One of the charms of Coonawarra is that it's off the beaten track. So much so, that Doug Bowen found himself hopelessly lost on his first visit to Coonawarra.
Well, it was the early 1970s and Coonawarra was but a village with few vineyards...a mere speck on the map. This was Doug's introduction to Coonawarra and his interest was piqued.
A year later, he managed to incorporate a visit to Coonawarra while on his honeymoon, only to find a 'For Sale' sign on an abandoned dairy farm. It was destiny. He and his bride, Joy moved to Coonawarra immediately and their vision began in earnest.
Hard work, attention to detail, patience and integrity resulted in wines that have since become 'classic Coonawarra' benchmarks.
Now, 40 years later, both Coonawarra and Bowen Estate are firmly on the map with daughter Emma working alongside her father to ensure the dream continues. This enables Doug time to pursue his other passion, fishing. When not tending his vines, he can be found off the coast of Robe pulling pots and trawling for tuna.