Lalla Colline Vineyard
Life moves in mysterious ways. When former Lake Leather business owners Ian and Robyn Lake purchased a derelict 10ha farm at Lalla in early 2016, they discovered a solitary grapevine. In the midst of a rambling blackberry patch. It sparked their vision for viticulture on the property.
Two years later, the couple sold their business and set about transforming a north-facing slope into a small family vineyard.
Its vines are planted at around 200 metres above sea level in the foothills of Brown Mountain. ('Colline' is French for 'hill.')
The vineyard's distinctive terroir is defined by ancient Permian soils. The 300-million-year-old remnants of a prehistoric ocean. Typically shallow, stony and well‑drained – with a mix of silty/clay loams over rock – they help constrain vine vigour and encourage the development of concentrated fruit flavours in vineyard harvests.
Cool air flowing downhill from the mountain adds a night-time chill late in the season, lengthening the ripening period and adding to intensity of flavour.
Lalla Colline grows a mixed selection of cool climate varieties that are well-suited to Tasmania's North East – Chardonnay (2 clones), Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Pinot Noir (3 clones). They are meticulously hand-tended. Hand-picked fruit is made into small, hand‑crafted dry table wines at nearby Providence Vineyard.
Winemaker Russell 'Rusty' Cook is a 30-year veteran of the Tasmanian wine industry who took Tamar Valley fruit and brought to life Winestate Magazine's Australian Chardonnay of the Year back in 1995.
Lalla Colline's charming cellar door – opened in 2022 – has a storied past. It was originally a Presbyterian Church, famously moved by bullock sled down Brown Mountain in the late 1920s. The Lakes subsequently rescued the frail structure from its bush location. They had it trucked to its current spot, overlooking the vineyard and its splendid picturesque setting.
To step onto the property is to step back in time. Every good business needs time.
Key principals:
- Ian Lake: owner/operator
- Robyn Lake: owner/operator
- Russell 'Rusty' Cook: contract winemaker at Providence Vineyards
Vineyard/cellar door address:
361 Lalla Road, Lalla TAS 7267
Telephone:
+61 (0) 047 550 830
Email:
info@lallacollinevineyard.au
Website:
www.lallacollinevineyard.au
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 Dalrymple Vineyard (MJT 18.1°C; 1204 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 Victoria's Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.
Climate data* for Lalla Road, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 970mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 434mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 217mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.8°C
- Growing degree-days: 1088 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: 22
*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