Always Going Back to the Vineyard
Stefano Lubiana Wines is a family-owned estate in Granton, Tasmania's Derwent Valley, founded by fifth-generation winemaker Steve Lubiana and his wife Monique in 1990. [^416^] Steve grew up in South Australia's Riverland, where his father Mario — a post-war immigrant from Istria — established Lubiana Wines in 1953, making bulk wine. [^426^] Steve didn't want to make bulk wine. He wanted to make premium wine, especially sparkling. He looked around Australia and "it was obvious that Tasmania was the best place to grow grapes to make sparkling wine." [^416^] A honeymoon scouting trip to Tasmania in 1988 sealed the deal. In 1990, Steve and Monique purchased a 252-hectare parcel at Granton, planted the first vines in 1991, and began a journey that would make them pioneers of Tasmanian wine. [^426^] Today, the estate spans over 28 hectares across two sites — the original Granton vineyard in the Derwent Valley and the former Panorama Vineyard at Cradoc in the Huon Valley — producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, sparkling wines, and an ever-expanding range of aromatic whites and alternative varieties. [^416^] [^426^] In 2013, Stefano Lubiana became Tasmania's first certified biodynamic vineyard — a distinction they held alone for many years. [^416^] Their son Marco is now the sixth-generation winemaker, working alongside Steve and launching his own label. [^426^] The philosophy is radical in its simplicity: make the wine in the vineyard. "We'd taste the wine and think this may need more acidity, but we don't go: 'Let's add tartaric to it'. We go back to the vineyard and find how we improve acidity... in the vineyard!" [^416^]
From Riverland Bulk to Tasmanian Bubbles
Steve Lubiana's family winemaking story stretches back five generations. His father Mario, a post-war immigrant from Istria (then Italy, now Croatia), established Lubiana Wines in the Riverland, South Australia, in 1953. [^426^] It was a bulk wine operation — the kind of practical, volume-driven business that defined Australian wine in the mid-20th century. Steve grew up in this world, but he wanted something different. "I didn't want to make bulk wine, I wanted to do premium wine… especially sparkling," he says. [^416^]
In 1985, Steve travelled to Champagne for vintage — a trip that ignited his passion for premium sparkling wine and set him on a path that would lead to Tasmania. [^426^] In 1988, he and his new wife Monique visited Tasmania on their honeymoon for a scouting trip. [^426^] The island's cool climate, pristine environment, and potential for sparkling wine were immediately apparent. Two years later, they purchased the original 252-hectare parcel at Granton in the Derwent Valley, just outside Hobart. [^426^]
The first vines — 2 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — were planted in the spring of 1991. [^426^] Over the years, the vineyard expanded to over 18.5 hectares of bearing vines, with additional plantings in 2010 and a close-planted 1.4-hectare block at 11,000 vines per hectare established in 2019. [^426^] The variety list grew too: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Malvasia, and Blaufränkisch now join the original Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. [^416^] In 2015, the family purchased the former Panorama Vineyard at Cradoc in the Huon Valley, adding another 10 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to the estate. [^426^]
Steve's interest in biodynamics began early. As a child, he found a rough hand-sketched chart his grandfather had made — "winemaking cycles in regard to the phases of the moon." [^416^] Then, in 1985/86, he saw a Four Corners documentary featuring Alex Podolinsky talking about biodynamics. "It clicked with me; it made sense." [^416^] Initial trials with organics and biodynamics were foiled by lack of financial resources and inadequate equipment, but by 2010 the family was "halfway there" on their biodynamic journey. Full ACO certification came in 2013 — making Stefano Lubiana Tasmania's first official biodynamic vineyard. [^416^]
"I found a chart my grandfather had used, or even made… It was a rough hand-sketched chart of winemaking cycles in regard to the phases of the moon. As a child, that really interested me."
— Steve Lubiana
Granton & Cradoc — Poor Soils, Deep Roots & Lunar Rhythms
The original Granton vineyard sits in the Derwent Valley, just outside Hobart, on a site Steve chose for its soil, frost-free location, dry autumn conditions, disease-free environment, and warm continental influence — "but not too much." [^416^] He was "keen on the poor soils to control vigour, especially in cool climate." [^416^] The vineyard now occupies just over 28 hectares, with most of the vineyard planted at 4,500 vines per hectare and a close-planted 1.3-hectare block at 11,000 vines per hectare established in 2019. [^416^]
The Huon Valley site at Cradoc — purchased in 2015 — adds another dimension. The former Panorama Vineyard brings 10 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, currently in conversion to biodynamic certification. [^426^] Together, the two sites give Stefano Lubiana a breadth of fruit sources that allows for both single-vineyard expressions and carefully constructed blends.
Biodynamic farming is not a marketing angle at Stefano Lubiana — it is the entire philosophy. No synthetic chemicals are used in the vineyard or winery. [^416^] Classic biodynamic preparations nurture soil and vines, and all vineyard work — planting, pruning, harvesting — is conducted in tune with the lunar calendar. [^416^] The benefits are tangible: deeper, more fertile soils with increased biodiversity; vines that are tougher and more resilient; grapes with thicker skins, more disease resistance, and greater flavour concentration; and wines with better balance and increased age-ability. [^416^]
The estate is a closed loop of sustainability. Solar power supplements the winery's energy needs. [^416^] Sheep graze the property to control grass rather than mowing. [^416^] Winery wastewater is treated and reused; all grape waste and marc is composted and spread across the vineyard. [^416^] The restaurant, Osteria Vista, is supplied by the estate's own vegetable gardens, chickens, and beehives, with food waste composted or fed to the chickens. [^409^] [^416^] Packaging is recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable. [^416^] Treated pine posts were eliminated in 2010; all new plantings use steel. [^416^]
The original estate, planted 1991. Poor soils chosen specifically to control vigour in the cool climate. [^416^] Frost-free, dry autumn conditions, disease-free site with warm continental influence. [^416^] Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Malvasia, Blaufränkisch. [^416^] Close-planted block at 11,000 vines/ha (2019). [^416^]
Purchased 2015. Former Panorama Vineyard. [^426^] 10 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Currently in conversion to biodynamic certification. [^426^] Adds another dimension to the estate's fruit sources, with distinct terroir from the Huon Valley's cooler, wetter conditions.
Full ACO certification achieved 2013. [^416^] No synthetic chemicals in vineyard or winery. [^416^] Classic biodynamic preparations, lunar calendar alignment for all vineyard work. [^416^] "Our philosophy is a choice. 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." [^416^]
Solar-powered winery. [^416^] Sheep grazing, composting, wastewater treatment and reuse. [^416^] Osteria Vista restaurant supplied by estate gardens, chickens, and beehives. [^409^] Biodegradable packaging, steel posts, native vegetation on 100 hectares. [^416^] "We think biodynamics offers a buffer because it encourages deep root systems and builds carbon in the soil that acts like a blanket." [^416^]
Make the Wine in the Vineyard
Stefano Lubiana's winemaking philosophy is radical in its simplicity: fix everything in the vineyard, not the cellar. "We'd taste the wine and think this may need more acidity, but we don't go: 'Let's add tartaric to it'. We go back to the vineyard and find how we improve acidity; how do we get acidity in that wine… in the vineyard!" [^416^] "This wine is a bit light in colour… How do we make more colour in the vineyard? It's not out of a packet… Need more tannin? Always going back to the vineyard to make the wine in the vineyard." [^416^]
Steve estimates that they spend more than ten times more money on the vineyard than in the winery — and the winery is usually empty and quiet. [^416^] "You don't have to spend much time in the winery when you have good fruit, as there is little to remediate. All the grapes are hand-picked and hand sorted, every single bunch… Sometimes we can sit back with arms folded when hand sorting and watch it go past… as all the fruit is good, we've done everything right in the vineyard." [^416^]
The winemaking is gentle and traditional. For sparkling wines, foudres (large oak vats) are used to ferment and age base wine, transforming and softening texture while creating layers of complexity. [^434^] Tiraged wines are given space to evolve and mature by maximising time on lees — usually between three and fifteen years. [^434^] The Prestige cuvée spends 12 years on lees; the Grande Vintage spends close to 10 years. [^430^] [^434^] All sparkling fruit is grown and made in-house — authentic "grower" sparkling winemakers, a rarity in Australia. [^434^]
For the still wines, the approach is equally considered. The Pinot Noirs range from the approachable Primavera (totally destemmed, whole berry fermentation) to the single-block expressions (La Roccia, Ruscello, Il Giardino) that are often 100% whole cluster. [^420^] [^426^] The Chardonnays are hand-picked, hand-sorted, whole-bunch pressed, with natural fermentation in French oak. [^435^] Some wines explore natural and amphora styles — the Amphora Amber Wine and the Pinot Noir-dominant Terramadre are made with simple, natural, traditional winemaking. [^438^] [^439^]
The results speak for themselves. The 2022 La Roccia scored 99 points from James Suckling and was named the #1 Wine in Australia. [^414^] The 2013 Grande Vintage Brut — disgorged in 2024 after 10 years on lees — scored 96 points. [^426^] The 2022 Collina Chardonnay scored 96 points. [^427^] These are wines of international stature, made with minimal intervention and maximum respect for the fruit.
The La Roccia 2022 — #1 Wine in Australia
In December 2024, James Suckling named the Stefano Lubiana La Roccia 2022 the #1 Wine in Australia — a historic moment for Tasmanian wine and biodynamic viticulture. [^414^] Ryan Montgomery awarded it 99 points, describing it as "sophisticated and pure, with lifted aromas of dark cherries, forest floor, wild raspberries, dried herbs and orange peel." [^414^] "The palate is medium-bodied with tightly wound acidity and finely integrated tannins, giving notes of blackberries, potpourri, violets and chalk. Exceptionally well constructed, with a savory edge from 100% whole-cluster fermentation. A nearly perfect and complete Australian pinot noir. Brilliant." [^414^] Master of Wine Ned Goodwin had previously called La Roccia "the first lightning strike" of his Tasmanian trip — "imperious," with a "carapace of tannin beautifully refined, serving as a bulwark of restraint, staving off any excessive fruitiness from seeping across its barriers." [^426^] This is not just a great Pinot Noir. It is proof that biodynamic farming, minimal intervention, and vineyard-first thinking can produce wines that compete with — and surpass — the very best in the world.
Six Generations, One Family, One Purpose
Stefano Lubiana Wines is a true family estate. Steve and Monique Lubiana founded it, built it, and still run it. Their son Marco Lubiana — the sixth generation — graduated from Adelaide University in 2018 and joined the family business while also launching his own label, Marco Lubiana. [^426^] The continuity is unbroken: from Istria to the Riverland to the Derwent Valley, from bulk wine to biodynamic fine wine, from grandfather's moon chart to ACO certification.
The estate is more than a winery. Osteria Vista — the on-site restaurant — is supplied by the estate's own biodynamic market garden, chickens, and beehives. [^409^] Visitors can taste wines at the cellar door, dine at the restaurant, and experience a fully integrated farm-to-table operation that embodies the biodynamic philosophy in every aspect. [^409^]
Steve Lubiana's vision has never wavered. He wanted to make premium sparkling wine in the best place in Australia to grow grapes for it. Thirty-five years later, that vision has expanded to include some of the country's finest Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and single-vineyard expressions — all made with the same commitment to place, purity, and biodynamic integrity. [^415^] "Our wine makes itself," Steve says. "Rarely is an adjustment required and because we slow wine-make, filtering is more or less done by gravity." [^416^]
The future is in good hands. Marco brings fresh energy and new ideas, while Steve's decades of experience provide the foundation. Together, they are writing the next chapter of a story that began five generations ago — a story of family, land, and the belief that the best wine is the one that needs the least help.
"Our philosophy is a choice. 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."
— Steve Lubiana
The Stefano Lubiana Range
Stefano Lubiana produces a comprehensive portfolio of biodynamic wines from its Derwent Valley and Huon Valley vineyards. The range spans sparkling wines (the original motivation for the move to Tasmania), single-block Pinot Noirs, estate Chardonnays, and an expanding collection of aromatic whites and alternative varieties. All wines are made with minimal intervention, hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit, natural fermentation, and extended time in oak or on lees. The style is precise, transparent, and deeply expressive of site — wines that "make themselves" because the vineyard work has already been done. [^416^] [^434^] Prices are approximate and vary by market.