Wine Time on Island Time | Kangaroo Island Wine

If you think making wine is a slow process, just wait until you meet the winemakers on Kangaroo Island.

It’s not that they’re any more committed to their craft than their mainland counterparts — although they do make some superb wines — it’s just that on Kangaroo Island, we like to take our time.

Things happen when they happen, and as long as there’s wine, meat and vegetables on the table at the end of the day, you’re laughing.

That’s the perspective of Dudley Wines owner and operator Jeff Howard.

Jeff Howard, Dudley Wines, Kangaroo Island

“We call it Island Time because we do what we want, when we want,” he smiles cheekily.

“We go fishing when we want to, we go farming when we have to, we don't have to obey the nine-to-five rules.

“It's a better way of doing things.”

The fourth generation Kangaroo Island farmer admits he’s “led a pretty sheltered life” on the Island, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

"We've been farmers forever, I'm a fourth-generation farmer on KI,” he says. “We probably only went to the mainland about three times by the time I was 12.”

Jeff started Dudley Wines, with two of his mates back in 1997 on the back of the wool trade collapse, and as the brand grew, he decided to take the winery on as a family business in 2010.

“We were the first to have a commercial vintage on Kangaroo Island and the whole family is now involved in the wine business,” he says.

Jeff Howard, Dudley Wines, Kangaroo Island
Island Time

“Proud's not a word I like, but I'm content I suppose. It's pretty good that at the end of the day you can have a bottle or two of your own wine, and any stress just seems to disappear.

“We can grow our own meat, few veggies in the garden, and our own wine, we really don't need much more than that. Things are good.”

With grazing platters, pizzas and delicious Kangaroo Island Wines, a playground for the little kids, golf across the gully for the bigger kids, and one of the most stunning cellar door views in Australia, Dudley Wines is a must-visit destination for anyone travelling to Kangaroo Island.

“A lot of people come here to have a look at the view, because it’s spectacular, but the view isn't anywhere near as good until you've had a couple of wines,” Jeff says.

“I think just looking at our beauty, the beaches and the wildlife is pretty special. One time, people were quite bored with that, but now people have got a different attitude.”

Since the 90s a number of wineries have been established on Kangaroo Island, making it a destination for lovers of great wines that are only just being discovered - in an unbelievably spectacular location.

False Cape Wines

Home to Kangaroos Island’s largest vineyard — running along the banks of the Willson River on the Dudley Peninsula between Penneshaw and Cape Willoughby — False Cape Wines is a joint family endeavour. Owned and operated by Kangaroo Island locals and vignerons, Julie and Jamie Helyar, who are committed to sustainable practices, its award-winning wines are made by Julie’s brother, Greg Follett, of Lake Breeze Wines in Langhorne Creek.

Try the 2019 ‘Captain’ Cabernet Sauvignon

The Islander Estate Vineyards

When Jacques Lurton — from one of Bordeaux's largest wine families — visited Kangaroo Island with his wife in 1997, he fell in love with the pristine natural environment and pioneering culture. Noticing its similarity to the Languedoc-Rousillon region of Southern France, he saw the enormous untapped viticultural potential of the Island and established The Islander Estate Vineyards soon after. He now spends his year split between making wine in France and Kangaroo Island.

For a truly unique Kangaroo Island wine experience, make sure you visit their intimate Cygnet River Cellar Door for a hosted wine tasting, and stay for a regional platter on deck with your favourite bottle.

Try their flagship wine, 2015 The Investigator, 100% Cabernet Franc.

Bay of Shoals Wines

With its picturesque setting, Bay of Shoals Wines cellar door and vineyard is just a five-minute drive from Kingscote, and offers wine tastings and sales, spectacular views, hamper lunches. Overlooking Reeves Point, the site of the first European settlement in South Australia, Bay of Shoals Wines prides itself on making authentic Kangaroo Island wine, with all its grapes grown, harvested, and made into wine on Kangaroo Island.

Try the 2016 Sparkling Cuvee made in the Méthode Traditionnelle, with freshly shucked local oysters.

Springs Road Wines

Established in 2016, Springs Road Wines is owned and operated by Joch Bosworth and Louise Hemsley-Smith of McLaren Vale’s Battle of Bosworth Wines. A second-generation McLaren Vale grape grower and winemaker, Jock was inspired to buy the Kangaroo Island vineyard — which was established in 1994 on a small sheep property off Springs Road — after seeing it for sale while holidaying on the Island. He went shopping for groceries in Kingscote and came home with a vineyard!

Try the 2018 Chardonnay, a delicious full-bodied Chardy showing flavours of cashew and white stone fruit.

For lovers of wine, stunning views, and sumptuous tasting plates, Kangaroo Island is the perfect place to discover something new. To plan your trip ahead of time, you can also pre-book your cellar door experiences.

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