June 18 , 2020

'Strange things happening' - a song by the amazing Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the first person to play an electric guitar in church.  Her music was a major influence to Elvis.  (See our 'Dinner Party Play List' later)  Kelly Menhennett, our Riverland/winemaking friend, introduced her music to us @Bellwether.

Whilst on the Riverland, be the first to get your hands on our NEW 2019 Montepulciano, grown in red sandy loam over limestone, near Barmera in the Riverland by Ashley and Holly Ratcliff. Hand picked, whole berry ferment, natural yeast, aromas of cherry ripe/liquor cherries and very distinctive fine grain tannin.  We currently have a special price of $280 (delivered) for a dozen (saving over 25%), for a limited time HERE!  

We still have some heartbreakingly good deals - up to a ridiculous 33% off - so check these out while you still can at our online store.

We have been open for a few weeks now and have loved seeing many South Australians new to Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast.  They are loving how friendly the region is and blown away by the quality of the wine.  We strongly advise you to book ahead for tastings in any wine region you intend to visit to avoid disappointment as we are all limited in capacity.  The upside is the service you will receive!

Our campground and glamping tents have been popular.  It’s been awesome to see people relaxing, enjoying each other’s company around a campfire with a glass of wine, in no great rush to do everything, just content to be together.

Take a look at the beautiful footage of Bellwether (above), sent to us from Harvey and Emma who stayed with us last weekend....Thx so much for sharing it with us!

We hosted our first ‘Table of 10’ which we will be doing on the 1st Saturday of each month, a fun and educational experience, served by the chef and the winemaker in the heart of our historic shearing shed, now winery. So if you are keen, book online HERE.  The next one is the 4th of July. The menu changes with the seasons, the garden and your dietary requests.  No two dinners are ever the same. If you have 10 friends you could request another date of your own.

Photo's by Stephen Jones

Please get out and support your favourite restaurants, as we know what it is like to be closed for a few months - they need your support to survive and we need them too.

Living here in the Limestone Coast we have some wonderful restaurants. Pipers of Penola and Ottelia/Fodder - two we highly recommend you plan in your itinerary when you come to Coonawarra.

For those of you not yet able to travel, we have a dinner party pack ready for your next catch up with friends in your own home. The concept of a dinner party is back in trend, much like indoor plants!  We aren’t all chefs or have huge homes, so we have planned an achievable 3 course dinner plus cheese for you to replicate, matched to some interesting wine.  There is enough wine so your guests can take some home too.  Get a bunch of friends together, allocate a course to each, pool your funds, buy the wine - sharing the effort and cost.

We will include the recipes ready for 6 people, with the vegetarian option included too.

We have included a

BELLWETHER Dinner Party music play list for you all to enjoy ... listen to it HERE

(Below) Photo's of our product garden - Taken by Taryn Ward 2020...check out more about our produce garden HERE

Get cooking and share your photos with us on social media by tagging #bellwetherwines.  

Help us and yourself by entering our competition to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a wine lover, worth over $2200.  Simply introduce us to like minded people who love wine, food, the arts and nature as much as we do. 

Vintage experience 2021 up for grabs!

Stay in one of our beautiful Bell tents, wake to bird song and spend your week involved in every aspect of making wine in a creative space and mindset. We will send a case of wine now to whet your appetite for what you will make in 2021 (usually March).  We will also reserve a case of wine you help make. 

Introduce one friend who will appreciate our updates for one entry.  So every friend you recommend gets you more chances to win, and for every 6 pack of wine your friends buy from us we will give you both a $25 Bellwether voucher.  For more info click HERE.  Only until the end of July 2020.

You and I can’t drink all the wine, so let's find a few more people to share it with!

Happy cooking!
Sue