Winstead Vineyard
Neil and Julieanne Snare established Winstead Vineyard at Bagdad – 35 km north of Hobart – in 1989. The township's curious moniker was acquired in the early 1800s, when Private Hugh Germain named the district after a place in Arabian Nights, one of two books he carried while exploring Tasmania's Midlands.
The Snares' 3ha property sits on a north-facing slope (180m) overlooking the Bagdad Valley and Chauncy Vale. Its grey clay soils over Permian mudstone and carboniferous shale are low in fertility but well-suited to low-yielding vines. These produce strongly varietal fruit with concentrated but well-balanced flavours. Afternoon sea breezes have a cooling effect across the site, adding a touch of elegance to the vineyard's rich, ripe harvests.
Winstead wines hit the ground running. The 1994 and 1995 vintages of Riesling and Pinot Noir – made by renowned contract winemaker Andrew Hood – were acclaimed for their striking varietal characters. The 1995 Pinot Noir won the 1997 Rutherglen Wine Show's Les and Diana Harmer Trophy for Best Pinot Noir.
The generous, high-quality 1998 vintage provided opportunity for the Snares to try their hand at making Pinot Noir for themselves, in addition to having Hood vinify the lion's share of the vineyard's harvest.
Neil Snare took to the challenging task like a duck to water. Within a few short years, the part-time teaching professional became a full-time vigneron. The small winery he established was located less than 50m from the property's closest vines. Fruit from the vineyard could be picked and processed within minutes.
A second Pinot Noir site (Lot 16) planted by the couple during the early Noughties added smaller blocks of Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. That left Pinot Noir to become the sole focus of the couple's home block (Lot 7). Winstead's wonderfully bold, Alsace-like Rieslings came to the end of the road. Sadly, the wrong end...
Small-batch wines produced on the Bagdad site are based on wild ferments, with barrel-ageing and extended lees contact enhancing texture and longevity. Robust and earthy Lot 7 Pinot Noir and the more ethereal and fragrant Lot 16 Pinot Noir are both much admired. The latter wine ceased production after the 2021 vintage, the Snares having decided it was time to begin the first stage of easing themselves into retirement.
Lot 16 itself experienced more than just down-sizing. The vines were removed completely after the Snares inexplicably failed to find a new owner for the vineyard block. A travesty.
Vintage 2025 on Lot 7 closed the book on wine production forever at Winstead Vineyard. The couple plan to eke out the last remaining stocks of their popular Pinot pair as they now move into full-time retirement.
The Snares' 35-year wine odyssey may not have been a sequel to Arabian Nights, but the couple's grape-growing and winemaking endeavours will be remembered for a long time to come by the small, close-knit Bagdad community.
Key details:
Neil Snare: owner/winemaker
Julieanne Snare: owner/vigneron
Vineyard/cellar door address:
75 Winstead Road, Bagdad, Tas 7030
No vineyard cellar door tastings or sales. See the website for online sales
Telephone:
+61 (0) 429 686 417
Email:
winsteadvy@bigpond.com
Website:
www.winstead,com.au
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for sites within 25km of Winstead Vineyard highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions.
Pooley Cooinda Vale (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) and SISU (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) figure among the coolest sites in the Coal River Valley. Drew Wines (MJT 17.8°C; 1121 GDD) at Tea Tree is among the valley's warmest.
Invercarron (MJT 16.8°C; 929 GDD) figures among the coolest sites in the Derwent Valley. Lowestoft at Berriedale (MJT 17.8°C; 1137 GDD) is among the warmest along the river.
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 Bagdad, 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 577mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 324mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 121mm
- Mean January temperature: 16.3°C
- Growing degree-days: 832 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: 19
*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