Mewstone Vineyard, Tasmania Johnny Hughes & Daniel Way

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Mewstone has appeared comet-like in its success. The wines – hailing from the banks of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in Tasmania’s viticultural deep south – have been accorded a rapid series of accolades, but though that ascension may seem quick, it was laboriously built from the ground up. Although the vineyard is just over a decade old, an intensely thoughtful process has underpinned the approach of owners Jonathan and Matthew Hughes, with the site meticulously tended and progressively planted to optimise its potential. Today, Jonny Hughes manages the operation alongside viticulturist Daniel Way, who joined the team in 2025 as vineyard manager, farming pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling across the 5.3-hectare site.

In 2011, brothers Matthew and Jonny Hughes set up their vineyard south of Hobart in the tiny hamlet of Flowerpot in Tasmania’s D’Entrecasteaux Channel subregion. Jonny had been moored at Moorilla Estate when Matthew’s suggestion to buy an old cherry orchard was eagerly taken up, with 2 hectares of vines planted that same year. Those first plantings included five clones of pinot noir, four of chardonnay, four of riesling and a small parcel of shiraz planted to the old Tahbilk clone. On north-facing slopes of sandy loam over a clay subsoil, the vineyard was structured to make informed future judgements about how clones and varieties performed across different aspects, elevations and variations in soil.

“The 3.6 ha we currently have producing is broken up into 12 distinct blocks. When clonal variation is taken into account we’re looking at 42 distinct parcels! When 2023’s new planting comes online – on a different hill with different soils and different clones – we add another three blocks and 9 distinct parcels into the mix.”

Above: Preparing for Mewstone's second planting in 2019 – this here, a block of pinot noir and riesling. Opposite: Mewstone's main pinot noir block, planted in 2011.

In 2017–18, additional clones of pinot noir and riesling were planted based on early findings, and further plantings followed in 2023 and 2024. Today, there are 5.3 hectares under vine, with individual parcels of clones vinified separately to make definitive judgements about what works and what doesn’t. Pinot noir’s fabled Abel clone was added in 2018, along with ENTAV-INRA 828, 943 and 667. The focus is now sharpening further: shiraz has been removed, with that ground being redirected to more pinot noir and chardonnay, and grafting of the original pinot blocks is scheduled for December 2025, converting Pommard, 114, 115 and MV6 to 828, Mariafeld and Abel – concentrating on the clones that have performed best on the site. The current range is built around Mewstone Pinot Noir ($80), Mewstone Pinot Noir ‘Hope’ ($125), Mewstone Chardonnay ($80) and Mewstone Riesling ($60).

The producing 3.6 hectares is broken up into 12 distinct blocks, with clonal variation producing 42 distinct parcels. The 2023 planting – on a different hill with different soils and different clones – adds a further three blocks and nine distinct parcels. “Where possible many of these parcels are picked and vinified individually,” says Hughes, “so even before I get to play with the fruit in the winery we have some incredible diversity in the mix.”

The site has irrigation, fed from an onsite dam filled by winter and spring rains, though seasonal rainfall is typically sufficient. A cellar door and winery were built onsite, adding a layer of control and economic stability. That economic viability is also built around working closely with neighbouring vineyards, producers and businesses “to add to the epicurean experience of the region,” with the aim of making the D’Entrecasteaux Channel a tourism destination of varied appeal and depth. This connects to the broader sustainability picture, as Hughes explains: “Creating a healthy environment for our vines to grow and our people to work makes the whole enterprise more sustainable. To do this we are focusing on regenerating soil health and surrounding bush land, spraying less chemicals as well as providing a safe and happy workplace and venue for the public to visit. Growing better fruit allows us to make premium wine and draw tourism to our newly built cellar door space, adding another income stream and drawing more people to the region as a whole. Where possible we use local labour and contractors to sustain our community.”

“From the very start the idea of healthy soil, healthy vines, healthy fruit set the tone for our wines. We’ve never inoculated, never fined. If we get the growing right, the hope is we can take a step back in the winery.”

In this marginal climate, harvest is in autumn.

As a winemaker, Hughes prioritises the health of the vineyard above all else, understanding that what happens in the soil ultimately shapes what happens in the winery. “From the very start the idea of healthy soil, healthy vines, healthy fruit set the tone for our wines,” he says. “We’ve never inoculated, never fined. If we get the growing right, the hope is we can take a step back in the winery.” The focus on soil health has paid off in measurable ways. When the team first arrived on site in 2011, a soil ecologist found essentially no fungi in the ground – a bacteria-to-fungi ratio of 10:1. “We aggressively attacked the problem with compost teas and undervine mulching at the core of the response,” Hughes recalls. “Within four seasons we had driven the ratio up to 1:5.” Alternate-row cover cropping over winter and spring – a mix of oats, triticale, vetch, ryegrass and clover – continues to build organic matter, improve water infiltration and support nitrogen cycling, while tractor use is minimised in winter and spring through an ATV-towed sprayer and ride-on mower to avoid compaction.

Working with nature rather than against it is also the philosophy behind pest management. “We share this site with resident sea eagles, brown falcons, wedge-tailed eagles and myriad other birds and native fauna,” says Hughes. “Maintaining roosting sites and habitat around the vineyard and establishing insectaries of native vegetation to keep the pollinators happy ensures that the native systems that vineyard health relies on stay healthy too.”

Jonny recalls the moment the decision to plant was made. He and Matthew walked onto the property and Matthew asked, “Do you think we can grow good grapes here?” Hughes’s answer was unambiguous: “Yep, I think we can grow great grapes here. The rest, as they say, is history. I’m sure there was lots of discussion that followed but the decision really was a leap of faith.” A decade and a half on, and with wines in high demand and a vineyard being progressively refined toward its best possible expression, it is a leap that has landed well.

Mewstone Vineyard, Tasmania Johnny Hughes & Daniel Way

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