THERE was much derision in 1988 when Greg Bishop planted wine grapes on Shoalhaven Heads land settled 166 years before by Scottish-born surgeon, seafarer, merchant and explorer Alexander Berry.
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Today, however, that Coolangatta Estate vineyard can boast a rich show awards harvest and five red stars in James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion - a ranking only awarded to producers making wines "of exemplary quality".
On Saturday and Sunday Greg Bishop, his wife Eileen and son Ben celebrate 30 years of Coolangatta wine at an open day and first-ever vertical tasting of 35 wines that have won 800 wine awards. Wines for tasting and sale at the Bolong Road, Coolangatta, NSW, site include semillons from 2003 to 2018, savagnins from 2010 to 2018 and tannats from 2014 to 2017 and will be open to the public from noon to 4pm each day and to group bookings from 11am to 1pm.
A major hand in Coolangatta's success has been the Tyrrell's Hunter winery, which made the inaugural wine under contract in 1990.
In each vintage since Shoalhaven grapes have been hand-picked, trucked to Pokolbin and into the expert hands of Tyrrell's chief winemaker Andrew Spinaze and red winemaker Mark Richardson.
The estate's story dates back to Alexander Berry's 1822 grant of 4000 hectares and 100 convicts to carve out the NSW South Coast's first settlement. Berry and his wife built a home and an enterprise that embraced wine grapes, tobacco, potatoes, maize, barley, wheat, pigs, cattle and the operation of a fleet of trading ships.
Queensland's Coolangatta got its name because one of Berry's Shoalhaven-built ships, Coolangatta was wrecked at the mouth of the Tweed River.
By 1863 Berry had established a village with convict cottages, a ship-building yard, an estate office, a community hall, coach houses and blacksmith's and tinsmith's shops. Berry's grand dream ultimately died and the estate was split into farming lots.
In 1947 along came a new visionary owner, farmer Colin Bishop, who began dairying and in 1971 decided to take on the massive task of turning the derelict village into a historic tourist resort offering accommodation, function and wine tasting rooms and a restaurant. Colin's son Greg joined the business in 1972 and as CEO runs it with Eileen and son Ben.
He proudly tends the vineyard he founded, aware that the Shoalhaven geology, maritime climate, cool sea breezes and sophisticated Tyrrell's winemaking have disproved the nay-sayers of 30 years ago.
WINE REVIEWS
SALUBRIOUS SEMILLON
THE Coolangatta Estate 2017 Wollstonecraft Semillon is from a line of consistently fine Shoalhaven semillons crafted by Tyrrell's ace Andrew Spinaze. It is pale straw and has gooseberry aromas and zingy ruby grapefruit on the front-palate. The middle palate shows green apple, lemon curd, sherbet and flint elements and the finish steely acid. PRICE: $25.
DRINK WITH: quiche.
AGEING: 10 years.
RATING: 4.5 stars
FRUITY PASTA PARTNER
FIRST planted in France in 1963 and from a hybrid variety created by scientist Joannes Seyve, the Coolangatta Estate 2017 Eileen Chambourcin, is a fruity drop with 12.4 per cent alcohol, ruby hues, jelly bean scents and mulberry front-palate flavour. The middle palate has Morello cherry, spice, spearmint and mocha oak and the finish chalky tannins. PRICE: $30.
DRINK WITH: pasta.
AGEING: four years.
RATING: 4.5 stars
MULTI-FACETED TANNAT
WITH 13 per cent alcohol, inky purple hues and fruitcake scents, the Coolangatta Estate 2017 Tannat features spicy cherry front-palate flavour. The middle palate has bramble jelly, licorice, Turkish delight chocolate and vanillin oak and a finish of dusty tannins. It and the other wines are at coolangattaestate.com.au and the cellar door.
PRICE: $30.
DRINK WITH: mongolian lamb.
AGEING: eight years.
RATING: 4.5 stars