Coonawarra

The Coonawarra region is located in the far south-east of South Australia. Neighbouring wine regions include Wrattonbully and Mount Benson.  The region has a long viticultural history dating back to 1890.

First planted to vines in 1890, the Coonawarra district has evolved through three distinct historical periods. The first was the era of the Penola Fruit Colony, and the early settlers such as the Redman family who, by dint of hard work, brought to reality the vision of its Scottish founder, John Riddoch. They generally prospered until the First World War. That era was followed by the troubled times of the Depression and the Second World War. It was during this second period that the original John Riddoch cellars were converted to a distillery, and it was only the Redman family which was able to maintain a continuous tradition of table wine production.

The third historical period witnessed the appreciation by many other investors of the truly great attributes of this small yet magic tract of terra rossa soil. Samuel Wynn recognised the quality of the wines from the region and, through his purchase of the original cellars in 1951, initiated what was tantamount to a renaissance of the region. It was also during this period that the Australian wine industry, hitherto predominantly fortified, completed the transformation to table wine and Coonawarra was able to realise its original potential.

More Info