Small Wonder Wines

The Terroir-Driven Philosophy of Small Wonder Wines: A Technical Overview

Small Wonder Wines, located in the Tamar Valley of Tasmania, is a producer dedicated to a philosophy that blends meticulous vineyard management with a low-intervention, high-attention approach in the winery.1 Their focus is on creating wines that are a true expression of their unique cool-climate site.2 This technical article delves into the key practices and principles that define their winemaking.

The Vineyard: A Foundation of Organic and Regenerative Practices

The Small Wonder vineyard, originally planted in 1998, encompasses 20 hectares of diverse land.3 The team has committed to a long-term vision of sustainability, culminating in the vineyard's certification as Certified Organic (ACO 13305) in 2022.4 This commitment goes beyond simply avoiding synthetic chemicals; it is a regenerative blueprint for rebuilding soil life and promoting biodiversity.5

The vineyard's topography and geological makeup are central to its unique character. It features a range of soil types, which are carefully mapped and managed to suit specific grape varietals.6

  • Grey sand at the top of the vineyard is preferred for aromatic whites like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris.7

  • Grey silt loam transitions to a red silt clay loam and Ferris mudstone on the slopes, which is ideal for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plantings.8

The viticultural team, led by a detailed vision for vine care, has adopted techniques such as gentle pruning to promote healthy sap flow and cane pruning to open the canopy and reduce disease pressure.9 The vines, now nearing 25 years of age, are showing the benefits of greater vine age, producing fruit with enhanced complexity.10 The team also uses technology like solar radiation mapping to identify and fine-tune management of specific micro-terroirs within blocks, allowing for targeted harvest operations.11

Winemaking: Precision and Restraint

The winemaking at Small Wonder, overseen by winemaker Andrew Trio, is a thoughtful process that seeks to capture the nuances of the vineyard.12 The winery, completed in 2024, was designed with sustainability in mind, featuring state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting, and solar power.13

The winemaking process is defined by several key principles:

  • Parcel-by-Parcel Management: The vineyard's varied blocks are divided into smaller parcels based on clonal material, soil type, and other factors.14 In the winery, this nuanced approach continues, with small-format tanks used to keep batches separate according to their origin.15 This allows the winemakers to express the unique character of each parcel.16

  • Harvesting for Acidity and Flavor: The team's picking decisions prioritize flavor and acidity over sugar ripeness.17 This results in wines with lower alcohol and a more precise expression of the site.18 All grapes are hand-harvested, allowing for a high degree of quality control.19

  • Gentle Handling and Low Intervention: A gentle approach is employed throughout the winemaking process. This includes using gravity wherever possible to minimize pumping and unnecessary interference. Fermentation is typically done in open-top stainless steel fermenters. For Pinot Noir, for example, the grapes undergo a cold soak to extract color and supple tannins before inoculation.

  • Minimal Oak Influence: For barrel-matured wines, the use of new French oak is kept to a minimum (e.g., 10% for the 2023 Landscape Pinot Noir).20 This is a deliberate choice to provide gentle support to the wine's structure without overpowering its intrinsic character.