Meadowbank: Family, Fun and New Frontiers
From the outset, Meadowbank Wines has had a legacy of challenging expectations. Known today as one of the most celebrated vineyards in Tasmania, Meadowbank’s property was initially a sheep farm. When founder Gerald Ellis carved out a relative handful of acres to grow grapes, many deemed the project doomed to failure – claiming Tasmania’s climate too hostile for such crops.
“It was originally a 4,000 hectare grazing farm. Dad started planting around 1976 – just going against the grain a bit. He thinks it’s all gotten a bit out of control now,” laughs Mardi Ellis, Gerald’s daughter and, with her parents and her husband Alex Deane, one of the chief custodians of the modern Meadowbank legacy.
From that experiment, a sprawling Meadowbank history has emerged encompassing vineyards, restaurants, cellar doors, and more. Meadowbank also supplies the fruit for major brands like Arras, Domaine Simha, Glaetzer-Dixon and Dr-Edge, as well as delivering its own premium Meadowbank Wine in collaboration with 2020 Winemaker of the Year Finalist, Peter Dredge.
“Mardi has always had a real drive for Meadowbank to produce wine that truly represented who we are, our values as a family, and Meadowbank as a place,” Alex says. “And, it was just opportune that we developed this friendship with Peter, who is obviously both a fantastic person and an outstanding winemaker. The pieces of the puzzle just fell together.”
Meadowbank Wines cover all the great cool climate varieties you’d expect. As it says on their website, “With everything from fresh and spritzy sparkling, to textural cool climate whites and elegant and refined reds, we've got something for everyone.” Their Chardonnay is a standout and has received a consistent 95 points from Halliday for three consecutive years. Their reds are also exceptional. In fact, their 2020 Gamay won the Chairman’s Award at the 2020 Tasmanian Wine Show as the best wine overall. But as much as they value the industry recognition, the Ellis family value what they’ve been able to achieve together, through hard work and determination, to be the best custodians for the land and the generations that will follow.
“You know, I grew up on the farm,” says Mardi. “I was born and bred here and grew up with the sheep and the vineyards and all of it. I can remember going to the local school and coming home to stick labels onto wine bottles, or chase a mob of sheep around for Dad. And, I just keep coming back to this place because I love it, I love our wine, I love our industry, and I love my family.”
At the heart of that sprawl, family and friendship remain ever-present. While it’s tempting to think of the legacy of Meadowbank as one of challenging expectations, that energy seems to largely spring from a shared desire to have fun and explore new ideas with friends and family. Mardi’s twin brother Henry, for instance, flies visitors in his Above and Beyond Seaplane to and from Meadowbank for tastings and lunches, as well as Meadowbank’s Long Lunch Experiences each month .
“Yeah, we’re just a family, really. That’s exactly what we are,” Mardi says with a smile. “Between Peter and his partner Ella, me and Alex, mum and dad, we’ve got six kids running around – somehow we make it all work. Balancing meetings and breastfeeding can get a little crazy. But, that’s who we are. We’re very lucky, really.”
Meadowbank currently features in our Magnificent Mixed and Exceptional Red boxes.