Coonawarra

The most significant catalyst that stimulated Coonawarra's growth - and the growth of the Australian wine industry - was the influx of European migrants following the Second World War. Until about 1990, many Australian families (including my own) would have never tasted a dry white or red wine, or eaten Italian, Greek or any other European type foo... d. "Although Coonawarra had been producing premium wines since the late 1800s, largely due to the efforts of the Redman family, it was the influence of David Wynn who purchased the Coonawarra Winery in 1950 and his professional approach to wine marketing that enabled the region to capitalise on this change in consumer tastes." "The Wynn family carried Coonawarra into its boom years and their success prompted the other corporate wine companies such as Mildara,( 1955) Lindeman's (1965) Penfolds (1965) Hungerford Hill (1971) and then Orlando and Hardy's to acquire their holdings in Coonawarra." "The arrival of these large companies brought a very professional approach to marketing. I was not a young winemaker or even a winery owner in those years, but the success of those companies provided aN opportunity for small family owned companies such as us to later establish a niche in the market. Over the next 30 or so years the large corporates and small family owned companies shared the accolades such as the wine show wins and the Jimmy Watson Trophy - there was certainly a sense of partnership and collaboration. Even though some of the smaller wineries are adding the colour to our story now, I would never discount the significant role played in the fortunes of Coonawarra by Treasury, through the Wynns winery." "Winemaking is an ongoing journey of improvement - I don't think any of us are ever happy to stand still and we all approach it differently. As climate change is now a reality it is vital to know and understand the changes that are taking place in our vineyards and the environment. The ultimate goal when producing quality grapes is to achieve balance between canopy ...Read More