Samantha Connew

A highly experienced and respected winemaker, Samantha (Sam) Connew is the owner and winemaker, and self-described "somewhat unreliable vineyard hand" behind her Tasmanian solo project, Stargazer, launched in 2013. Her path to the Coal River Valley was unconventional; after completing a law and arts degree in Christchurch, New Zealand, her career trajectory shifted while working at a wine bar in the local Arts Centre. This early exposure to fine wine and food, followed by overseas travel, led her to pursue further studies in winemaking and viticulture at Lincoln University.

Samantha’s professional journey is a combination of international experience and deep Australian roots. Her first vintage in Oregon sparked a lifelong obsession with Pinot Noir, while her first-ever case purchase, a dozen bottles of Tamar Ridge Riesling, foreshadowed her eventual move to Tasmania. In the intervening years, she completed vintages in Italy and Spain, spent ten years as the Senior Winemaker at McLaren Vale’s Wirra Wirra Vineyards, and managed the boutique Hunter Valley winery Tower Estate. Prior to entering self-employment, she worked in applied research and development for the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) as the Manager of the Hunter Valley Node.

Today, Samantha is one of the most well-respected figures in the Australian industry. In 2025, she was named the ASVO Winemaker of the Year by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology, an honour that followed her 2023 nomination and Stargazer’s recognition as a finalist for the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion ‘Winery of the Year’. She has also been a two-time finalist for Gourmet Traveller Wine’s Winemaker of the Year award.

Beyond the cellar, Samantha is a leading voice in wine governance and education. A highly respected judge, she currently serves as the Chair of Judges at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show. In 2014, she made history at the Sydney Royal Wine Show as the first female and youngest judge to be appointed Chair of Judges. Sam remains deeply involved in industry education as an alumnus, board member, and tutor for the Len Evans Tutorial, and as an ongoing mentor in the Wine Industry Mentor Program.

The heart of her current work is the Palisander vineyard in the Coal River Valley. Since acquiring the site in 2016 and expanding it in 2017 and 2021, Samantha has transformed the property into an award-winning estate, earning the title of ‘Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year’ in 2019. In November 2025, she reached a significant new milestone with the opening of a dedicated tasting room at the Palisander vineyard, providing a welcoming setting for visitors to explore her celebrated wines while surrounded by the vines that produced them.