Into the Valley - marie claire

Food, wine and views to thrill. Tasmania’s must-visit region, the Derwent Valley, is at the intersection of country charm and city sophistication, as Alexandra English finds out 

There’s only one way to enter the Derwent Valley’s Meadowbank Winery. Well, technically there are two, but considering it’s the only vineyard in Australia accessible by seaplane, foregoing the (albeit beautiful) short drive from Hobart in favour of a more grand type of entrance is the obvious choice.

While Hobart has been riding high from the MONA-induced tourism boom in recent years, the more restaurants, bars and hotels that pop up in the state’s capital, the more appealing the quieter realm of the nearby Derwent Valley is to those who want true R&R. 

The Derwent River is the lifesource of the Valley, beginning in the middle of the state at Lake St Clair and carving its way southeast, passing by small towns and villages before opening up in Hobart and flowing out to the Tasman Sea. Meadowbank Winery, a family owned-and-run establishment that still features the original 1870s sandstone homestead and home to some of the oldest vines in the state, sits right on the edge of the river. It is so remote, yet so connected to the city, that when we board the seaplane from a wharf on Hobart harbour, the only other passenger is a carton of milk the family have asked us to pick up because it’s quicker than ducking to their corner store. 

It’s worth organising a car to pick you up after your Meadowbank wine tasting so you can tour the other villages that dot the valley on your way back to Hobart. Stop in the town of New Norfolk for vintage and antique shopping at The Drill Hall Emporium, an antique-lover’s dream, where shelves and tables are piled high with tchotchkes and knick-knacks you didn’t realise you needed. Depending on how early you started your day, lunch or dinner must be at the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in the town’s former mental asylum. The entire menu comes from locally sourced ingredients, and you can see into the expansive kitchen from your table. They also serve Meadowbank wines here, if you regret spitting out the pinot noir during your tasting earlier.

MOSS HOTEL 

The perfect launchpad for a Derwent Valley adventure, Hobart’s Moss Hotel is a chic city stay spread across two convict-era buildings. Now filled with Tasmanian furniture, art and plants, Moss was once a whalers’ warehouse and a 1990s nightclub. The original beams and band posters are still on display in some rooms. mosshotel.com.au. 

MEADOWBANK WINERY

The Ellis family have been running this vineyard since the 1970s, and three generations now live onsite. Visits are by appointment-only, which isn’t to say it’s elitist – the family like to personalise your visit, and you’ll leave feeling as if you’re one of them. meadowbank.com.au.

AGRARIAN KITCHEN EATERY 

Started by Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, the restaurant takes full advantage of the beautiful Willow Court grounds: original buildings, high ceilings and tall windows lend a certain je ne sais quoi to a dining experience made possible by a community of growers, farmers and fishermen. theagrariankitchen.com.

THE DRILL HALL EMPORIUM

Owned and run by a mother-and-daughters team, the Drill Hall Emporium is so packed with antiques that when the family came across a vintage printing press, they opened a second store around the corner. The result? Flywheel, a stationery studio beyond the wildest dreams of Officeworks obsessives. thedrillhall.com.au.

This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of marie claire.