Region & History

Tasmanian sparkling wine centers on the northeast of the island, around Pipers River northeast of Launceston. Three names stand side by side there, shaping the picture to this day: Jansz, Clover Hill and House of Arras. Behind each is a producer that wanted to make sparkling wine in the Champagne style and sought out the cool island to do it.

The vines for Jansz were planted in 1975 by an operation called Heemskerk, named after a ship of the explorer Abel Tasman. In 1986 the Champagne house Roederer came on board as a partner, and according to the house, its then-head Jean-Claude Rouzaud was personally involved in planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The first vintage, 1989, went on sale in 1991. In 1998 the Hill-Smith family of Yalumba bought both the vineyard and the brand.

Clover Hill was founded that same year, 1986, on a former dairy farm. The Taltarni winery established it with the sole aim of making sparkling wine, and the first vintage dates from 1991. Since late 2024, Clover Hill and Taltarni have belonged to the Fogarty Wine Group.

Ed Carr began designing a world-class Australian sparkling wine in 1988 and founded House of Arras less than ten years later. According to the house, the name means "rich tapestry". Carr didn't plant the vineyard on the mainland, but on Tasmania. The Accolade group, now Vinarchy, sold the brand and vineyards to Handpicked Wines at the end of 2023 and continues to make the wines on behalf of the new owners.

The label usually states all of Tasmania as the origin, since the island forms a single registered appellation within Australia. For "Tasmania" to appear on the label, at least 85 percent of the grapes must come from there. According to industry sources, the appellation says nothing about yield, grape variety or cellar practice. Areas such as Tamar Valley or Pipers River are commonly used place names, not registered subregions.