In 1993, winemaker and biodynamic pioneer Derek Hooper travelled to Mount Benson, inspired as much by the cool maritime climate as the surf break just down the road.
Derek Hooper, an avid surfer and keen outdoor enthusiast, landed in Mount Benson when it was not much more than a stark landscape dominated by forestry and grazing.
One of the pioneer grapegrowers in the region, it was not only the terra rossa soil that inspired him, but the swell off the coast of Robe and Beachport, home to some of South Australia's best surf breaks.
Initially running eight hectares of coastal vineyards, Derek was keen to capture the region's unique coastal terroir in each bottle of wine he made. Meeting his winemaker wife Anna in 2002 gave him the opportunity to do so, when the couple's keen interest in biodynamic viticulture saw them convert the now 25-hectare vineyard at Cape Jaffa to a fully certified biodynamic operation by 2008.
Today, Cape Jaffa Wines gather as much interest as the nearby surf break that began it all.