Coonawarra – Where Cabernet is King

The first thing that strikes you when you get to Coonawarra is that it took you a bloody long time to get there. Four hours to Adelaide in one direction, four hours to Melbourne in another. And not much else in between. Luckily the region makes some of Australia’s best wines. Across this wide brown land few places are as prized for viticulture as the narrow red strip of terra rossasoil that runs in a long cigar shape through Coonawarra. This is seriously special dirt and one variety above all others thrives in it. Cabernet Sauvignon, traditionally more at home surrounded by the grand chateaux of Bordeaux or the pleasure palaces of Napa, thrives amongst the gum trees, tin sheds and grazing cattle of Coonawarra. The region can also produce outstanding shiraz and white varieties like riesling and sauvignon blanc can thrive in the distinctive red soil.