Cave Wines
Cave Wines is a small, quality-driven wine producer based in southern Tasmania. Justin Folloso and Mexican-born Rosario Sanchez met on board ship in 2013 while working hospitality jobs for the Disney Cruise Line. Their many voyages together – and their shared curiosity for place, culture and wine – eventually led them both into winemaking.
Before settling in Justin's hometown of Hobart, they travelled widely for work, gaining experience in vineyards and wineries across Australia and overseas, including stints in California and Burgundy. Each helped shape their site-focused approach to winemaking.
As a native-Tasmanian, Justin Folloso has strong connections to the local wine community. Vintage work as a cellar hand brought him into the orbit of many of the State's most respected wine producers and mentors. These formative experiences – alongside the likes of Alain Rousseau (Frogmore Creek) and Steve Lubiana (Stefano Lubiana Wines) – cemented the fundamental belief that wine is made in the vineyard.
Folloso's day job, then, is vineyard manager at Caledon Estate – Richmond – in the Coal River Valley. Some fruit from the property makes its way to Cave Wines each vintage.
Folloso also learned that minimal intervention in winemaking can unlock the expressive potential of Tasmania's cool climate grape varieties, particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Since its creation in 2022, Caves Wines has quickly attracted industry attention. In 2023, Justin Folloso was nominated for the prestigious Young Gun of Wine awards in recognition of his emerging talent and distinctive style. He achieved a major milestone that year when Cave Wines was named Australia's Best New Act, a national accolade that firmly placed the couple's embryonic family business on the Australian wine map.
Caves Wines remains a shared journey for Justin and Rosario – one that began with threads of curiosity, understanding, technical skill and global perspective and will continue to weave a deep and enduring respect for Tasmania's unique vineyard terroir in the years ahead.
Key principals:
Justin Folloso, owner/operator
Rosario Folloso, owner/operator
Vineyard/cellar door address:
No vineyard cellar door
Telephone:
+61 (0) 429 038 130
Email:
info@cavewines.com.au
Website:
www.cavewines.com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Coal River Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Consider: Pooley Cooinda Vale (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) and Pooley Butchers Hill (MJT 17.9°C; 1178 GDD).
South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Victoria's Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.
Climate data* for Prossers Road, Richmond, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 491mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 286mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 106mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.9°C
- Growing degree-days: 1158 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: 13
*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: October 2025