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Meadowbank Estate’s vineyard is situated on the base of the foothills at the end of the Coal River Valley, planted around Meadowbank Estate Restaurant and Cellar Door which overlooks the picturesque Barilla Bay. The vineyard was first established between 1998-1999.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

Meadowbank has embraced the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in managing its vineyards. IPM is based on monitoring pests and disease levels and delaying spraying until these reach levels at which damage is likely to occur rather than spraying at regular intervals regardless of disease incidence. Low chemical input is aided by our very benign climate. Our long dry ripening season (Hobart is the second driest capital city in Australia) and low humidity significantly decrease the impact of damaging diseases and pests. Pruning is started in July to try and delay bud burst as long as possible, therefore minimising the risk of frost damage. Cane pruning is adopted across all vineyards. Besides Meadowbank's own vineyards, we also manage vineyards for GS Ellis Pastoral, which contract grows champagne varieties primarily for leading national winemaker BRL Hardy.

CLIMATE

Meadowbank enjoys a true cool climate. The number of degree days C [a measure of ripening capacity] ranges annually between 1000 and 1200 - this corresponds to the super premium wine growing regions of the world, such as Burgundy & Bordeaux. The two vineyards were planted to maximize the opportunities presented by Tasmania's significantly different microclimates:

• The Cambridge vineyards enjoy a smaller diurnal variation (milder days and nights) - the moderating effect is from the proximity to the sea (Barilla Bay).