Craigie Knowe Vineyard & Flora's Restaurant — Restaurant in Tasmania

We arrived at Craigie Knowe winery by accident just before closing time on a spectacular Sunday afternoon in October. Exhausted from an early morning flight from Sydney that landed us in Hobart rather than the intended Launceston. Desperately searching for a coffee before heading back to Hobart we happened upon a small sign advertising a patisserie which we assumed must also serve coffee. To our surprise it was the Craigie Knowe cellar door in a barn set amid the vines. The owner, Glenn Travers and his family were just closing up for the day but invited us in and provided the much-needed coffee. But soon the conversation turned to wine, and out came some glasses and a tasting of the 2022 Estate Pinot Noir, a deep red wine with a nose of berry and a hint of vanilla. The mouth feel was balanced and well-structured with initial cherry and raspberry flavors blended with a hint of chocolate and ending in a cedary and soft tannin finish. Other bottles came out and we found ourselves revisiting older vintages, a 2015 Pinot Noir was particularly appealing, developing bottle-age complexity and nuance. The evening continued with other bottles being brought out, until it became evident that we could not and should not drive back to Hobart. Our host picked up the phone and in short order arranged for us to spend the night at Wagner’s Cottages in nearby Swansea, a complex of 100+ year old , stone, farm cottages renovated into luxurious accommodations in a beautiful garden. Realizing that we would need to eat too, he called the Saltshaker restaurant and persuaded them to stay open. We finished the day with perfectly fresh, briny oysters and roast quail while watching the sun go down over the bay and the Freycinet Peninsula. The serendipitous encounter with Glenn and Tristan Travers, their family and friendly dogs turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable days we have had in many years of travel and wine tasting. A detour off the main road to the Craigie Know winery is more than worth the time. Not only is the wine good but the owners make it...

One of the best wineries we went to while in Tas. While unassuming, these guys have some of the best wines in the region. Glenn (owner) served us his selection of wines and took his time to explain all the intricacies that go into making their wines. We knew in detail how each type of grape is grown and what is the process involved with making each wine, like what age of oak barrels they use and for how long and why they do it in the first place. For someone like me who is not very savvy in all things winemaking related, it was very educational and useful for future wine tastings. With this boutique winery you can feel how the staff care about their wines and their customers, unlike some other larger and more commercial wineries in the area where you are done with the tasting in 5 minutes. We ended up subscribing to their wine club (12 bottles per 6 month of your choice) and got 15% discount + free shipping Oz wide. I feel like with these wines with wine club you get awesome value, especially with their 2017 Estate Pino which is the best one that I've tried and costs ~$40, while other Pinos of the same quality that have been oak aged will set you back $60-70 in Milton or...

Jules & I came here to Craigie Knowe for lunch in their newly opened restaurant and shared 3 entree dishes with their Sparkling Rose. The Miso Eggplant & Crunchy Tofu was extraordinary. The miso was beautiful and the lightly respectfully cooked aubergine with the crunchy toasted tofu was a wonderful story on the plate. The Salmon Gravlax sounded different and pleasantly was. Loved the chilli oil. The carpaccio was very different to your standard carpaccio. On a base of caramelised confit onion, with Parmesan and paprika sprinkled on top, it was an inviting dish and delivered in spades. Service and friendly staff were very attentive. It is a must try. Great experience. Will be back. Jules & I came back some 18 months on from their opening and we shared four different entrees and the quality of their meals has continued to soar. The meals were genuinely compatible to any fine dining experience we have found anywhere in Australia. Well done guys....