During the month of July, Coonawarra wineries will delve into the depths of their cellars to reveal age-old treasures, offering visitors a rare opportunity to taste and buy back vintage, special release and aged wine.
“As the name suggests, Cellar Dwellers is a term that reflects both the exceptional cellaring abilities of Coonawarra wine (our Cabernet Sauvignon wines in particular) as well as the sense of discovery that visitors to the region’s cellar doors will experience,” said Heidi Eldridge, Events and Marketing Officer at Coonawarra Vignerons. “It’s a very special time of the year when Coonawarra winery staff bring out some truly outstanding wines to provide the public with some memorable tasting experiences that only occur in July’’ Ms Eldridge said.
Olivia Nunn, Executive Officer of Coonawarra Vignerons, moved to the wine region early in 2017 and experienced Cellar Dwellers for the first time “Having experienced my first Cellar Dwellers last year, I was surprised by the range of events from a cellar door tasting to a casual winery lunch, a fine dining experience, or a fun night out with friends entertained with live music and of course wine.” “All the events on offer were, and continue to be, extremely affordable, enabling visitors and locals alike to embrace Cellar Dwellers and visit Coonawarra throughout the month of July.” Ms Nunn said.
This year’s program will again see a range of cellar door tastings and special food and wine events on offer with 22 wineries participating to showcase the breadth and depth of Coonawarra wines and our emerging food destination credentials. Marketing and Events Officer, Heidi Eldridge said the 2018 Cellar Dwellers program is packed with over 30 unique events including: comparative wine tastings over a 10 – 35 year period; museum release wines from very old or selected vineyards; special food and wine dinners prepared by highly acclaimed local chefs; and even the chance to savour a rare 50 year old tawny port.
“One of the feature nights in the Cellar Dwellers programme is Shiraz Jazz. Shirazz, one of Melbourne’s premier jazz bands, is returning for the third consecutive year and we are looking forward to a fantastic night. Jazz and wine are a fabulous combination, so naturally there will be a Coonawarra Wine bar at the event.” Ms Eldridge said.
Locals and visitors alike are encouraged to visit Coonawarra during July to taste for themselves why Coonawarra wines are renowned the world over for their outstanding quality, flavour and cellaring abilities.
“We’re also continuing with a walking trail passport that offers one lucky winner the chance to win a VIP pass for two to one of the cities on our National Wine Tasting Roadshow, plus a mixed half dozen of Coonawarra wines, simply by visitiing five participating wineries,.” Ms Eldridge said
Check out the full calendar of events. The Cellar Dwellers program can be viewed here.
For more information contact individual cellar doors listed in the program or the Coonawarra Vignerons at enquiries@coonawarra.org
