stage two of the expansion is planned for 2021 and will take up to five hectares in total. The vineyard is situated on brown dermosol soil over jurassic dolerite, the igneous rock which gives over half of Tasmania its distinctive geological formations. The soil is particularly high in calcium which is a positive indicator for quality grapes, being associated with thicker skins and slower ripening.