LOCATED some 400km from Adelaide, Coonawarra is one of Australia’s most remote wine regions. With some notable exceptions (Great Southern and Margaret River), most regions are within easy striking distance of a major city. But Coonawarra is well worth the drive and is a successful viticultural area, driven by a number of natural factors.
Firstly, the region has a cool to warm climate with a mean January temperature of 20.1C. Being 80 to 100km from the nearest coastline you wouldn’t expect it to benefit much from any maritime influence. However, the Bonney Upwelling impacts the region in the growing season (November to March) which brings cold water up from
