About Us
Tiger Ranch Holstein Stud (dairy cattle) was founded in 1977 by my parents Brian and Fay Colbeck, and in the same year I established Tiger Ranch Angora Goat Stud when I joined the Tasmanian Police Force. After leaving the police force in 1982, I held a range of hospitality management and sommelier positions within the United Kingdom and Australia. Then in 1990 I established a small vineyard in Tasmania, in conjunction with running the dairy operation with my partner Carol, and taking a position training wine and hospitality vocations.
What began as an adventure to Europe in 1982 has become a wine hobby, obsession and profession in that order. In 2000 Tiger Ranch was relocated to Lower Barrington and a new vineyard established in 2004 on our more easily maintained and smaller acreage, concentrating on imported French clones of Pinot Noir. In November 2005 we released the first wines under our own label, Tiger Ranch Wines, a 2004 Pinot Noir and in January 2006 we released the 2005 Chardonnay. I currently hold a cellar door license for the sale, marketing and distribution of my own wines, currently a small production of approximately 250 to 350 cases annually.
Since moving to our current address the dairy farming operation has ceased and I am concentrating on the vineyard and wine making as well as the development of the Awarran Park Arabian horse stud. We have been lucky to have a select number of members within the wine industry and unselfish livestock breeders who have given a great deal of assistance to us over various periods of time, friends whom I can ring without hesitation if I need advice or information.