Stargazer Wines — Tasmania's Most Celebrated Boutique Producer
Stargazer is one of Tasmania's most admired, distinctive, and critically acclaimed boutique wine producers — a small, passionate winery that has built an extraordinary reputation for wines of exceptional purity, precision, and cool-climate character from the Coal River Valley, one of Tasmania's most celebrated and historically significant wine-growing areas. Named in tribute to Abel Tasman — the 17th-century Dutch explorer who was the first European to sight both Tasmania and the South Island of New Zealand — Stargazer is a winery of genuine narrative depth, winemaking ambition, and an unwavering commitment to expressing the extraordinary character of its Tasmanian terroir.
The Name: Abel Tasman & the Southern Hemisphere
The name Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Janszoon Tasman — one of history's greatest navigators and explorers. A Dutchman working for the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company), Tasman achieved remarkable feats during his expeditions of the 1640s, becoming the first European to sight Tasmania on 24 November 1642 — which he named Van Diemen's Land — and subsequently the first European to sight the South Island of New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt. Tasman's voyages of discovery opened the Southern Hemisphere to European knowledge and imagination, and his legacy as a navigator of extraordinary skill, courage, and curiosity is the inspiration for everything Stargazer does.
The connection between Tasman and Stargazer is deeply personal. The winemaker behind Stargazer was born and raised on the South Island of New Zealand — the very landmass that Tasman first sighted in 1642 — before falling in love with Tasmania and making it home. The parallels between Tasman's voyages of discovery and the winemaking journey — the allure of the unknown, the pursuit of something extraordinary, the willingness to venture into unfamiliar territory in search of the finest possible result — resonate deeply with the Stargazer ethos. Working with pristine fruit in a breathtaking environment, guided by curiosity and a passion for discovery, is the spirit that animates every bottle of Stargazer wine.
The Region: Coal River Valley & Tasmania
Tasmania is one of the world's great cool-climate wine regions — an island state of extraordinary natural beauty, surrounded by the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea, and the Indian Ocean, whose cool, maritime climate and ancient, diverse soils produce wines of exceptional purity, precision, and aromatic complexity. The island's isolation, its clean air and water, and the moderating influence of the surrounding oceans create a growing environment unlike any other in Australia — one that is ideally suited to producing wines of genuine finesse and longevity.
The Coal River Valley is one of Tasmania's most celebrated and historically significant wine-growing areas — a broad, sheltered valley approximately 20 kilometres northeast of Hobart, in the island's southeast. The valley's relatively warm and dry microclimate — sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds by the surrounding hills and benefiting from the warmth reflected from the Coal River — makes it one of Tasmania's most reliable and productive wine-growing areas, producing wines of exceptional ripeness and concentration while retaining the natural acidity and aromatic complexity that define the Tasmanian style.
The Tea Tree subregion of the Coal River Valley — where Stargazer's flagship Palisander Vineyard is located, approximately 20 minutes northeast of Hobart — is one of the most distinctive and celebrated sites in the valley. The subregion's Jurassic dolerite soils — formed from volcanic intrusions approximately 180 million years ago during the Jurassic period, when magma was forced through the existing sedimentary rock layers and cooled to form the distinctive dark, columnar dolerite that is one of Tasmania's most recognisable geological features — are among the most ancient and mineral-rich soils in any Australian wine region. The dolerite's free-draining nature, high mineral content, and the distinctive character it imparts to the wines grown above it are central to the extraordinary quality and distinctiveness of Stargazer's Pinot Noir.
The Palisander Vineyard
The Palisander Vineyard is the heart of the Stargazer operation — a distinguished Coal River Valley site purchased by Stargazer in February 2016 that has been the source of the winery's flagship Pinot Noir since its first vintage. Located in the Tea Tree subregion on Jurassic dolerite soils, the vineyard's older section was planted in 2002 with clones primarily G5V12 (Wadenswil) — one of the most celebrated and widely planted Pinot Noir clones in the Southern Hemisphere, prized for its aromatic complexity, fine tannin structure, and the distinctive red fruit and spice character it produces in cool climates. Additional blocks planted in 2017 include clones Abel, 115, 111, and MV6, adding further complexity and diversity to the Palisander Pinot Noir blend. The Palisander Pinot Noir is now in its eighth vintage — a body of work that has established it as one of Tasmania's most celebrated and collected Pinot Noirs.
Our Range
Stargazer Tasmania Riesling — Coal River Valley — An elegant and layered expression of Tasmanian Riesling from the Coal River Valley, displaying all there is to love about the variety in this extraordinary cool-climate region. Apple, tea tree, citrus, and bergamot on the nose — a complex and captivating aromatic profile that speaks directly of the Coal River Valley's distinctive terroir. A Riesling of genuine purity, precision, and ageing potential.
Stargazer Tasmania Chardonnay — An expertly crafted Tasmanian Chardonnay of remarkable refinement and focus. White nectarine, fresh pear, gunflint, and almond meal on the complex palate. Integrated fruit and oak balanced by mouth-watering acidity — a Chardonnay of genuine cool-climate elegance and the mineral precision that only Tasmania's ancient soils and maritime climate can produce.
Stargazer Palisander Pinot Noir — Coal River Valley — The flagship expression, sourced from the Palisander Vineyard in the Tea Tree subregion of the Coal River Valley, planted on Jurassic dolerite soils. Vibrant ruby crimson with an initial smoky gunpowder note on the nose that develops into a lively blend of red fruits — rose-hip, sour cherry, and pomegranate dominating, alongside a touch of clove and green peppercorn spice. Tightly compacted on the palate with a strong backbone of structured tannins and a long-lasting finish. A Pinot Noir of extraordinary character, precision, and cellaring potential — one of Tasmania's most celebrated and collected expressions of the variety.
How to Enjoy Stargazer Wines
The Riesling is best served well chilled at 8–10°C and is outstanding with fresh Tasmanian oysters, grilled fish, Asian cuisine, and soft cheeses — or simply on its own as a wine of pure, refreshing pleasure. The Chardonnay is best at 10–12°C in a generous white wine glass and is outstanding with seared scallops, grilled chicken, and creamy pasta dishes. The Palisander Pinot Noir is best served at 14–16°C in a Burgundy-style glass — allow it to breathe for 20–30 minutes to open its full aromatic complexity, or decant for 30 minutes to reveal the full depth and structure of this extraordinary Tasmanian Pinot Noir. Outstanding with roasted duck, mushroom risotto, grilled salmon, and aged soft-rind cheeses.
Explore our Stargazer Wines range below and discover why this Coal River Valley producer — guided by the spirit of Abel Tasman's voyages of discovery and the extraordinary terroir of Tasmania's Jurassic dolerite soils — is producing some of the most celebrated and collected wines in Australia.
