A Cambewarra vineyard that won the Shoalhaven's first national wine trophy 15 years ago is on the market.
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Cambewarra Estate has been listed for auction by Marylou Parker, of Integrity Real Estate, on December 8.
The decision to sell was made by Louise Cole who, in recent weeks, was made a life member of Boutique Wines.
Mrs Cole said that after 21 years it was time to step back and give someone else an opportunity to run the vineyard that became a local wine-industry pioneer when it won a national trophy for its 1996 cabernet.
Mrs Cole said she would never forget Len Evans saying: "Where the hell is Cambewarra ... I want to know?"
A Cambewarra verdelho also won the region's first boutique trophy in 1997 and the estate's chambourcin port took out the first gold medal at Australia's largest regional wine show at Cowra in 1998.
The chambourcin later won a double-gold and a sparkling chambourcin was named runner-up to sparkling wine specialist Peter Rumbal at the Boutique Wine Show of Australia.
In 2003, Cambewarra Estate tasted international success with a double-gold medal for its botrytis chardonnay and bronze for its verdelho at the Tasters Guild International Wine Judging event in New York.
The dessert wine called Louise, made from vines that were almost ripped out, has also been named runner-up at the Boutique Wine Show in Australia on more than one occasion.
"Most recently we won a trophy in Vienna," Mrs Cole said.
"I entered four wines and got four medals and a trophy for the late harvest chardonnay.
"It is such a gorgeous place . . . I absolutely love it so, this has been a very difficult decision," she said.
The former dental nurse and X-ray department supervisor's passion for wine-making is shared by her oldest son Simon Cole, who became a wine maker after studying at Charles Sturt University.
He is now a doctor and Mrs Cole described him as a natural at viticulture, just like his father and her former husband, Geoff Cole, an anaesthetist.
Mrs Cole now runs the vineyard with her new partner in life and business, Gary Peat.
"Since Simon did medicine, he came back from South Australia and was at Wollongong, which was perfect," she said.
"That is why we decided to crush on site and get a mechanical harvester. He is at St Vincent's [Hospital] now."
The nine hectare property includes four hectares under vine.
It features two large dams, cellar door, cool room, press, crusher and heat-exchanger, as well as a new commercial kitchen and function room, with views across the vineyard and Camberra Mountain.