Coolangatta Estate
Star Cellar Door
(02) 4448 7131
coolangattaestate.com.au
The history of Coolangatta Estate is as compelling as its wines. The first European settlement on the south coast dates back to 1822 and was the vison of Alexander Berry, who created a self-supporting village boasting mills, workshops, tradesmen and artisans on the foothills of Mount Coolangatta. The Bishop family purchased the property in 1947, restoring the historic buildings and re-planting the original 19th-century vineyard in the late 1980s, with the first vintage in 1990.
The wines are made off-site at Tyrrell’s Wines, so it’s hardly surprising that their Coolangatta Estate Semillon is a consistent award winner. New-wave varieties are not ignored with savagnin, chambourcin, tannat and tempranillo in the mix. The stone-clad cellar door features an open fire, a busy function centre and accommodation in convict-built cottages. Enjoy a casual lunch or dinner at Firegrill, or a bush banquet in the historic Great Hall. The resort even includes a pool, tennis courts and a nine-hole golf course for athletic wine lovers. PETER BOURNE
OUTSTANDING WINE: 2008 Coolangatta Estate Semillon, A$32