Launceston’s food and wine delights

Once upon a time Tasmania seemed a distant Aussie destination, known best for logging and an annual yacht race.

Not anymore.

A culinary mecca, Tasmania ticks all the boxes for top restaurants, award-winning wines and internationally applauded whiskies.

And, it can actually be quicker and cheaper than travelling to other Aussie foodie destinations, according to Josef Chromy sales and marketing manager David Milne.

“The last winery I worked at in Western Victoria, it took longer to drive from there to Melbourne return and more expensive in petrol than to go from Launceston to Melbourne return,” he told AAP.

“It’s not as far away as people think. You’ve got a lot more reasons to come to Tasmania now than you did 14 years ago.”

And when it comes to wine, he said Tasmania is giving not just the Hunter Valleys and Mornington Peninsulas a run for their money, but the rest of the world.

“Tasmania’s become synonymous with the best sparkling in the new world, if you’re not going champagne, Tasmania is right up there and internationally recognised,” he said, adding that they also have the perfect environment for Pinot Noir, which can be very difficult to grow.

And the proof is in the pudding, with the 2011 Josef Chromy Chardonnay winning the World’s Best Chardonnay at the 2013 Decanter World Wine Awards.

That said, it can sometimes be a bit more of a gamble.

“A lot of people talk about making wine in Tasmania as making wine on the edge, because the weather can be really cruel to you at the last minute but that’s part of the excitement because there’s a lot of challenges and there are trade offs,” he said.

“In warm years we can get quite rich and voluptuous pinot … in cold years, pinot can be sort of lean and thinner, but you can get some exquisite sparkling base…

“The variations in Tasmania are more pronounced than any other region in Australia.”

People are finally starting to take notice, with Tasmania emerging as a top foodie destination.

Drawcards include the wine, the artisan producers such as Nick Haddow’s Bruny Island Cheese Company, the Tasmanian Whisky Trail and the salmon industry (which is “going through the roof”).

Then you have producers such as Black Ridge Farm in north-western Tasmania, who produce meat from rare-breed pigs and traditional breeds of sheep and goats that run free-range on their family farm.

You can find their wares at Harvest Launceston Farmers Market, a booming community market that began running three years ago and now boasts over 50 stalls.

At the market, the people who actually grow, make or rear the (only Tasmanian) products are the ones behind the stalls.

Kim Seagram, a Canadian expat and restaurateur, who helped establish the markets said it’s fantastic how excited people become over seasonal produce.

“You wouldn’t believe the queue for apricots when they come in, in January. It’s the length of the market,” she said.

“It’s teaching people seasonality again, it’s teaching people to eat things when they are at their best, which is really important as well.”

Seagram said while it’s fantastic to see Tasmania emerge as a culinary front-runner, it’s also not all that surprising, when you consider that’s what it was founded on – its agriculture.

“When the original European settlers came to Sydney Cove all the European produce didn’t thrive in that environment, however in Tasmania it did. So it became the early food bowl for the colony and has stayed like that ever since,” she said.

“Yes, some things, mining, forestry have their time in the sun, but agriculture is always the one that has underpinned everything that Tasmania’s been about.”

So while they have helped foster an incredible food culture, Seagram said they can’t take all the credit.

“It’s not something we’ve created. We’ve just highlighted it.”

IF YOU GO:

– Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Airlines all fly to Launceston, with some rates from Melbourne as cheap as $65 one-way

– A stay at the Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston in the historic district starts at $129 per night

– It’s worth hiring a car. Everything in Launceston (including the airport and Josef Chromy) is either a 20 minute drive away or it’s walking distance

– Josef Chromy cellar door is open seven days a week and also boasts a top-notch restaurant with stunning winery views. Visit www.josefchromy.com.au

– Harvest Launceston Farmers Market is open every Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm

* The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Tasmania and Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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