Stefano Lubiana Wines

In the late 1980s, Steve and Monique Lubiana travelled almost 10,000km in search of an ideal place to grow grapes and make cool climate wine. Western Australia, South Australia, southern Victoria – you name it, they considered it.

What brought them to the Derwent Valley and the north-facing slopes of their Granton home was something found right under their noses. It was the aroma and flavour of Tasmania's cool-grown herbs and flowers; fruits and vegetables.

Their 28ha vineyard – first planted in 1993 – straddles a complex mix of soils, mostly glacially derived. Ancient gravelly loams, calcareous clays, and small rocks of dolerite origin are low in nutrient but display excellent drainage and minerality.

Dry and sunny growing conditions are moderated by the nearby river, ensuring long ripening periods that favour elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and traditional method sparkling wines. Other key varieties include Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Merlot, with trial plots of Grüner Veltliner, Malvasia, Blaufränkisch and Syrah.

A fifth-generation winemaker by birth, Steve Lubiana became Tasmania's first certified biodynamic winegrower by choice. He farms according to lunar and seasonal cycles, applying homeopathic preparations in the belief that vitality in the vineyard leads to purity in the wine glass. Winemaking with minimal intervention – and the use of wild ferments, gentle pressing, and extended lees contact – produces textural wines that are expressive of their site. 

These are wines of a new world with an old world sensibility.

Key principals:

• Steve Lubiana, owner/winemaker

• Monique Lubiana, owner/manager

• Marco Lubiana, vigneron

Vineyard/cellar door address:

60 Rowbottoms Road, Granton Tasmania 7030

Wine tastings at cellar door by appointment only

Telephone:

+61 (0) 434 821 118

Email:

cellardoor@slw.com.au

Website:

www.slw.com.au

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. 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 Rowbottoms Road, Granton 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 593mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 325mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 122mm
• Mean January temperature: 17.3°C
• Growing degree-days: 1025 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