2022 Pressing Matters ‘R0’ Riesling

Samantha Connew is a star in the Australian wine scene, with a passion for crafting elegant and expressive wines from her own vineyard in Tasmania. A former lawyer and arts student, Samantha discovered her love for winemaking while working part-time in a wine bar while studying in New Zealand, where she was born. Overseas travel fuelled this passion which lead her to study winemaking and viticulture at university. She then moved to Australia and worked at some of the country’s most prestigious wineries, such as Wirra Wirra in McLaren Vale and Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley.

In 2007, Samantha won the International Red Winemaker of the Year award in London, and in 2013, she launched her own label, Stargazer, inspired by the explorer Abel Tasman and his celestial navigation. Samantha’s wines are made with minimal intervention, using hand-picked, wild-fermented grapes from her 13-hectare vineyard, which was named Tasmania Vineyard of the Year in 2019.

Samantha’s wines are a reflection of her adventurous spirit, her dedication to excellence, and her respect for the land and the seasons.