Punters Vineyard Retreat, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Airing Date: Dec 23rd, 2002
Coonawarra, a four hour drive from Adelaide, is Australia's other 'red centre'. Renowned for its vintage reds, Coonawarra's 14 wineries produce two and a half million cases of wine each year.
When tasting fine wine you need fine accommodation, and at Coonawarra that place is Punters Vineyard Retreat. It's modern, very private and has been especially designed to take in the vineyard views.
While holidays at Punters Retreat are self-catered, breakfast food is provided and included in the price of your stay. The retreat also provides bicycles, and because the land is so flat it is easy to ride along and check out the wineries.
A ride along the Riddoch Highway will take you past 31 different estates. Stop at some or all of the wineries to taste test some local wines while being educated in the ingredients of wine at the same time.
Informed wine drinkers know that the best way to judge a wine is through your nose. At Wynns you can put your nose for a bouquet to the test by taking one of their wine tests. Once you've decided what you like, you can purchase bottles.
From Wynn's, it's a fifteen minute bike ride to the historic town of Penola. A stroll along Petticoat Lane leads to the Penola Lavender Farm. At the farm there are 70 different lavender varieties and visitors are welcome to pick a bunch to take home.
Just around the corner from the Lavender Farm you can find Pipers of Penola - and a lunch date with a very colourful past. Currently acting as a restaurant, in the past the building has served as a church, an RSL club and a hall where drummers and bagpipers practised for about 50 years, hence the name.
After lunch check out one of Coonawarra's newer wineries, Rymill Winery, to sample some more fine wine.
Penola is also home to Mary MacKillop, Australia's first 'Saint in the making'. The school that Mary established 136 years ago is open to the public, as is the Interpretive Centre that records all aspects of her life.
The facts
Punters Vineyard Retreat costs from $210 per couple per night based on a maximum of four couples.
Punters Vineyard Retreat
Tel: 08 8737 2007
Wynns Coonawarra Estate sells wines ranging in price from $11 to $160
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
Tel: 08 8736 2225
Rymill Winery
Tel: 08 8736 5001
Visitors can pick a bunch of lavender at the Lavender Farm for $2.
Penola Lavender Farm
Tel: 08 8737 2111
The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre and the Woods-MacKillop Schoolhouse are open from 10am to 4pm, daily but will stay open longer if you call them.
The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre and the Woods-MacKillop Schoolhouse.
Tel: 08 8737 2092
Petticoat Lane Herb Garden
Tel: 08 8737 2779
Pipers of Penola
Tel: 08 8737 3999
Penola Tourism
Tel: 08 8737 2855
