Majella Wines

The interesting news here is about a couple of very new drinking styles in the diverse stable of wines. The family winery has steadily grown since vineyards were planted in 1968, adding another arm to the original grazing business. The recent launch of its first chardonnay has soundly landed Majella into this coveted field. It also has released the first Majella Pot Still Brandy. Ask about this in the cellar door because the back story is interesting, revealing “forgotten history”, little-known connections to Chateau Tanunda, and tales of a red-wine lull in the early 1900s, spurring Coonawarra producers to distillation to manage surplus harvests.

St Mary’s Wines and Spirits

Basket-pressed red wines (and a rosé) stand with the more recent addition of vodka, gin and rum, so there’s something for all palates at this park-like cellar door. It’s set within beautiful country gardens, including a plot of edibles. Hundreds of stunning roses rimmed by stone walls draw huge interest on their own. As does the winery’s wildlife sanctuary. Owners Barry and Glenys Mulligan took on the family property in the late 1970s. Apart from expanding into wine, Barry’s first move was to bequeath a significant parcel of native scrub to wildlife. The home to more than 120 bird species and other wildlife has been protected ever since.

Zema Estate

A travelling thread from Calabria to Coonawarra is behind this Italian family story. It makes a good conversation piece when visiting the seven-day cellar door, where you can sample current releases, linger over a platter or book a “saluti tasting”. Guided samplings and winery tours can be booked online. These focus on the Estate Museum Range and family museum wines. Zema’s SA reputation has been built since 1982 with estate-grown fruit, practices of hand pruning, sustainable viticulture, patient bottle ageing, and deep Coonawarra provenance respect. Gifts and condiments also feature in the cellar door, including the popular Mrs Zema’s chilli paste and olive oil.

Parker Estate

This winery comes into view while driving into Penola. Check the website to find the cellar door’s frequent themed happenings. They range from mid-winter slow-cooking and a mid-October cabernet music/wine soiree, to regular offerings of honey and baked brie with wine or port. Gin tastings are popular, and for lunch, the Parker Pies are popular. Share one of each – the Parker cabernet beef and the chardonnay and chicken, served with homemade relish and salad. The cellar door structure lined with signature limestone is a great backdrop for events, as well as your getaway photos.

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Wynns

The Michael Shiraz and John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon are almost as well-known as Wynns itself, the largest single-vineyard enterprise in Coonawarra. It is a sleek cellar door for modern architecture lovers and a must-visit for the respected wine options, as well as the availability of those two special drops. The main tasting bar area with barrel displays is smart and large. There are comfy couches in the Back Vintage wine store where you can enjoy a glass, or two, with cheese. For larger events, consider the restored heritage-listed “gables building” fitted out to act as a versatile function space.

Woolshed Brewery

It’s a rustic lifestyle package at this brewery based at Wilkadene, a prime riverside property. Woolshed brews finessed over more than a decade have resulted in stable of frothy flavours matching all preferences. Add mixed spaces for small to large parties, plus the Wilkadene cottage for up to six guests for a down-to-earth experience. The pantry and fridge are well stocked for build-your-own platters. Bring a picnic or plan a barbecue cook up. Sit out on the deck with the River Murray less than a stone’s-throw away. If touring on a houseboat, park and relax over a few beers. Regular live music features with food trucks on weekends. It’s a changing feast of fun.

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Hollick

It’s one of the first names that come to mind when the Coonawarra district is in the conversation. Three nearby vineyards and a penchant for experimenting with varietals have helped its founders, Ian and Wendy Hollick, become known as innovators. They produced Coonawarra classics and later ventured into styles considered in earlier times to be exotics – tempranillo, sangiovese and barbera. The Hollick cellar door – initially a quaint heritage-listed stone cottage – is now an expansive modern go-to for visitors with striking architecture, panoramic views and the restaurant, Upstairs at Hollick. The Italian restaurant opens Friday to Sunday, the cellar door downstairs, daily.

Cape Jaffa Wines

If you haven’t been for a while, changes will be noticeable, with still more to come. A giant covered deck has been open for nearly five years. It was the first stage in a set of works, including upgrades to the cellar door, all designed to increase seating and to cater well for large events at this off-the-grid winery. The Loophole Brewing Co is a growing part of the business, and regular weekend afternoons of live music are key drawcards for families. It makes for a festive setting on weekends when grazing platters and hot food is served. Pets are welcome.

Padthaway Estate

History abounds in every direction on this estate. The cellar door, open Friday to Sunday, is a stone abode, typical of 1850s country SA architecture. It has been restored to host everything from private tastings of the Landaire and Eliza wines, to meetings and larger groups. An 1840s “kitchen” has become a private tasting and meeting room. Varied accommodation makes the estate a great base for a Coonawarra getaway. The most famous lodgings are at the grand old Padthaway mansion. At time of writing, it was undergoing major renovation. There also are the options of the 1901 Shearer’s Quarters and the 1847 Lawson’s Cottage.

Karatta Wines

While the vineyards are near the Woods’ family farm just out of Robe, the Karatta Wine Room is right in the coastal town, in the Wilsons Saddlery building at 5 Victoria Street. It’s open daily in the summer holidays, otherwise on weekends. The wines include sparklings and whites, a larger selection of reds, as well as verjuice. Wine flights pair well with Karatta seasonal platters and in summer, live music features in a great little beer garden. While there, allow time to browse The Wine Room’s art gallery featuring local artists alongside a global mix, curated by “expressionistic” artist Terry Johnson.

Wangolina

In the Mount Benson region, contemporary wines and a sense of fun prevail on the labels and at a simple cellar door surrounded by lawns and lots of open space. The tastings are complimentary, or indulge and pay a very reasonable price for quirky couplings. One of these experiences is an amusing self-guided “get your nerd on”, a comparison of wines from Wangolina with “our beloved NZ neighbours”. Another is equally entertaining. The “Chip ‘n’ Sip” experience pairs four wines and the best-matched potato chips, the flavours given the okay by the winemaker of course.

Ottelia

The Innes family’s penchant for good food and wine is behind this cellar door and restaurant. The wines, with eye-catching black-and-white labels, are crafted with the help of a close relationship with sub-region growers and their excellent fruit. The second generation of the family collectively run the wine-alongside-food show established by Mum and Dad, aka winemaker John and restaurant founder Melissa. Curated tastings are hosted in the rustic-meets-modern Coonawarra space, where the restaurant is best known for a great selection of wood-fired pizzas as well as innovative snacks and sharing plates. Sharing extends to online recipes for the favoured dishes.

Di Giorgio

While the internal cellar door is tiny, a heated patio and sprawling lawns make this a great group or family destination. Happy kids make for happy parents, say the crew, so kids’ snack packs are stocked, a giant toy box is available, and there is lots of space for them and the family pooch to play. A pantry is stocked with regional produce for building a platter. More options include private tastings (cost redeemable), a pasta-making lesson and lunch with the family, and a walking trail. As for the wines, they are many and varied, gleaned from aged vines at this winery, the second oldest in the Coonawarra.

Raidis Estate

Greek hospitality reigns at this cellar door near Penola. In fact, when part of a group of eight or more, you can book in for a classic long, long family lunch. The Raidis crew describe it as a “deep dive into the heart of who we are with a taste of our current and back vintage wines alongside a delicious, locally sourced lunch”. Otherwise, pop in for a platter to complement tastings of regional classics cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot, riesling, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris. Families are looked after with the provision of indoor and outdoor toys and a fully enclosed yard.

Brand’s Laira

What a striking spot to choose to park yourself for an afternoon of tasting highly respected wines and grazing on soup, South East produce and pastries. The cellar door was given a major facelift in 2019. It features super lofty skillion overheads and floor-to-ceiling windows framing sensational outlooks. The building preserves Eric’s Shed, paying homage to the original baker, Eric Brand, who turned “blocker”, selling his grapes to other wineries. That is, until 1966, in one of the area’s best-weather years, when he used an antique basket press, a must pump and four concrete fermenters to produce his first Brand’s Laira vintage. The label continues to win accolades.

Balnaves of Coonawarra

The vineyards seem to stretch forever from the cellar door vantage point, also overlooking extensive lawns, a pond rich with birdlife, and edging gardens packed with more than 900 assorted styles of sweet-smelling roses. The list of wines to taste is long, with all styles covered, including its signature cabernet and vintage drops. If you decide to linger, perhaps at a table shaded by gums, picnic cheese boxes are available (also for takeaway) as well as toys and snacks for the children who will find plenty of space to roam and play with the very welcome family dog.

Norfolk Rise Wines

Seating indoors is limited but the family-friendly winery has plenty of space for picnics or a seasonal platter on the lawns. There is a sandpit for children and room for the family dog to lope. Guided tasting costs are redeemable and include six wines generally sampled over about 45 minutes. Previous owners built the winery in 2000 to handle large volumes, yet smaller batches are now the aim with more focus on doing well in the environment and creating a sustainable future. Even sheep roam the vineyards so there is less need for pesticides and more organic nutrients go into the soils.

Robe Town Brewery

“Old school and low-tech methods” are in place here, the only wood-fired brewery in Australia. Interesting brews are on the menu in a setting renowned for good vibes. The team has had a lot of fun creating a stable of drinks aimed at satisfying everyone. “Easy-drinking crowd-pleasers, hoppy beers, red ales, stouts, sour beers and the rare and wonderful” are in the mix of about 20 different frothies, only available at the brewery taproom. For the designated one, Bravo! is a full-flavoured non-alcoholic beer which comes with the promise: “You’d never know”.

Koonara Wines

While in Penola, drop into this midtown cellar door. It’s a holiday destination, not only for the tastings of Koonara wines from Coonawarra’s only certified organic vineyards but also gifts and dinner party supplies, including a line of Savor wine glasses designed by the winery owner Dru Reschke. The calendar of events is quite busy with food-and-wine fiestas, cellar door wine dinners and more. For a casual drop in with friends, consider the Social Tasting Adventure “for social butterflies and party starters”. At $20 per person, it is described as a fun mystery wine adventure, “without diving too deep into details”.

Eight at the Gate

Southern Wrattonbully sisters Jane Richards and Claire Davies say they are “somewhat off the beaten track where we can focus on the business of growing premium wine grapes without distraction”. Both were born on the Limestone Coast. Both had far and wider adventures before settling back on home ground. Memories of family events at the Chardonnay Lodge spurred the pair to jump at the chance of a cellar door at the property which has been revived as a restaurant and function space. Taste and shop the Eight at the Gate range including the Family Selection faves given “a little bit of extra love”.