A Coonawarra Cabernet day
Terra rossa, cellar doors and one unforgettable red
The plan
Coonawarra is barely 15 kilometres long and a couple of kilometres wide, a narrow band of terra rossa over limestone that produces some of the country's greatest Cabernet. That compactness is a gift: you can taste across half a dozen of the region's defining estates in a single day without ever feeling rushed.
Start at the historic end of the strip, work south through the founding families and modern benchmark makers, and finish in Penola where the wine country meets Mary MacKillop's heritage streets. Walk or cycle the rail trail between tastings if you'd rather leave the car parked.
How to use it
Book ahead at the smaller estates, eat lunch among the vines at Hollick, and pace yourself - these are structured, age-worthy reds best met with a spit bucket and a sense of occasion.
Day 1
7 stops-
1Coonawarra
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
Begin where Coonawarra Cabernet was defined, beneath the iconic gabled cellar door.
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2Coonawarra
Redman Wines
Taste history with one of the founding families, four generations on.
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3Coonawarra
Balnaves of Coonawarra
A tightly focused, family-led range built around the celebrated The Tally.
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4Coonawarra
Parker Coonawarra Estate
Home of First Growth, a classic single-vineyard Cabernet.
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5
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6
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7Penola
Mary MacKillop Penola Centre
Finish in Penola at the Mary MacKillop heritage centre.
On the map
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Image credits
- Winter vineyard in Coonawarra.JPG by ScottDavis , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons