Wine regions - Padthaway
Padthaway South Australia
The plains of Padthaway produce wines of consistent quality and style. Although famously known as 'Chardonnay country', the region produces excellent of examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from old vine material.
Mormabro Creek Vineyards - vines in amongst the gum trees
Padthaway is one of five regions making up the famed Limestone Coast. The success of its neighbour, Coonawarra led viticulturalists to seek out similar ground further inland. Back in 1944 the CSIRO had recommended the region for horticulture due to its rich terra rossa soil and underground water supply. By the late 1990s extensive vineyards had been established.
Not too far inland to miss out on coastal influences, the region's Mediterranean climate is just a tad warmer than its seaside neighbour. The winter rains feed into a massive underground aqua system through "runaway holes" on the surface, which can be observed in a number of swamps in the region, Poochers and Moot-Yang-Gunya being the most accessible to visitors. Vignerons tap into this underground system using bores and drip irrigation, thereby carefully controlling vine stress during the dry months.
Most of the vineyards are on flat ground except on the region's eastern boundary where vines grow on the gently undulating wooded slopes of the West Naracoorte Ridge.
The region was established by the big hitters in the wine industry. Seppelt's first established vineyards in the region followed by BRL Hardy, Mildara Blass, Orlando Wyndham, and Southcorp - its history changing as much through corporate takeovers as new developments. The global company Constellation Wines is now one of the biggest establishments in the region with its standout winery Stonehaven Ridge formerly in the BRL Hardy stable. Stonehaven's ultra modern facility, massive barrel room and contemporary cellar door, gives visitors the opportunity to taste the exceptional wines the region has to offer.
Great Stone Wines is another substantial establishment in the region producing a range of wines for both the domestic and China markets. Their premium labels Tynan's View and Great Stone are made with low yielding Padthaway fruit - Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Henry's Drive Vignerons cellar door
Browns of Padthaway, a family operation, supplies fruit to the larger companies, but fortunately holds back parcels for their own label. Their white range includes Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho and their reds Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
In recent years smaller vineyard operations have come to make their mark as fine Padthaway producers. Morambro Creek Vineyards concentrates on the varieties that built the region's reputation, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay, under their Morambro Creek and Jip Jip Rocks labels.
Another family operation with a modern cellar door not to be missed, is Henry's Drive Vignerons, owned by the Longbottom family. They use small parcels of grapes to make intensely flavoured wines under labels reflecting the region's history - The Trial of John Montford, Parsons Flat, Dead Letter Office, Pillar Box Red and of course Henry's Drive.
From contemporary to Victorian. Padthaway Estate and Homestead has a cellar door and luxury accommodation that goes back to a most elegant era. The Estate specialises in sparkling wine under their ELIZA label using a traditional champagne press. They also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and a deliciously pink Rose. The Homestead built in the late 1800s rises above the vineyards, giving Padthaway its icon to be seen from miles around.
Harvest time: mid March to mid April
Padthaway Homestead - a Victorian beauty built in 1882
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