Pressing Matters Vineyard

Architect/s: John Skinner with BPSM Architects (2023)

Architecture in Wine Country

What happens when a love of wine inspires a love of place, and an architect comes out of retirement to design the next chapter?

Set among the vineyards of the Coal River Valley, Pressing Matters brings together wine, landscape and architecture in a striking new winery, tasting room and house designed by Tasmanian architect John Skinner.

The story began in 2002, when Greg and Michelle Melick established Pressing Matters, inspired by the potential of the neighbouring Morningside Vineyard to produce exceptional Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet. In 2019, Anthony and Kay Hall joined the Melicks as partners, bringing together two families connected by a shared love of Burgundy, wine and time spent together in France.

The new partnership created an opportunity to invest in the next chapter of Pressing Matters, including new vineyard plantings, a winery, tasting room and supporting infrastructure.

Look closely and you’ll discover an architecture that deliberately avoids the idea of the winery as a trophy building. Instead, Skinner was asked to create something practical, functional and architecturally interesting, responding to the vineyard and the working life of winemaking.

The result is a collection of crisp white geometric forms scattered across the hillside, creating a distinctive composition within the landscape. And there is a wonderful connection behind the design: Skinner had once had a vineyard of his own, giving him a personal understanding of the relationship between architecture, landscape and the making of wine.

Come and have a look, explore the architecture and discover how a shared passion for wine, landscape and design has shaped the next chapter of Pressing Matters.

Tasting/Tour: Sat 7 & Sun 8 10.00am – 4.00pm (bookings required)