Penola is a town steeped in history with a vibrant community spirit, world class wineries, world heritage attractions and beautiful beaches.

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You might find yourself staying longer than you thought.

For anyone wishing to find a place where they can relax in comfortable surroundings, indulge in good food and wine while immersing themselves in the culture and heritage of the community, Penola is the perfect place to pause and enjoy it all.

So why don’t you stop to eat in one of our many Cafes and Restaurants before shopping your way through our unique shops and galleries, then take a wander along our Heritage Walk to see our many Heritage Listed and National Trust Buildings and Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre. You can stay in a broad range of accommodation in and around Penola from Retreats, B&B’s and Apartments to Hotels and Motels, Backpackers and Farm Stays. Within a few minutes’ drive down the main strip, there are more than 20 Coonawarra and Penola Wineries and Cellar Doors to visit and sample some of the best wines made in Australia.

Once you have seen all we can offer, use us as a base and take in one of the many day trips that are just over an hour away. The choice is yours; World Heritage Caves & Blue Lake, Piccaninnie Ponds.The beachside towns of Robe, Beachport and Southend, Bool Lagoon and it’s waterbirds, or if you love golf your choice of seven golf courses and that’s just a taste of what you can enjoy.

Why don’t you time your visit with one of our many events happening throughout the year; from the Coonawarra Vignerons Cup to Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Generations in Jazz or Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations to name a few. So get yourself here, unpack and meander. Place yourself in the middle of it all, relax, enjoy and explore from Penola.

Coonawarra

Australia's other red centre

Coonawarra is renowned as one of Australia's finest wine regions and is particularly known for producing world class red wines.

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Its secret lies in a magical marriage of rich red terra rossa soil, limestone, pure underground water and a long cool ripening season for the grapes.

Think Coonawarra, and thoughts of sumptuous reds spring to mind – from the rich rust-coloured Terra Rossa soil for which it’s internationally recognized, to the prized red wines that have made it famous. There are the ruddy cheeks of those who tend the vines; the crimson sunsets that sweep across a vast horizon; and of course, there’s the fiery passion in the veins of our vignerons and winemakers.

Almost a million years ago, an ocean teeming with sea-life lapped at the feet of the ancient Kanawinka Escarpment. Then came an ice age, and the great melt that followed led to the creation of the chalky white bedrock which is the foundation of this unique region. But nature had not finished, for with her winds, rain and sand she blanketed the plain with a soil rich in iron, silica and nutrients, to become one of the most renowned terroir soils in the world.

Long and narrow, this celebrated ridge of earth, together with pure underground water, cool nights and a long, mild growing season, is Nature’s gift to wine lovers across the globe. This precious parcel of land is some of the most valuable agricultural land in the nation, and recognised as Australia’s premier red wine region, contributing fruit to some of the finest wines in the world.

But of course, it took human spirit and ingenuity to bottle it, and like all great appellations, the wines of Coonawarra speak not just of the famous terroir, but also of the local community and people who give those wines their character.

It began with the vision of John Riddoch in 1890, and his first plantings of vines; then championed into the next century by the Redmans; and given a renaissance by the Wynns in 1951. These names are still revered, and their vision and heritage is proudly upheld by the world-class wineries which now call Coonawarra home.

Today, new generations of old winemaking families toil alongside an influx of fresh talent to ensure the spirit of the Coonawarra wine region continues to thrive. It is a community that’s vibrant, passionate, sophisticated and unique – one that salutes tradition while embracing innovation.

At vintage, every picker, cellar-hand and winemaker devotes the same commitment to nurturing each parcel of delicate fruit and crafting them into wines of exceptional distinction that lend themselves perfectly to maturing in the cellar before flowing lusciously from bottle to decanter to glass.

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignons not only taste exceptional when young, but they also cellar brilliantly. The ageability of Coonawarra wines are world class, and it’s what sets our wines apart from others: a fact endorsed by generations of collectors around the world, who have cellared them for up to 60 years.

Together, our landscape, our people and our passion work in harmony to create a signature wine region that delivers on a myriad of levels, from the truly magnificent rust-red earth below to the lush, vivid green vines and big blue skies above; the cool Cabernet Sauvignons, Shirazes, Chardonnays and Rieslings have made Coonawarra one of the New World’s greatest appellations.