Stefano Lubiana
Stefano Lubiana
Australia •Tasmania
Steve Lubiana is a fifth-generation winemaker, growing up in South Australia’s Riverland where his father was a winemaker, and where Lubiana cut his teeth. “In 1955 my parents started a winery my father took over from his father in the Riverland in SA making bulk wine. I didn’t want to make bulk wine, I wanted to do premium wine… especially sparkling. I looked around Australia and it was obvious that Tasmania was the best place to grow grapes to make sparkling wine.”
A move to Tasmania in 1990 saw him and his wife, Monique, plant vines in 1991 in Granton, Derwent Valley. A strong focus on the Apple Isle’s key grapes – pinot noir and chardonnay – was the prime motivation, but over the years there has been considerable diversification. The site had new plantings added in 2010 and 2019, with some vines also grafted over the years. The current composition is pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling, sauvignon blanc, syrah, merlot, malbec, malvasia and blaufränkisch across 28.3 hectares of vines. Most of the vineyard is planted at a density of 4,500 vines per hectare, which is still dense by Australian standards, but there is also a close-planted 1.3-hectare block at 11,000 vines per hectare that was established in 2019.
When Lubiana moved to Tasmania, he was already interested in biodynamics, having studied Rudolph Steiner’s seminal work, Agriculture, after early exposure to the principles. Some initial trials with both organics and biodynamics were foiled by a lack of financial resources, with the wrong or inadequate equipment at the time. In 2013, after overcoming hurdles, Lubiana became Tasmania’s first official biodynamic vineyard – and they never looked back.
In accordance with biodynamic principles, no synthetic chemicals are used in the vineyard or winery. The classic preparations for nurturing soil and vines are used, and planting, pruning, harvesting etc. are conducted in tune with the lunar calendar. “Our philosophy is a choice,” says Lubiana. “We’ve decided to be certified biodynamic because it protects the soil, creatures, vines, employees, customers and us, the owners, from harmful chemicals. A win all the way around.” That precision of expression is something that Lubiana notes has only increased with biodynamics, and that it has likely been the biggest change since conversion. “In our wines, we see obvious varietal characters, transparency between layers of fruit flavour, balanced natural acid and superior elegance on the finish,” he says. “No quick, harsh stop. A soft gentle ending to each mouthful! In other words. Our wine makes itself. Rarely is an adjustment required and because we slow wine-make, filtering is more or less done by gravity.”
Wines We Carry
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