Coonawarra Wine Region
Coonawarra – Click to Enlarge
The Coonawarra wine region is nestled between Wrattonbully and Mount Gambier in the south of South Australia, bordering Victoria. The region forms part of the Limestone Coast wine zone, which it shares with Mount Benson, Padthaway, Robe, Wrattonbully and Mount Gambier. The region is a 4-hour drive from Adelaide or a 5-hour drive from Melbourne.
Thanks to the work of local pioneering winemakers, Coonawarra is, perhaps alongside Margaret River, Australia’s most famous cool-climate region for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Coonawarra’s agricultural history began in the mid-1800’s when settlers recognised the potential of the flat and fertile plains for farming and fruit growing and the first grapevines were planted in the area in 1891. Despite this promising start, by the mid 20th century the region’s total vineyard area had declined to only 300 acres with just 10 acres of Cabernet, but this became the nucleus of the 1960’s boom and the impetus for the huge vineyard expansion over the following 30 years.
The region has since grown to over 5000 hectares and new varieties and clones have been introduced, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and as these vineyards have matured, the wines have also evolved.
Despite the growth in other varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon still stands out as the shining start in this region as the grape varietal has found a home in the terra rossa soils, producing rich, firmly structured red wines that are renowned around the world.
