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HISTORY

After the First Fleet landed in Sydney in 1788, the next destination for Australia¡¯s English colonizers was the southerly island of Tasmania. The first Tasmanian settlement was established just across the Derwent River from Moorilla Estate in 1803.

Moorilla Estate is the birthplace of Tasmania's modern wine industry. Although earlier pioneers had attempted to grow grapes and make wine, it was Italian business immigrant Claudio Alcorso who achieved the first successful combination of viticulture and marketing -- founding Moorilla Estate in 1958 and establishing Tasmania as one of the world's foremost cool climate winemaking regions.

Moorilla Estate, perched on its own peninsula on the Derwent River just west of Hobart, is one of the most beautiful wineries in the world. Moorilla also boasts Tasmania's first five star accommodation; exquisite chalets perched on the cliffs above the river. The Moorilla Museum of Antiquities, which focuses on artifacts from ancient civilizations, is one of the most revered museum collections in Tasmania. In addition, Moorilla's restaurant and vineyard grounds are the location of choice for fine dining, weddings and world-renowned international events ¨C including concerts with musicians such as Jewel and Elvis Costello.

THE REGION

Tasmania, an island the size of Virginia, located south of Mainland Australia, enjoys an ideal winemaking climate and has one of the world's purest environments; one third of the Island is designated as Wilderness World Heritage Area and the air is the cleanest on earth. Tasmania is a State of Australia although like the Hawaiians or the Sicilians, Tasmanians are likely to say that they are Tasmanian before Australian.

The winemaking regions of the island of Tasmania lie between 41 and 43° South. In addition to the Derwent River vineyards in Southern Tasmania, Moorilla Estate also owns the St. Matthias vineyard located in the Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania. Both regions are very cool, with the Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania at 1020 Heat Degree Days and a mean summer temperature similar to Reims. Southern Tasmania is at 918 Heat Degree Days and is even cooler; however, it is particularly dry and maritime influenced, which generally enables full ripening for grapes in most vintages (this is one region where Global Warming may have actually helped improve winemaking!).

WINE AND WINEMAKING

Moorilla Estate produces Tasmania's most highly acclaimed and awarded range of wines that are the epitome of premium, cool climate styles. Tasmania's cool climate and long growing season ensure the wines have a signature crisp acidity and pristine fruit flavors.

In exceptional years, small quantities of Moorilla Estate Reserve wines are produced; these wines represent Moorilla's wine making at ¡®full throttle', and are designed to be absolute expressions of vintage, variety and vineyard. Moorilla Estate wines are crafted from older, 'barely' irrigated (just enough to survive) vineyards delivering arguably the lowest yields in Australia (similar to the yields of Burgundy's Grand Cru vineyards). The Moorilla wines are crafted for immediate enjoyment or short-term cellaring.

The Moorilla wines available in the United States are:

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
     
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