Aunt Alice
We all know a slightly oddball aunt – whether it be from genuine personal connection or experiences of film and literature. So when Alice Davidson launched Aunt Alice as a side hustle in the SA port of Robe, you'd hardly be surprised to learn her winemaking took place in a beach shed, using a crab net as a de-stemmer.
Or hear her topping up her barrel of Riesling and Pinot Gris with a dollop of Pinot Noir when her numbers didn't add up.
Davidson's slightly unorthodox methods not only created a playful, aromatic style that proved a great success, they set the tone for the brand that was about to evolve. One barrel became four barrels. And in almost no time at all, Davidson had ten tonnes to process – needing a small winery and a very busy cellar door operation to make it all work.
That was back in 2016. A decade later sees the University of Adelaide oenology graduate with husband Tom and daughter Ocean settling down to life in Tasmania – at Franklin, south of Hobart.
For the former geologist and inveterate traveller, there's a touch of re-invention in her new creative environment. Davidson grew up among apple and pear trees in South Australia's Adelaide Hills. Her workspace in Tasmania is a former apple shed on the Huon River.
Davidson handcrafts small-batch wines sourced from cool climate varieties that provide opportunities for focusing on expressive aromatics and satisfying palate textures. Her flagships are primarily sourced from the Tamar Valley – Down By The River Riesling, Ocean Chardonnay and Night Sky Pinot Noir.
These are still early days for Aunt Alice. But clearly the wines have already struck a chord with a good many well-connected consumers. In 2022 and 2024, Davidson was named a finalist in the Young Gun of Wine Winemaker of the Year.
In between all that home-building and pressing and bottling, somehow she also finds time to join judging panels at major capital city wine shows on the other side of the country.
Yep, just a little bit crazy.
Key details
Alice Davidson: owner/operator
Vineyard/cellar door address:
No vineyard or cellar door.
Postal address: 7 New Road, Franklin, TAS 7113
Telephone:
+61 (0) 479 119 588
Email:
alice@auntalice.com.au
Website:
www.auntalice.com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Huon Valley/D'Entrecasteaux Channel highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Nandroya, Two Bud Spur (both MJT 14.8°C; 622 GDD) and Bruny Island Premium Wines (MJT 15.4°C; 747 GDD) appear to be the coolest sites south of Hobart.
Tinderbox Vineyard (MJT 17.3°C; 1088 GDD) and Trial Bay Estate (MJT 17.1°C; 1044 GDD) are the warmest.
Vineyard sites on the Australian mainland are far warmer than those in Tasmania.
South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) in Victoria are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective States.
Climate data* comparisons for Franklin (winery), Huon Valley 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 859mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 421mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 183mm
- Mean January temperature: 16.8°C
- Growing degree-days: 941 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 1
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 26
*Source: My Climate View, utilising past data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Funded by the Australian Government.
Last page update: January 2026