House of Arras

Ed Carr was a microbiologist and chemist at the outset of his working life. He soon passed up his job in the dairy industry for a better paid position in a winery. That morphed into a 'Mr Fix-It' role with a nearby sparkling wine producer. By 1994, Carr had moved into a key sparkling winemaker role with BRL Hardy. 

The premium end of the Australian market was then led by wines sourced from elevated sites in the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills and little-known Tumbarumba in NSW.

Working alongside renowned viticulturist Ray Guerin for the next 17 years, Carr created traditional method wines built on their shared understandings of Tasmania's cool maritime climate – that the State's long ripening seasons and pristine growing conditions could combine with ancient soils to produce elegant and complex sparkling base wines.

Rather than relying on a single estate, the pioneering Guerin and Carr advanced the idea that the best wines came from a tapestry of vineyard sites across the island. They found Chardonnay from the central East Coast often contributed a certain refined and focused minerality. Pinot Noir performed well on inland sites with rocky, sandy soils. Pinot Meunier from Pipers River excelled on south-facing slopes.

Guerin and Carr also recognised that producing world-class wines would require extended maturation processes, à la Champagne – and that could only result from world-class viticulture.

The first finished wines in the Hardys program – a 1995 Chardonnay Pinot Noir blend and a 1995 Pinot Noir Chardonnay – were released under the Arras label in 1999. The wines had spent almost four years on lees, a rare achievement at the time.

The first entirely Tasmanian wine from the program was produced in 1998 – and Arras has been an acclaimed Tasmanian brand ever since. 

What started out as a project built on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir has evolved into a traditional method product that includes Pinot Meunier.

One straight forward traditional blend has become six discretely different wines. Four years on lees is now being pushed out as far as 16 years for EJ Carr Late Disgorged.

Today, wines from the House of Arras are considered the benchmark in premium and prestige market segments of this country's celebrated sparkling wine industry. Media acclaim and significant wine show awards have become regular instalments in the Arras success story.

In 2015, Arras created history by being named Champion Wine at the National Wine Show of Australia. It was the first time a sparkling wine had triumphed over all other show entries. More than 1340 wines from over 200 producers took part in the event.

Respected international writers and wine critics Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan MW called Arras 'the Krug of Australian sparkling wine' in Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine, published in 2013.

Carr's personal commitment to quality was recognised on the world stage in 2018 when he became the first winemaker outside Champagne to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

More recently, Carr was named the 2024 International Wine Challenge Sparkling Winemaker of the Year, the first Australian to receive the honour.

January's Tasmanian Wine Show opened proceedings for 2026 with four trophies for Arras wines – Best Late Disgorged (2017 Vintage Rose); Best Export Wine of Show (2017 Grand Vintage); Best Museum Wine (2006 Grand VIntage); Reserve Champion Wine of Show (2017 Vintage Rose).

Now owned by DMG Fine Wine, House of Arras wines share vineyard cellar door space with Handpicked Wines at Pipers River in Tasmania's North East. The property on Baxters Road is open seven days a week for a range of guided tastings and masterclasses.

Ready access to native bushland and the pristine Pipers River makes this a spectacular location for immersive experiences, both indoor and outdoor.

Key details:

• William Dong: founder/operator, DMG Fine Wine

• Ed Carr: chief winemaker, House of Arras (DMG Fine Wine)

• Ben Bussell: group viticulturist, Handpicked Wines

Vineyard/cellar door address:

40 Baxters Road, Pipers River TAS 7252

Head Office address:

Level 33, 31 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone:

• Vineyard/cellar door: +61 (3) 6362 7622
• Head office: +61 (2) 9475 7888

Email:

• Bookings/general enquiries: cellardoor@houseofarras.com.au
• Head office: info@dmgfinewine.com.au

Website:

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

Climate data* for sites in the North East highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Consider: Apogee (MJT 17.2°C; 975 GDD) and Handpicked Baxters Road (MJT 18.3°C; 1247 GDD).

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* for Baxters Road, 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 805mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 372mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 186mm
• Mean January temperature: 18.3°C
• Growing degree-days: 1247 GDD
• Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 0
• Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 8

*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