Lowestoft
When Bernard McKay planted 3ha of Pinot Noir at Lowestoft in 1986, the vineyard was established to supply Claudio Alcorso with fruit for Moorilla Estate just over the road. Few locals had heard of the quirky red grape. Indeed, there were just 25ha of the French interloper planted in the entire State. Only 5ha had produced a crop.
Forty years later, Pinot Noir is not just the pick of the crop in Tasmania. Lowestoft's La Maison Pinot Noir consistently figures among the country's best. In 2025, the 2023 vintage won gold at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards in London, as well as gold in Adelaide and Canberra (top gold and Pinot Trophy).
McKay's ground-breaking project overlooking the River Derwent was a slow burn for decades. After Moorilla Estate passed into the hands of David Walsh and morphed into MONA, Pinot Noir purchased from Lowestoft's close-plantings found its way into a range of premium labels, including Bream Creek, Stefano Lubiana Wines and Treasury Wine Estates' Heemskerk Wines.
Growing conditions here are well-suited to aromatic, finely structured Pinot Noir. The gently-sloping vineyard sits on a Permian–Triassic mix of sediments that include mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. These weather to form shallow, stony duplex soils that are relatively low in organic matter, and moderate to low in fertility.
The cooling influences of local sea breezes and Tasmania's maritime climate more generally allow slow, even ripening with good accumulation of flavour at modest sugar levels.
The vineyard's fortunes changed following the purchase of the historic Berriedale property (circa 1850) by WA's Fogarty Wine Group in late 2018. Lowestoft became the flagship Tasmanian brand within the group, supported by new vineyard developments elsewhere in the State and brought to life at the company's Tasmanian Vintners winery operation at Cambridge.
Tasmanian Vintners is the State's biggest contract winemaking facility.
The Fogarty Wine Group itself is believed to one of the Tasmanian wine industry's three biggest players, the others being the Brown Family Wine Group (Tamar Ridge, Devil's Corner, Pirie Tasmania) and Hill-Smith Family Estates (Jansz Tasmania, Dalrymple Vineyards).
The Fogarty Wine Group's portfolio nationally is chockfull of premium brands, including Deep Woods Estate, Evans & Tate, Millbrook Winery, Smithbrook, Lake's Folly, Taltarni/Clover Hill and Dalwhinnie.
Key principals:
Peter Fogarty: executive chairman/founder, Fogarty Wine Group
John Fogarty: chief viticulturist, Fogarty Wine Group
Liam McElhinney: chief winemaker, Tasmanian Vintners
Vineyard/cellar door address:
680 Main Road, Berriedale TAS 7011
No vineyard cellar door. See website for online sales and distribution
Head office address:
Level 1, 32 Ord Street, West Perth WA 6005
Mailing address:
PO Box 1982, West Perth WA 6872
Telephone:
+61 (8) 9756 6066
Email:
enquiries@fogarty.wine
Website:
www.fogarty.wine
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Derwent Valley highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. e.g. Mount Direction Estate (MJT 16.9°C; 967 GDD) and Government House (MJT 17.8°C; 1165 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 Main Road, Berriedale 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 572mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 303mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 118mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.8°C
- Growing degree-days: 1148 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: 14
*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: December 2025