For us, you would need to go a long way to find a better place to live. Southern Tasmania has a great climate, rich fertile soil and views to die for. It's a relaxed place where you can always find people with time for a chat.

The Huon Valley also plays host to a multitude of craftspeople making the finest produce Australia can muster. From cheese to chutney, cider and charcuterie, there is little that isn't produced locally and the quality is awesome.

Being surrounded by artisans inspires you to achieve more from less, so we have set ourselves the task of living life on far simpler terms and creating a property which is entirely self sustaining, where everything has a purpose and nothing is wasted.

Meet the team

Slashing 30 acres of grass with a tractor is a huge waste of diesel, is a waste of my time and adds little to the soil, so we are breeding Babydoll Southdown miniature sheep to provide lawn mowing throughout the vineyard.

With a shoulder height of only 60cm they are far too short to reach the grapevines and cause any damage, so they will keep the lawn under control and add vital organic matter back into the soil. 

The use of a chicken could be considered obvious. They give us fresh eggs daily, but they also perform a very important pest control function as they scrummage through the vineyard. Australia is home to a variety of crawlies which can impact production, so the chickens provide a natural alternative to the use of broad spectrum insecticides that harms everything in its path, including us! 

Jersey and Scottish Highlander cows also dot the landscape. Some of them are ours and some we agist from a local boutique dairy in return for which we get fresh milk and cheese. The young Jersey heifers wander the vineyard in winter when the vines are dormant giving the sheep a hand with the landscaping.

The Scottish Highlanders are here for meat. An ancient beast, they will eat things that nothing other than goats will eat, like blackberry and thistle, and as a slow grower produces a very rich and marbled meat similar to good Wagyu. They are also serious eye candy with their boy band haircuts.

We also have Patsy Sweetie Darling and Peanut, our 2 Wessex Saddleback pigs. They vacuum up all the leftovers and have so far produced healthy litters of piglets.

And finally there is Meggs the dog. It would be easy to say she is only here for cuddles, but in truth she protects the chickens, the sheep and our cats from the breeding pair Wedge Tail eagles that live and hunt in our valley.

Come and meet the team and wander the property when you visit the cellar. The kids can feed the chooks and play with the dog while you enjoy a relaxed glass of wine.