Renowned Coonawarra winery Zema Estate is celebrating 40 years with the limited release of its 2016 Saluti, an exciting new brand refresh and numerous events in Coonawarra and around Australia.
What started as a love story in Calabria, Italy, became a 40-year obsession with Cabernet and Shiraz. In 1957, Demetrio Zema followed his fiancée Francesca to Australia in search of something more.
Zema Estate co-founder and director Nick Zema said Australia was the “land of opportunity” for his parents.
“All their hard work was to achieve one goal – to purchase a Coonawarra vineyard and establish wine under the Zema name,” he said.
Mr Zema said in March 1982, their dream became a reality when the family purchased 20 acres right in the heart of Coonawarra’s famed terra rossa – eight acres of which were already planted with mature shiraz vines.
When it came time to decide what to plant, the Zema family saw no reason to depart from Scottish pioneer John Riddoch’s 1891 recommendation, planting their remaining land with Cabernet Sauvignon.
“Our whole business is built on these two great grape varieties; Cabernet – vibrant and rich with a great line of length and Shiraz for a great mouthfeel and loads of flavour,” Mr Zema said.
Zema Estate now has 150 acres of vines in three prime Coonawarra locations.
Whilst taking great pride in their achievements, Mr Zema said they have not lost sight of their original philosophies.
“Hand-pruning to nurture and foster each vine, careful fruit selection, enriching the fruit flavours through selected winemaking techniques, using the best oak barrels available and diligent bottle ageing are key to the Zema signature style,” he said.
Mr Zema said “today, we feel a part of the Australian wine landscape”.
“We’re enormously proud of our family’s achievements and wish to build on this legacy for future generations,” he said.
“We look forward to the future and continuing our focus on the care and attention to detail required to consistently create exceptional wines.
“Here’s to the next 40 years!”
