All roads led to Coonawarra on the weekend, as the region kicked off its annual Cabernet Celebrations.

Festivalgoers flocked to the sun-soaked strip for a host of events spread throughout the vines, showcasing the region’s signature Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

Events ranged from wine tastings, nature play, a family fiesta, pizza and tunes through to a great day out with food, wine and music.

Coonawarra Vignerons chief executive Ockert Le Roux said wineries were filled with families making the most of the sunshine, with plenty of activities on offer for all age groups.

“We started with a golf day, that went fairly well, the weather was fantastic and that was a plus point for the Coonawarra and the start of our festivities for the month,” he said.

“I attended a few of the featured events, one of those being Leconfield for their big day out on the lawn.

“There was a constant flow of people coming through all day long. It was a beautiful atmosphere, with mostly families that came out on the front lawn, there were a lot of activities for kids, obviously mum and dad could enjoy a sip of Cabernet Sauvignon, our signature wine.

“We had to scramble for the umbrellas as people got a bit sunburned.

“Raidis Estate had pizza and tunes which was also well attended with lots of families with their kids and pets.

“It was just a general carnival atmosphere over the weekend.”

Mr Le Roux said one of the flagship events was the Zema Estate 40th anniversary celebration.

“They had chef Kirby Shearing and the 40 vintages that Nick Zema had picked which was quite extraordinary,” he said.

“Overall the first weekend was successful, I think the slight drop off in volume of traffic probably had to do with the long weekend and the weather.

“From all reports Beachport and Robe were just buzzing with people, some went to the coast.

“In summary I think we did it justice and obviously it’s all about Cabernet and people enjoying that wine, as 60% of wine in Coonawarra is Cabernet and this is a lovely way to introduce people to it.”

Mr Le Roux said the next four weekends of the celebrations were jam packed with events, with the middle weekend shaping up as a focus for serious wine lovers.