Greg, Eileen and Ben Bishop are planning to celebrate 30 years of wine making at the historic Coolangatta Estate with a special experience in a 197 year old building.
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On the June long weekend the Bishop family is hosting a first of its kind vertical tasting experience where the best wines produced over the last three decades at the region's most awarded winery will be available for public tasting.
Vigneron Greg Bishop said there will be 35 wines available for tasting in the Great Hall built in 1822.
Alexander Berry first planted grapes on the foothills of Mt Coolangatta after he obtained a grant of 10,000 acres and 100 convicts from the NSW Government in June 1822.
When the vines were planted in the mid 1800's Coolangatta had already quickly developed into a self-supporting village boasting mills, workshops, tradesmen and artisans. It wasn't long before Coolangatta was exporting thoroughbred horses to India, Cedar to Europe and cattle, tobacco, cheese and wheat to Sydney.
In order to provide boat access, Alexander Berry had Hamilton Hume and a party of convict labourers cut a 209-yard canal linking the Shoalhaven River to the Crookhaven River. It was the first canal constructed in Australia and after its construction, Berry set up shipbuilding facilities. Coolangatta in Queensland is named after Berry's vessels 'The Coolangatta' which was wrecked off Point Danger in 1846.
There will be 35 wines to taste which have won a total of more than 800 wine awards between them
- Coolangatta Estate vigneron Greg Bishop
The property was a farm when Colin Bishop acquired it in 1947. He started dairying in 1950 and began restoring the historic buildings in 1971. The family started replanting vines in the 1980's. On June 8 and 9 they will make all the Semillons from 2013 to 2018, Savagnins from 2010 to 2018 and Tannats from 2014 to 2017 available for tasting with free entry from 12 noon to 4pm.
Mr Bishop said "there will be 35 wines to taste which have won a total of more than 800 wine awards between them". The Semillon wines were recently described by judges of the 2019 South Coast Wine Show as "wines that are international icons from one of Australia's most awarded boutique wineries".
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
