LIMESTONE COAST ANGUS HUGHSON, ANDREW CAILLARD MW, AND LISA CARDELLI
The Limestone Coast is a special region in the Australian wine landscape. Its privileged place has never been so starkly evident than during a recent trip to the south-eastern corner of South Australia. Across much of the country, after a dry 2025, there was brown parched land for as far as the eye could see. But on approach to Limestone Coast, there was a sudden change. Green, heathy fields emerged, and the local bushland and landscape were clearly flourishing. It has also been a little dry on the Limestone Coast during 2025, but nothing compared to many other wine regions around the country. Despite the winds of climate change, Limestone Coast is clearly displaying its resilience, in its landscapes, colour and the vibrancy of its wines. Is Limestone Coast about to have its well deserved time in the sun? Limestone Coast is a wide and varied region, over 21,000 square kilometres in size, although with fewer than 6,000 hectares planted, much of which is in Coonawarra. It stretches from near Mundulla and Bordertown in the north down 150km through Padthaway and Wrattonbully to Mount Gambier and vineyards located close to the country’s coastline. The coast also figures prominently on its western edge in the vineyards of Mount Benson and Robe, while the eastern edge sits just in the state of Victoria, with 100km between them. Unsurprisingly, this wide-ranging landscape offers up a broad array of climatic conditions. However, there is one consistent feature across the region, and that is its limestone- based soils. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the World Heritage Listed Naracoorte Caves Complex, which includes fossils locked in limestone caves stretching back 30 million years. The local limestone formed many millions of years ago, when the whole area was underwater, and takes various forms across the region. At Wangolina, near Mount Benson, layers of fossilised limestone corals sit in shallow quarries overlaid by sandy loams. At Coonawarra, a hard layer of calcrete creates a dense base for the iron-rich terra rossa soils. In Mount Gambier, the local limestone is accented by volcanic influences, thanks to the close proximity of an extinct volcano. These regional beds of limestone, in whatever form, provide a rich water source which helps the region to flourish and provides protection from the hottest seasons. Limestone Coast’s coastal environment and southern latitude is another ace that offers a moderating influence on the local climate. While some more northerly
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