Wynns Coonawarra Estate

Wynns Coonawarra history dates back to 1861 when John Riddoch, who is Wynns Coonawarra estate figurehead, moved to the region. The 800 hectares of his land were divided and named Coonawarra fruit colony in 1890. Four-hectare allotments were then offered to colonists, and in 1891, planting started. Within the first year, 10,000 fruit trees and 95,000 vines were planted. This led to the establishment of a winery called chateau company. 

After his death, the winery became a wool shed, and sheep were reared until Samuel wynn and his son David purchased it in 1951 without any profit expectations. In 1953, winery operations were taken over by David. From the 1955 vintage came Michael shiraz, which was called hermitage at the time. The shiraz had an outstanding quality and was recognised for it. It was bottled as Michael separately. It was named after David’s son. The concept and the name were reviewed in 1990. 

As Australians developed a liking for red table wine, wynns marketed the estate wines based on the place of origin and variety. Over the following decades, the holdings in Coonawarra increased, and it became the largest grower in the area, with 550 hectares covered by vines. This is the time when John Riddoch wine was produced. 

Over the years, wynns Coonawarra has been making great strides, and today, the vineyards are consolidated in terra rosa vineyard sites around gables winery. The company still does investigations and research to ensure the best viticultural and winemaking practices are used. 

The company has received accolades and recognition throughout its years of operations. Allen Jenkins, a viticulturist who had been with the company for a long time, retired after making great contributions and leaving a great legacy. Ben Harris took over. 

Every year, luxury wines are released, and they form part of wynns day collection, where the signature style and history of the wynns label are shown. The wines are recognised for their flavour and consistency. 

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