Coonawarra
Coonawarra wineries & accommodation guide
Cellar doors about 20 minutes from our log cabins.
Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Staying for the wineries? Our log cabins are about 20 minutes from the Coonawarra cellar doors. From $250 a night, 2-night minimum.
Coonawarra in 60 seconds
Red soil, cool nights, great Cabernet
Coonawarra is a narrow, cigar-shaped strip of red terra rossa soil, about 27 km long and roughly 2 km wide, running north from Penola. Under the red clay is limestone and a reliable supply of underground water, and the result is some of Australia's most famous Cabernet Sauvignon.
The region's wine story began in 1890, when John Riddoch of Yallum Park set up the Penola Fruit Colony and offered small blocks to settlers. The township took the name Coonawarra in 1897. Many cellar doors sit along or just off the Riddoch Highway, so you can visit several in an afternoon.
Murray's Cottages is not in Coonawarra itself. We're on a working farm at Maaoupe, about 20 minutes' drive from the cellar doors, which suits guests who want the wineries close by and a quiet log cabin to come home to.
Cellar doors
Where to taste
Coonawarra has more than 20 cellar doors. Opening hours change, especially on public holidays, so check each winery's website or the Coonawarra Vignerons cellar door list before you set out.
Big names and history
Wynns Coonawarra Estate is the region's oldest and largest winery, with a heritage-listed triple-gabled building. Other well-known cellar doors include Balnaves of Coonawarra, Katnook Estate, Leconfield, Majella, Rymill, Parker Coonawarra Estate and Bowen Estate.
Family producers
Redman Wines has been run by the Redman family for more than a century. DiGiorgio Family Wines, Zema Estate, Patrick of Coonawarra and Brand's Laira are also good stops if you like meeting the people who make the wine.
Lunch among the vines
Upstairs at Hollick is one of Coonawarra's original winery restaurants, with views over the vineyard. Ottelia, with its Fodder restaurant on Memorial Drive, serves seasonal lunches from the kitchen garden. Both are popular, so book ahead and check which days they open.
On foot
The Coonawarra Wineries Walking Trail
The Coonawarra Wineries Walking Trail is an easy walk of just under 5 km through the vineyards, linking six cellar doors: Brand's Laira, DiGiorgio, Ottelia, Redman, Wynns and Zema. Allow about 3 hours if you spend 20 minutes at each, more with lunch. It's a good option if nobody wants to be the designated driver.
Prefer not to drive at all? Local operators run winery tours. Ask at the Penola Coonawarra Visitor Information Centre for current options.
Events
Plan around the calendar
Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations is the region's big wine event, usually held across several weekends in October. Dates change each year, so check coonawarra.org and enquire early: event weekends are when nearby accommodation goes first.
Peak periods at the cabins are charged at $300 a night; other times are $250 a night.
Getting there
From the cabins to Coonawarra
Base yourself at Maaoupe and pair the wineries with Penola, the caves or a round of golf.
| From the cabins to | Drive (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Coonawarra cellar doors (approx. 14 km) | About 20 min |
| Penola (approx. 21 km) | About 20 min |
| Naracoorte Caves (approx. 46 km) | About 40 min |
| Mount Gambier (approx. 75 km) | About 1 hr |
Drive times are approximate, measured from the cabins with online mapping (OpenStreetMap routing) and rounded. Allow extra time for gravel roads, farm traffic, wildlife at dusk and stops.
A good wine-weekend rhythm: play our 9 holes in the morning, taste in the afternoon, then light the fire pit at the cabins. More ideas in our Penola guide.
Coonawarra accommodation
Stay 20 minutes from the cellar doors
Two private log cabins on our working farm, close enough for an afternoon of tastings and far enough for a quiet night. Book direct with Dave.
Why stay at Murray's Cottages
- Two self-contained 2-bedroom log cabins, Callistemon & Banksia, each sleeping 4 (book both for up to 8)
- A working farm with lawns, gum trees and birdlife
- Our own challenging 9-hole golf course, free for guests
- Pets welcome
- The cottages are left unlocked for you: check in from 3pm, check out by 11am
- From $250 a night ($300 peak), 2-night minimum
Is Murray's Cottages in Coonawarra?
What is the best accommodation near Coonawarra for families or groups?
Can we walk between Coonawarra wineries?
Are dogs welcome at Coonawarra wineries?
When is Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations?
What are your rates?
Photo credits
- Wynns Coonawarra Estate cellar door. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Vineyard in winter, Coonawarra. Photo: ScottDavis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic cottages, Penola. Photo: Shav Bird / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
- Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte Caves. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blue Lake, Mount Gambier. Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vines on terra rossa soil, Coonawarra. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0