Small Wonder opens state-of-the-art winery in Tamar Valley

Small Wonder has taken yet another impressive step in their ambitious journey, completing construction on a state-of-the-art winery at their picturesque, certified organic vineyard in the Tamar Valley, ready just in time for Vintage 2024.

The new facility was driven by the brand’s desire to curate its own winemaking story from start to finish. It allows for 100% of the winemaking process to be performed onsite, reducing transport costs and emissions and providing complete control over every aspect of the operation. It also means that Small Wonder was able to gain full organic certification for all of its wine from the ACO (Australian Certified Organic) in early 2024.

Nestled into the bushland just behind the brand’s cosy cellar door, three simple, yet elegant buildings extend East to West. With a total footprint of 1920m2, the buildings are a contemporary interpretation of the traditional agricultural shed, its large scale broken down into three long pitched-roof forms arranged in parallel and connected by an internal corridor.  Key to the design was the separation of red and white winemaking to increase efficiency and the ease with which grapes and wine flow through thespace.

Winemaker Andrew Trio, who was closely involved in the project, shares, “We wanted the winery to be a calm and well-organised space, even during the busy peak of harvest when large volumes of grapes are being processed. An efficient layout minimises double handling and allows more time for attention to detail in the wine. Making our wine on-site provides a deeper understanding of the expression of our fruit and more opportunities to explore techniques to bring our vineyard’s unique qualities to life in the wine.”

The first of the three expansive barn-like structures is dedicated to receiving and processing Small Wonder’s Pinot Noir grapes. The second and longest building is for white grape processing and boasts two impressive 13.5m by 9m barrel rooms, which commandeer the back portion of the structure. A bottling line connects to the third building which will house the cased wine ready for distribution. The layout allows guests to view all elements of winemaking, from grape delivery, sorting and fermentation to barrel storage and bottling.

Small Wonder CEO Paul McArdle commented, “The winery construction signals the culmination of three years’ detailed consideration and design, working with Kerry Hill Architects (lead Architect, Tasmanian-born Justin Hill) and in association with Launceston Architectural firm Edwards+Simpson. The collaborative approach has brought valuable perspectives to the project and helped marry the required practicalities of a successful working winery with an enduring, responsible design.”

Using 100% green energy, the winery has been designed with energy efficiency and sustainability front of mind. The buildings are constructed using native spotted gum and steel cladding manufactured and installed by a local company. Expansive, floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows and skylights provide natural daylight for winery operations and insulation in the walls and ceiling help to maintain a constant temperature. Rainwater will be captured from the roofs and reused in greywater areas such as washrooms and hose-down spaces,while a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system allows treated water to be reused for vineyard irrigation.

Formerly Goaty Hill, the new Small Wonder brand, launched in August 2022. Many of the expressive cool-climate wines received excellent reviews, and their 2021 Blanc de Blancs won Best Vintage Sparkling at the 2024 Tasmanian Wine Show. The vineyard consists of twenty hectares of old vines of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris, with an additional four hectares of vines recently planted. The new winery has the capacity to process 250 tonnes, producing upwards of 16,000 cases of wine.  

Click here to learn more about Small Wonder's winery.