Once prime dairy pasture with rich volcanic soil, this 66-hectare Lebrina site has been a Clover Hill sparkling wine vineyard since 1986 but is now also home to the brand’s stunning cellar door.
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Clover Hill chief executive Adam Torpy opened the doors to the the new cellar door on Monday afternoon, and the first customers followed soon after.
On a clear day you can stand above the vineyard and look across the Pipers River region to the Bass Strait and it is this location that has been capitalised on to reflect the natural ideals Clover Hill wanted for its cellar door.
“It was just a vineyard facility before now, with no cellar door. We started planning [the cellar door] in November last year,” Mr Torpy said.
“The main feature is the two rammed earth walls. We just dug into the earth here and made blocks to build a wall six-and-half-metres in height.
“All materials are soft and earthy – timbers, steel, rammed earth, glass – which gives an intrinsically natural value,” he said.
Cover Hill’s Lebrina site has been operating as a sparkling vineyard since 1986, with the brand offering its first release, blanc de blanc, from the North-East Tasmania vineyard in 1991.
Chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes are grown on 25 hectares at this site for Clover Hill's sparkling wines, with still wines also produced from the Tea Tree vineyard in Coal River Valley.
“Our still wines are only available from the cellar door,” Mr Torpy said.
Driving up to the cellar door and parking outside gives no hint as to what opens up behind the glass doors.
“We have a mysterious entry where you’re not sure sure what is there and, once inside, there’s a view from every aspect. You can see Bass Strait on a good day, with a 100-metre drop to the bottom of the vineyard,” Mr Torpy said.
“We wanted to create something that captured that view,” he said.
The cellar door includes a tasting bench, comfortable lounges and outdoor spaces, with Clover Hill planning to host gigs, pop-up events and weddings.
“We’ve started planning to make sure we’re creating something unique. Hopefully we’ll launch our events calendar by mid January,” Mr Torpy said.
Now the cellar door is open Clover Hill is turning its thoughts to stages two and three of the site development.
This includes plans for a series of eco lodges perched along the ridge to take advantage of Lebrina’s views and a cooking school that incorporates the commercial kitchen contained within the cellar door.
Clover Hill’s cellar door was designed by 6ty° and built by Vos Construction.