A vineyard at Mewstone in Tasmania / Photo courtesy of Mewstone Its isolation is what makes Tasmania so special. The rugged island state, roughly the size of Ohio and 150 miles off the southeast coast of Australia, is a food and wine lover’s paradise. In fact, wine is the jewel in Tasmania’s crown. Australia’s coolest-climate winegrowing region, Tassie can produce precise, complex traditional-method bubbly; slinky, sappy Pinot Noir; exuberant, saline Chardonnay; and fleshy yet delicate Riesling. For more than four decades, the island has attracted investment from large-scale wine businesses around the globe, as well as an increasing number of small, quality-focused grower-winemakers.