The June long weekend will see Coolangatta Estate provide wine lovers with a unique free experience to taste many wines from the last 30 years in the oldest building on the South Coast.
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2019 marks the 30th anniversary of wine at the Shoalhaven Heads vineyard. And the celebration comes just three years before the 200th birthday of the historic building where the event is being held.
This Saturday and Sunday vertical wine tasting is being offered in The Great Hall built in 1822.
It is giving visitors to the popular tourist attraction a rare opportunity to sample how the flavours of the estate's famous wines such as Semillon, Tannat and Savagnin have evolved over the years.
For each of the 30 harvests on the foothills of Coolangatta Mountain settled by Alexander Berry in 1822, the grapes have been sent to the winemakers at Tyrrells in the Hunter Valley.
Coolangatta Estate vigneron Greg Bishop said the relationship with Tyrrell's that started three decades ago helped put the Kiama, Berry and Nowra area on the map as a quality wine making region.
"They were the ones who realised the potential for viticulture and wine making in this region by making these beautiful old semillons. We couldn't have done it without Tyrrell's".
Since those first semillons were made 30 years ago the industry has steadily grown and so has its reputation for quality that can be tasted at many Shoalhaven Coast cellar doors over the June long weekend.
This year Mr Bishop and his family wanted to do something new and different to celebrate 30 vintages. Greg, Eileen, Ben and James Bishop will all be working in The Great Hall this weekend providing wine lovers an opportunity to meet the family behind the famous wines that have received more than 2000 awards over the years.
"We have never done anything like this. Occasionally we pull out one old semillon or something to show against a new one but we have never done a vertical. I think people will be in for a surprise when they get to see how the different wines age and what they have done".
The estate's most famous wines are set up in progressive order for people to taste between 12pm and 4pm on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
The oldest wines available for tasting will be a 1998 fortified verdelho and 2003 semillon. There will also be some 2019 harvest sweet wine which has just come back from the winemakers at Tyrrell's. That includes a rose frizzante and a new limited edition sweet verdelho named with a convict theme.
Another highlight will be Tyrrell's chief wine maker and leading Australian wine judge Andrew Spinaze giving tutorials in The Great Hall on Saturday at 12.30, 1.30 and 2.30pm.
Cellar door manager Ben Bishop said the celebration comes just days after Coolangatta Estate was recognised in the new ratings just released by Huon Hooke at The Real Review.
In those ratings the 2011 Coolangatta Estate Wollstonecraft Semillon scored 97/100 to receive five gold stars and be rated the number one and best value 2011 semillon from the 44 tasted in NSW.
The cellar door will also be open at Coolangatta Estate over the June long weekend as will the restaurant and wine garden with music outside. Big Foot will also be running sightseeing tours up and down Coolangatta Mountain.
Read more:
- Australia's Semillon of the Year produced from grapes grown locally at Shoalhaven Heads
- The man who saved an important piece of Australian history on the South Coast remembered for his great legacy
- The Bishop family is preparing to mark 30 years of wine production in the Shoalhaven with a public tasting event in one of the oldest buildings in NSW
- Shoalhaven wine producer and tourist attraction showcases South Coast produce to holiday makers
- Record time for 2018 wine harvest at Coolangatta Estate
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.
