Coonawarra, SA
Map of Coonawarra Wine Region including events listings, winery names and features.
Where is the Coonawarra Wine Region?
After making a fortune selling supplies to gold prospectors and running stores in Ballarat and Geelong, John Riddoch and his family moved to Coonawarra in 1861. Riddoch purchased 200 acres (80 ha), but within 20 years he owned the extensive property, Yallum Park, which covered tens of thousands of hectares.
On the advice of a local gardener, Riddoch subdivided much of the land into 25-75 ha blocks, forming the Penola Fruit Colony. This land was bought by ‘blockers’ as they came to be known, who planted and later sold grapes to Riddoch. Until the bank crash in 1893, the Fruit Colony prospered, due to the magic ‘terra rossa’ soil of the area. This soil covers about 4,800 ha of land in a strip about 1.6 km wide and 14.5 km long. Click here to see our selection of Coonawarra Wines
With 140 ha under vine at Yallum Park, Riddoch built substantial cellars in which to store the wines made from the blockers’ fruit. These were largely shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and some pinot noir. The cellars were built with three distinct gables and have come to be very well known as the building on the Wynns Coonawarra Estate woodcut labels. The cellars were designed to store 340,000 litres of wine but with the depressed market and large vintages, they soon became inadequate. The Yallum shearing sheds at Katnook provided further storage space for Riddoch’s wine. Click here to see our selection of Coonawarra Wines
John Riddoch died in 1901 at a time when fortified wines were becoming increasingly popular. The property was taken over by trustees, who gradually disposed of the land, vineyards and wine. Bill Redman arrived in Coonawarra in the year of Riddoch’s death and began at Yallum Park. By 1907, at 20 years of age, he has reached the position of head cellarman and was able to purchase a 16 ha block from Riddoch’s estate. Redman’s first wine was made using an old cheese press and was fermented in hogsheads purchased from Douglas A. Tolley who had agreed to buy the wine for one shilling per gallon (4.5 litres).
After Yallum Park was purchased by Chateau Tanunda in 1919, Redman became the only winemaker in the area, as the wine remaining from Riddoch’s estate was distilled into fortifying spirit and brandy – a shocking waste of excellent reds. Click here to see our selection of Coonawarra Wines
In 1945 Woodleys purchased the Yallum Estate, winery, distillery and vineyards and renamed the property Chateau Comaum. Bill Redman and family were commissioned to manage the winery. Wynns purchased the property in 1951, renaming it Wynns Coonawarra Estate. There are now more than 20 wineries in the region and many more wine companies around Australia either own vines or purchase grapes or wine from the region.
The climate in Coonawarra is cool and occasionally frosts and ripening are problems. There is a constant underground water supply, but there is limestone between it and the terra rossa. This makes establishing vines both difficult and expensive, as the limestone must be ripped through under each row of vines to enable their roots to reach the water source. Once established, vines are protected from the vagaries of annual rainfall by a constant water supply. Click here to see our selection of Coonawarra Wines
Internationally, Coonawarra is the first region in Australia to have a reputation for its wines and their style as distinct from just being an Australia wine. The south east of South Australia now has wines growing far and wide, new multi-million dollar wine planting schemes seem a dime a dozen, but the name Coonawarra still has the magic which has been hard –earned and deserved. Click here to see our selection of Coonawarra Wines
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Our Exclusive Coonawarra Wine Selection
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Coonawarra 2009 Cabernet Merlot x 12
Regular Price: $207.00
Special Price: $127.00
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Coonawarra 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon x 12 NEW!
Regular Price: $240.00
Special Price: $124.00
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