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Georges Wines Buys the Koonowla Vineyards and Winery in Clare

By Thursday 5 September 2019April 22nd, 2021No Comments

Georges Wines has purchased the Koonowla vineyards and historic winery in the Clare Valley from Andrew Michael.

The winery and vineyard was established in the 1890s and the original winemaking facility is intact at Auburn.

Koonowla’s infrastructure will serve as their new base of operations in the Clare Valley. The expansive vineyards will more than double the yield for the increasing demand for the Georges brands.

Alexander and Nick George are looking to expand further as vineyard owners and wine producers in the Clare Valley. Both are passionate advocates of the unique aspects of the Clare Valley exemplified by the historic infrastructure at Koonowla.

Nick George has always spread himself over a diverse range of fields, with a primary focus on the property industry. Nick has now turned his attention to expanding the family’s viticultural holdings after 40 years in real estate and finance, building Ray White and Loan Market, South Australia’s largest real estate group.

“Koonowla was the perfect property to further our development of the Georges viticultural interests and will lead to the development of more tourism infrastructure for the Clare Valley,” says Nick.

Alexander returned to South Australia after spending the last decade overseas and interstate. He is committed to focusing on wine sales, operations and expanding the family business.

“You learn the importance of a quality community after living across Australia and abroad. The more time I spend in Clare, the more evident it is that we have found that here,” he says.

The George family feel it has always been a privilege to own a piece of the Clare Valley, and are now fully committed to making a far more significant contribution.

Clare Valley Vineyards Pty Ltd (Georges Wines) have acquired the historic vineyards and the Koonowla label together with the distribution network developed by Andrew Michael.

All booked weddings and events will continue as planned. Tony Poole will continue on as the property’s vineyard manager and will be joined by Steve Turner who started with the Georges team earlier this year.

“Koonowla will be the George family’s opportunity to give clients a destination synonymous with the experience they have come to expect from the brand, and bring new wine lovers to a location the family are proud to call home,” Alexander says.

“The George family are looking forward to many years of creative collaboration in bringing forth the full potential of this outstanding Clare Valley icon. The further development of the vineyards in scale and quality will be the first priority, with wedding and event space next on the list as they develop the historic buildings.”

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