Wineries tap into lucrative gourmet tourism market

TASMANIAN wineries are tapping into an influx of visitors chasing gourmet tourism experiences.

Ghost rock vineyard

TASMANIAN wineries are tapping into an influx of visitors chasing gourmet tourism experiences as the state’s reputation for world class produce grows.

Figures from Tourism Tasmania’s latest visitor survey show that, over the past year, the number of interstate and international tourists who visited wineries across the state grew by 25 per cent.

Visitors also are keen to sample products from the state’s emerging boutique beer and spirits industries, with visitors to distilleries up by 89 per cent compared to the previous year and brewery visits have also jumped by 61 per cent.

A study by Tourism Australia in 2013 found that local food and beverages was one of the top three influences on holiday decision-making for international visitors.

Wine Tasmania chief executive Sheralee Davies said the growth in food and wine tourism was allowing vineyards across the state to invest and diversify their operations.

“We’ve seen a number of wineries expand their cellar door operations recently,” she said.

“A lot of visitors are looking for more than just the traditional cellar door experience where they sample wines. Because of that, we’re seeing some wineries now offering different tasting experiences or tours so visitors can see the wine-making process and there are some combining wine with food and trying to make the whole experience more personal.”

North-West winemakers the Arnold family have recognised this opportunity and now pair their wines with amazing local produce to provide tourists with unique culinary experiences at their Ghost Rock Vineyard.

The business is this year’s winner of the 2015 Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Award as winner of the Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries section.

The first vines at Ghost Rock were planted in 1989 by Cate and Colin Arnold on a small block near Port Sorell.

At the time it was one of the region’s first vineyards and back then was more of a hobby than a business.

Nowadays, the Arnolds are still very much involved with the business and Mr Arnold oversees the viticulture side of things.

Alicia Arnold in Hundred Acres.

Earlier this year the couple’s son Justin Arnold and his wife Alicia Peardon moved back to Tasmania to operate the new $1 million winery and food interpretation centre called Hundred Acres.

Justin became interested in winemaking as a teenager and went on to qualify for a bachelor of wine making.

“I’m not really sure why mum and dad decided to start a vineyard, I think part of it was because they liked wine,” he said.

“Dad does come from a background in farming and the family started farming this area in the 1860s.”

In the five years since graduating, Justin has worked in some of the world’s best winemaking regions, gaining experience in places such as Margaret River, the Napa Valley in California and Burgundy region of France.

“Our growth here and my interest in winemaking almost collided in a way,” he said.

He is now using that experience to make Ghost Rock’s wines on site at the new winery, which was commissioned just in time for this year’s vintage.

Prior to this Ghost Rock’s wines have been made off site at Josef Chromy.

“It was a little bit intimidating at first because we have developed a really good reputation for our wines, which have been made at Josef Chromy,” he said.

“Now I’m responsible for continuing that and in a brand new facility, which always brings its own challenges.”

It also offers opportunities to cater to tourism and large-scale events.

The new Hundred Acres building can cater for up to 16 participants at a time for cooking workshops and also has plenty of space for other functions such corporate events or weddings.

Ms Peardon said the idea was not to teach the basics of cooking, but to give visitors a unique experience.

This includes an inside look at the winemaking process and off site visits to local food producers for the full soil to bottle, paddock to plate experiences.

At the end of the workshop participants can sit at a large communal table and enjoy the results of their efforts.

“It really combines three things, which are the beautiful scenery and countryside in this area, with really good quality wines and amazing seasonal produce,” Ms Peardon said.