Finding the right place to settle is not an easy thing. Once Matthias moved to Tasmania for good, the initial idea was for us to take over an established vineyard somewhere in southern Tasmania. We soon realised that finding the ideal place wouldn’t be easy. The odd vineyard that we found that was for sale over next couple of years would never really match our expectations. Either they were too small with no room to expand or they were in an odd location with high climatic risks or the soil type wasn’t right. Are we too fussy? After over two years of searching and hundreds of hours spent on real estate websites we came to the conclusion that we might have to change our approach.

The most radical and finally the most logical solution to our dilemma was to search for a block of land and build up our own vineyard from scratch rather than searching for the odd one out that was for sale. By building up our place we could plant where and what we want in the way we always imagined and dreamt our vineyard to be. Now this of course comes at a massive cost of having to invest over four years without getting any income off that land.

In August 2017 we finally found the ideal block of land. A 42 acre, north-east facing, gentle to steep sloping block with a magnificent view over the Tamar River and the mountain ranges as the backdrop. For both of us it was the first time that we felt such an immediate and strong connection to a place. This would be our vineyard site, our little paradise and eventually our family home.

Less than a year later, after several soil tests were done and legal requirements were fulfilled, we were back on our block, pulling down old fences and cleaning out the shabby sheds. The next steps are to prepare the soil, put in the trellis and eventually plant it out. We’re very excited, full of energy but also a bit apprehensive for all that lies ahead of us. Stay connected and follow us on our journey
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