COONAWARRA will become a hive of activity in October with the launch of the annual Cabernet Celebrations this week.
The month-long event started last week, with wineries around the region celebrating the Limestone Coast’s signature Cabernet Sauvignon.
More than 60 unique events will be held over the four weeks, with Brands Laira and Majella among some of the wineries hosting celebrations.
Coonawarra Vignerons executive officer Olivia Nunn said there would be plenty of opportunities for food and wine lovers, as well as families, to discover the popular region.
“It is a great showcase and collaborative effort of our members, with 25 of our member wineries hosting events and up to 33 member wineries involved in the regional events,” Ms Nunn said.
“The Cabernet Decadence Tasting is a good example of 20 wineries co-presenting and a great opportunity for us to provide an authentic in region tasting.”
The tasting is one of the many feature events on the calendar and will be guided by Luke Tocaciu of Patrick of Coonawarra.
More than 20 wineries and their winemakers will gather in one location to taste and compare decade-old wines with current releases from a large selection of
Coonawarra producers.
Special cellar door wine tastings, brunches, lunches, vineyard tours, dinners and music talent will also be showcased during the month with iconic events such as the Coonawarra Masterclass.
Masterclass co-host Brett Sharpe, of Lindeman’s, said this year’s event was “not to be missed” as it showcased Australia’s “gift to the wine world”, Cabernet Shiraz.
A shuttle bus will operate from Penola and will travel to Coonawarra during the four weekends to help visitors at $10 per person, per day.
The Coonawarra Winery Trail mobile app will also launched over the weekend.
