Meure launches final pinot noir

As a 70th birthday present to himself he decided to sell his D’Meure vineyard and winery, which he had owned for 15 years, and this Northern Tasmanian celebration of  pinot noir seemed the appropriate occasion to market his last vintage.

‘‘I’ve been running the vineyard on my own for the past few years,’’ he said, pouring a glass of D’Meure Pinot Noir for posterity.

‘‘It’s a lot of work and it’s full-time and I feel it’s time to stop while I’m still enjoying it.’’

Mr Meure was initially a law academic, working for the University of New South Wales, before he took an early retirement and bought the D’Entrecasteaux Channel vineyard, which overlooks Bruny Island.

He said now that he was changing careers again, he looked forward to writing a book and going back to law and teaching.

More than 160 people attended the pinot noir tasting at Launceston’s Pinot Shop, which was just one of several events organised as part of the Pinot and Truffle weekend, which will culminate today with a truffle breakfast at Stillwater restaurant.

Pinot Shop owner Michele Round was said Pinot was really ‘‘rocking’’ in the wine market and there was a lot of interest in it.

‘‘We’ve got people from every state, expect from Northern Territory here today,’’ Ms Round said on Saturday.

She said Tasmanian Pinot Noir had grown significantly in quality in the past six to seven years and ‘‘it’s going to keep getting better’’.

Limited tickets to the Stillwater event, which runs from 8.30am until 11.30am and costs $62, are still available.