Since John Riddoch decreed in the 1890s that his blockers plant Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra has remained true to these classic varieties. But a new crop of grape-growers and winemakers are challenging the status quo with innovative viticultural technology, alternative grape varieties and new winemaking styles. Coonawarra is not a recent arrival. It has paid its dues to the Australian wine industry for over 120 years, exporting fortifieds in the late 1800s and providing the essence of many of our most famous wines in the 30s, 40s and 50s long before its global reputation as a fine wine region was established. Terra rossa (Italian for red soil) is a type of red clay produced by the weathering of limestone over many thousands of years and coloured by iron oxide. Free draining yet complemented by the water holding capacity of the limestone, the unique soil influences vine vigour, ripeness and wine flavour.
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Penola, SA, Australia