Wines of a time and place

The day Sue left her job as chief winemaker with a major winery, she got a clear sign that she should start her own. It was a literal sign – an auction sign on an 1868 shearing shed that she’d driven past and loved for years. She bought the shed and established her winery, Bellwether Wines, in 2009. 

“The renovation of this place has been something I’ve really enjoyed because it’s so representative of Coonawarra,” says Sue. “The beautiful old gum trees, the history of shearing. This was built before there was ever a grapevine here.”

Sue’s premium wines have won a string of medals and trophies, and in 2014, Sue was named the Australian Society of Viticulture & Oenology Winemaker of the Year. She produces small batches of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon – the region’s most famous variety – along with an eclectic range that includes Tasmanian Chardonnay, Wrattonbully Shiraz and Barbera, and a rare Bianco d’Alessano from the Riverland.

Sue sees winemaking as a fusion of agriculture and art. “A sculptor will look at a piece and take a little bit more off here and there, and then ‘Ah, I've done too much’,” she says. “And I think there is a bit of that in wine. You can overwork wine. So my style is to be a bit gentler ... so that it’s a more pure expression of what I’m seeing and tasting that season.”

Cool-climate Coonawarra is a long way from Sue’s birthplace of Mount Isa in Australia’s outback. She grew up mainly Newcastle and Adelaide, before completing a degree in Oenology and postgraduate studies in Viticulture. Sue’s worked with some of the biggest names in Australian wine, including Penfolds and Hardys, and done vintages in California and Bordeaux.

Sue loves living and working in Coonawarra. “The community here is really special, the way that people help each other,” she says. “One thing I first noticed when I moved here was how creative the community was. Our daily life is what people strive for elsewhere, so it’s a real privilege to live here and come home to people that keep you honest.”

Disclaimer

This information is presented in good faith and on the basis that Wine Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given via this channel.