Mewstone Wines
All things being equal, Johnny Hughes would be making wine in Barolo now and one of the State's cutting edge wine businesses would not exist. But that's not the way of the world. When he had his chance to move there permanently, the ambitious young winemaker could not get the permits he needed.
Hughes had already given himself permission to leave his job in the city and follow a new career path into wine.
His economics degree from UTas allowed entry to post-grad wine science in New Zealand. Then came the university of life – making wine in seven regions on three continents over nine years.
In 2011, Hughes and his banker brother Matt bought a former cherry orchard at Flowerpot on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, south of Hobart. They promptly established 2.5ha of Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. A tiny volume of experimental wine came from its first crop in 2015 before the brothers and their wives Margie and Cathie launched Mewstone Wines in 2016.
The vineyard's gently sloping, north-facing rows and sandy loam over clay soils with Jurassic dolerite offer excellent drainage and long ripening seasons. Moderating influences provided by the nearby Channel preserve natural acidity and heighten fruit expression.
For these reasons, Mewstone is exclusively single-site, based around its three core varieties. A second label – Hughes & Hughes, also commenced in 2016 – relies on small batch production from wine grapes sourced from around Tasmania.
The latter is a free-wheeling affair, often featuring minor varieties matched to innovative ideas and highly-skilled artisan winemaking. Special batches of fruit attributed to their source vineyard appear the Hughes & Hughes Single Site label. More playful expressions – with no added sulphur, fining or filtering – carry the Hughes & Hughes Living Wines label.
Pet Nat, whites, reds, vermouth and even a wine/cider blend called Co-Lab offer plenty of interest.
Mewstone evolved through an avalanche of success. Its first five years saw Jonny Hughes being named Best New Act (2018) in the national Young Gun of Wine awards. He was also included among its Top 50 winemakers for three consecutive years (2018, 2019, and 2020), including 2020 finalist.
New Vineyard of the Year (2021) continued the YGOW acclaim.
Meanwhile, Australia's pre-eminent wine critic named Mewstone as Best New Winery in the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion and awarded a 5-star rating, a rare feat for a new producer.
In October 2022, Mewstone swung open the doors to a sharp new cellar door and and winemaking facility overlooking the water.
Visitors don't need permission to visit but bookings are recommended. This place rocks.
Key principals:
Jonny Hughes: owner/winemaker
Margie Hughes: owner/operator
Matt Hughes: owner/manager
Cathie Hughes: owner/operator
Luke Andree: vineyard manager
Vineyard/cellar door address:
11 Flowerpot Jetty Rd, Flowerpot TAS 7163
Telephone:
+61 (3) 6155 4416
Email:
cellardoor@mewstonewines.com.au
Website:
www.mewstonewines.com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites in the Huon Valley/D'Entrecasteaux Channel highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions here. Consider: Bruny Island Premium Wines (MJT 15.4°C; 747 GDD) and Tinderbox Vineyard (MJT 17.3°C; 1088 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 Flowerpot Jetty Road 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 830mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 426mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 188mm
- Mean January temperature: 16.4°C
- Growing degree-days: 927 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: 11
*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