“When guests order a glass of Wynns, they’ll savour the essence of Coonawarra” - introducing a new sponsor for Star Wine List of the Year Baltics 2024

As Star Wine List celebrates the best wine lists of the Baltics for 2024, we are joined by a new sponsor in the ‘Best By the Glass List’ category, Wynns Coonawarra Estate. Here we learn of the rich history - and soils - that craft its wines.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate can chart its history back to the emergence of Coonawarra as a winemaking region in the nineteenth century. Since the winery’s renaissance in the 1950s, when it took on its modern incarnation (and name), Wynns has become a benchmark of both quality and site-specific style in a way that brings this distinctive slice of South Australia to wine lovers across the world.

Indeed, the triple-gabled stone winery that adorns every Wynns bottle was built in 1891 by Coonawarra’s founding father, John Riddoch, on launching his winemaking project. Today, Wynns honours that visionary spirit with its ‘John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon’ – a vintage wine expressing the power and yet finesse of Cabernet grapes grown on Coonawarra’s famous soils, in its cool climate.

Wynns at Star Wine List of the Year Baltics

This week, Wynns joined Star Wine List in Riga to award restaurants and wine bars across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with Gold Stars for the best wine lists. The ‘Best By the Glass List’ category is not just highly contested among entrants to the awards, but points to a significant attainment for the wine brands who manage to get their wines poured by the glass in these establishments.

“This is the heart of any wine list,” says Dmitrijs Sinkevičs, brand manager at the Anora Group, which represents Wynns in the Baltics. “It allows guests to discover Wynns' fine wines in an approachable way, increasing brand visibility. It shows the trust sommeliers place in our wines and boosts consumer engagement.”

The Star Wine List of the Year awards see sommeliers and producers honouring each others’ work in bringing the best, most interesting wines to guests in the most fitting way. And, as a sommelier and last year’s recipient of the award for ‘Best By the Glass’ list for his work at Nomad, in Riga, Dmitrijs knows a thing or two about the value of maintaining strong and open relationships with sommeliers. “Sommeliers influence wine choices and can enhance how our wines are perceived by diners,” he says. “Sommeliers are like ambassadors for wineries like Wynns.”

When it comes to introducing sommeliers to new wines, Dmitrijs explains that “tastings and sharing the wine’s story help sommeliers connect with the brand. The value of wine is a combination of taste, history and the spirit of the winery.”

And Wynns has plenty of history to share.

Coonawarra - the home of Wynns

The terra rossa soils of Coonawarra have become practically synonymous with the region itself. Stretching up to two kilometres wide and 20km long over what is a relatively isolated winemaking strip in South Australia, this “red earth” is a distinctly-hued and well-draining topsoil sitting above limestone. Rich in clay and iron oxide, it leads to small and deeply concentrated grapes.

Complementing this geology is Coonawarra’s marginal climate: whilst long sunlight hours ensure ripening in the fruit, conditions are decisively moderated by the southerly location (between Melbourne in the east and Adelaide to the northwest), ample cloud cover, and proximity to the coast (only 80km inland, Coonawarra feels the effects of Antarctic currents and westerly summer winds). The resulting cool climate means that grapes can ripen slowly – intense flavours and developed tannins are met with freshness, elegance and complexity. This potential for quality has led some to compare Coonawarra’s Cabernet Sauvignons with those from Bordeaux, for example.

Winemaking across the centuries

Scottish farmer John Riddoch kicked off Coonawarra’s winemaking in 1890, when he dedicated 800 hectares of his Penola Fruit Colony to vines. The first were planted in 1891, with a stone winery built the same year. Unfortunately, winemaking was not a success that time around and the estate reverted to pastoral activities until the 1950s, when it was bought by father and son team Samuel and David Wynn, from Melbourne.

With David leading winery operations since 1953, Wynns gradually increased its holdings and resolutely championed Coonawarra’s regional characteristics through its wines. Today, Wynns is the largest winemaking landowner and part of the historic fabric of the area.

In 1955, David Wynn renamed the estate’s Shiraz after his young son, to produce ‘Michael Shiraz.’ This was not repeated until 1990, but ‘Michael Shiraz’ now forms part of Wynns’ Icon range along with the ‘John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon,’ whose first vintage was 1982. Only made in exceptional years, these two wines have become Wynns’ flagships.

Alongside the Icon range is the collectable Black Label selection (showcasing varietal characteristics via wines made from vines with an average age of over 30 years old), Wynns Coonawarra (displaying a breadth of varietals and styles), the V&A Lane (focussing on grapes from a prized set of vineyards at the midpoint of the terra rossa strip) and the Single Vineyard selection.

Since 1998, the winemaking at Wynns has been overseen by Sue Hodder, who recently celebrated her 30th vintage with the company overall. “I would love to see our wines in more European countries,” Sue says, “because we make a cooler style of elegant wines that are suited to European tastes.”

Enjoying Wynns out and about

“When guests order a glass of Wynns, they’ll savour the essence of Coonawarra,” Dmitrijs Sinkevičs elaborates. “A burst of vibrant flavours and smooth texture, reflecting our unique terroir in every sip.”

And what should you order alongside Wynns in a restaurant? “Hearty dishes like steak, lamb, and game pair wonderfully with Wynns’ wines,” says Dmitrijs.

In the Baltic states, specifically, Dmitrijs explains that Wynns’ wines are received “very well, with interest rising among sommeliers and consumers. I think Wynns' wines are a great match for the local climate and cuisine.

“For a fun twist, try pairing Cabernet with blood sausage, a popular Baltic dish. The bold flavours and structure of the wine complement the rich, savoury character of the sausage, creating a surprisingly delicious pairing!”

Blending tradition with innovation, the Wynns wines introduce guests to the Coonawarra terroir with refinement and balance.

Learn more about Wynns Coonawarra Estate.