Wine

Arras Ascendant – 30 Years of House of Arras

Celebrating 30 years of prestige sparkling with Ed Carr and House of Arras. 

There are a handful of names in Australian wine that are synonymous with quality, whose mark is the imprimatur of impeccable taste. Among them is House of Arras, which has in its time elevated Tasmanian – and, by extension, Australian – sparkling to unprecedented heights of global recognition and acclaim. 

Its success is not happenstance. It is the culmination of decades of dedication on the part of Chief Winemaker Ed Carr, who early recognised Tasmania as a place from which a sparkling style might emerge that could challenge the dominance of French Champagne. Having worked with almost every major Australian sparkling wine producer from the 1980s through to the 2000s, his transition to House of Arras three decades ago set in motion an arc of winemaking that can only be described as iconic. 

Ed Carr (second from right) and the House of Arras winemaking team, celebrating 30 years of success.

Consequently, his singular vision, patience and ambition have seen flagship Arras wines, such as the EJ Carr Late Disgorged, take their rightful place among the greats on the world stage. They are the meeting place of old world craft and Tasmanian terroir: uniquely Australian, combining clear, pristine fruit, nuanced aromatics, and that fine acid line that distinguishes the good from the great. 

Consider the recent awards House of Arras has claimed: Chairman’s Trophy at the 2024 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships; Platinum Medal at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards; and the Australian Sparkling Trophy at the International Wine Challenge (IWC). 

Carr’s deeply considered technique, and his method of extended lees ageing in particular of anywhere up to 15 years on tirage, result in wines of masterful complexity and depth: signatures of his style. 

It’s befitting then, to raise a celebratory glass: to the continued vision and innovation of Ed Carr as he marks 30 years at House of Arras, and to the gifts he continues to bestow on wine lovers around the world. Salut.