Domaine Simha

Few places flatter to deceive like modern wineries. With their high-tech equipment and gleaming stainless steel, they seem to suggest winemaking is simply a manufacturing process. Nothing could be further from the truth, says Domaine Simha's Nav Singh.

Often described as 'avant-garde,' Singh is indeed a high priest of low-tech winemaking. His techniques include whole bunch wild fermentation; foot-treading pigeage; wine maturation in clay amphorae and large (600L) oak barrels; basket pressing; and low-sulphur bottling of finished wine that is unfined and unfiltered. It's elemental, pared-back stuff. A return to the oldest and most basic winemaking practices that help him uncover what he says is 'that ethereal magic at the heart of the vineyard.'

Singh hails from Delhi, India. The name 'Simha' is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'lion.' It symbolises strength and courage, Singh says. It reflects his uncompromising commitment to edgy, minimal intervention winemaking in the pursuit of creating exceptional wines. An approach that draws on principles of biodynamics and lunar-cycle harvesting and winemaking.

Singh moved to Australia in the mid-90s after finishing high school. Like his wife and business partner Louise Radman, Singh began his journey in the wine industry almost by accident. He was bitten by the wine bug while working part-time in hospitality to support his university studies.

Not long after completing his business degree, Singh gained entry to an accelerated degree course in viticulture and oenology at the University of Adelaide. Then came long-haul travelling with a handful of vintages in Burgundy (Domaine de l'Arlot) and Bordeaux (Château Le Pin and Vieux Château Certan).

In 2012, Singh and Radman moved to Tasmania – what they call 'Australia's final frontier.' 

The State's cool/cold climate, ancient soils, pristine environment, collaborative wine community, and inherent suitability for Pinot Noir and other fine-boned varieties and styles are what drew them south.

Today, Domaine Simha makes micro-batch, handcrafted wines. Typically, just 2–3 barrels per wine. Singh sources fruit from the upper Derwent, Coal River, and Huon Valleys. Vineyards he calls 'expert growers.'

Singh's wine journey to date has seen him described as 'a rare talent' by Gourmet Traveller Wine and named a 'future leader' by Wine Australia. Participation in capital city wine shows and alike has been limited. That noted, Domaine Simha was among just four Tasmanian wines that scored 95 or more in the 2015 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge.

Singh and Radman prefer to work directly with sommeliers and buyers in the wine trade.

When Wine Australia flew the world's top 50 sommeliers to Sydney for a significant trade event in 2025, Domaine Simha Pinot Noir was acclaimed for its quality, style and complexity – and even compared with some of the best red wines from Burgundy.

The Domaine Simha portfolio can be experienced at Singh and Radman's Institut Polaire, a stylish Hobart waterfront wine and cocktail bar – and cellar door – that showcases the couple's wines alongside a curated dining experience.

In 2024, Institut Polaire was awarded Australia's best wine list (100 wines) in Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards, having first received acclaim in the 2019 awards.

Experiencing Nav Singh's wines comes with a health warning. The number of wines in the portfolio will make your head spin. In January 2026, there were 22 wines in total, arranged in six discrete collections – Domaine Simha; Amphorae; Nature; Sanskrit; Paysan; Simla.

Reason enough for more than one visit to Institut Polaire.

Key principals:

• Navneet Singh: Director, Domaine Simha wine & Süd Polaire spirits
• Louise Radman: Director, Domaine Simha wine & Süd Polaire spirits

Vineyard/cellar door address:

Institut Polaire, 1/7 Murray Street, Hobart TAS 7000

Cellar door sales and tasting flights. Refer to website for days/hours of opening

Telephone:

• +61 (0) 432 925 895
• +61 (0) 403 773 871

Email:

TBA

Website:

www.domainsimha.com

Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.

Climate data* for sites in the Derwent Valley and Huon Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions in just those two southern districts. e.g. In the Derwent Valley, consider Mount Direction Estate (MJT 16.9°C; 967 GDD) and Government House (MJT 17.8°C; 1165 GDD). In the Huon Valley, consider for example: Altaness (MJT 15.8°C; 782 GDD) and Home Hill  (MJT 17.1°C; 976 GDD).

Vineyard sites on the Australian mainland are far warmer than any of those in Tasmania.

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 Meadowbank Road, Glenora, Derwent Valley 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 583mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 297mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 119mm
• Mean January temperature: 17.1°C
• Growing degree-days: 954 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: 43

Climate data* for Cygnet Coast Road, Cradoc, Huon Valley 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 861mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 433mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 186mm
• Mean January temperature: 16.8°C
• Growing degree-days: 931 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: October 2025