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Tasmanian winemaker Nick Glaetzer has been names ‘Young Winemaker of the Year’ by Gourmet Traveller Wine. Nick is the winemaker/owner of the Glaetzer-Dixon family Winemakers, a boutique operation based in the Coal Valley, about 20 minutes from Hobart. He is also a winemaker at Frogmore Creek, alongside Alain Rousseau. Gourmet Wine judging panel chair Peter Forrestal said the quality of Nick’s wines and his desire to think outside the square earned him the judges praise. "Nick Glaetzer continues to pack far too much into his busy life. Experimentation and the desire to challenge orthodoxies remains at the core of this winemaking, whether it be at Frogmore Creek or Glaetzer-Dixon. In the quality of the wines for which he’s been responsible, he’s shown all the attributes which make him a worthy ‘Winemaker of the Year," Mr Forrestal said. Nick, 31, who originally hails from the Barossa Valley South Australia, moved to Tasmania in 2005 in pursuit of the perfect pinot noir. He now not only produces pinot under his family label, but also Riesling and cool climate shiraz. Nick says it was a pleasant shock to be named young winemaker of the year by Gourmet Wine, adding that the award shows Tasmania is punching above its weight when it comes to producing top wines. "I’m really thrilled to have been chosen for this award. It’s especially gratifying to see my firm belief in the Tassie wine industry confirmed." Wine Tasmania chief executive officer Sharalee Davies said Nick’s award was proof that the rest of Australia was starting to sit up and take notice of Tasmanian wines. "Tasmanian wine producers have been quietly and determinedly developing a reputation for outstanding wine quality and innovation over several decades. A number of winemakers, such as Nick, continue to experiment and innovate in the pursuit of crafting individual and expressive Tasmanian wines." "Tasmania only represents half a percent of Australia’s total wine production but is in a very exciting stage of its evolution. This award is both a credit to Nick’s winemaking ability and reinforcement of the broader quality of the Tasmanian wine sector and its wines."