How it all started

OUR HISTORY

In 1906, Henry Albert and Alice Jane Reschke came to Coonawarra to build a life for their family. They ran a cattle stud.

‘Koonara’ is the name of the Reschke family property in Coonawarra.

Today over 100 years on, the family still live in Coonawarra.

The Cattle stud on the property is still there, but the vineyards and wine have been our passion since 1988. The land chosen for the vineyards was carefully selected out of the 3,000 acres available on the property in Coonawarra. In 1991 30 Cases of Koonara Wine has been made for family and friends.

In 1999, the first Koonara wines were made available for the public, with a very limited number of cases, held back to give the wines a chance to mature in the bottle.

The vineyards are naturally kept at an average of 2 tonnes or less an acre. We believe quality is paramount in creating a wine which is not only good, but consistent and age worthy each year.

We are very proud of our wines and hope you enjoy them.

“The Reschke family have lived in Coonawarra for over 100 years, so we’re almost locals …

MY DAD TREVOR

An avid clay target shooter, he was selected in the Australian team for the American Nationals ’80s, and once missed out on the Tokyo Olympics for pistol shooting by one point (went back later that day to get a score to easily get in but it was too late.). He has agricultural colleges coming to the property each year to look at his unique cattle breeding program.

“Wine Hobbyist” is probably how he would describe himself. Dad planted the vines on the home Block in 1988, for no real reason than he “would like to play around with my own wine one day.” In 1992 he started that playing around, getting 30 cases made at a friends winery each year, until 1997 when Stan Gawel – our good friend and now distributor in Melbourne – decided to make some wine from the grapes.

They were put into half bottles, shipped to England, and promptly snapped up by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The rest is history…

COONAWARRA

Coonawarra is a small wine region in South Australia, famous for it’s Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s cool-climate spicy Shiraz.

“….most wine authorities acknowledge that Coonawarra is Australia’s greatest red wine district, and one of the producers of great reds of the world.”
Len Evans – “The Complete Book of Australian Wine” – Revised Edition – Weldon Publishing

FACT: With very similar temperatures as Bordeaux in France, Coonawarra receives less rainfall, but with a supply of high quality underground water, grape growers have an even greater control over the flavours and intensity of the grapes used in their wine.

Over the years.

Koonara Wines now range 18 different wines including 5 premium lines.