Our Story
Family roots. Historic soil. Award-winning vines.
Coolangatta Estate is a family-owned and operated winery on the South Coast of New South Wales, proudly producing estate-grown wines on one of the most historically significant sites in the region.
Home to 25 acres of vineyard, a convict-restored village, and generations of hands-on dedication, Coolangatta Estate is a place where history, family and wine come together.
A Legacy that began in 1947
In 1947, Colin Bishop purchased the Coolangatta property, beginning a new chapter for a site that dates back to 1822 as the first European settlement on the South Coast.
In the early years, Coolangatta operated as a working dairy farm. Greg Bishop, Colin’s son, along with his siblings, worked the land through changing seasons and shifting tides of regional agriculture. It wasn’t until the 1970s that restoration began on the property’s historic buildings — laying the foundation for the Coolangatta Estate we know today.
From Dairy Farm to Destination
When Colin Bishop purchased Coolangatta Estate in 1947, the property was a run-down dairy farm with a rich but forgotten history. The original buildings — dating back to 1822 — were in various states of disrepair, overgrown and barely standing, but they held incredible heritage value. What many would have seen as too far gone, the Bishop family saw as worth saving.
In the 1970s, restoration began.
Led by Greg Bishop and his siblings, the family painstakingly restored the convict-built village, repurposing original bricks, timber and sandstone wherever possible. Buildings that once housed workers, supplies and livestock were carefully brought back to life — not as museum pieces, but as functional parts of a working estate.
The restoration was hands-on and hard-earned. Without modern machinery or major funding, it was a true family effort. Fences were rebuilt. Roofs were re-laid. Interiors were cleaned out and re-fitted to retain their original charm while meeting the needs of a growing hospitality venue.
Each building today — from the cellar door to the accommodation suites — stands as a tribute to that restoration era. It’s history you can sleep in, sip wine in, and walk through. And it’s a legacy we’re proud to preserve.
Sowing the Seeds of Shoalhaven Wine
Coolangatta Estate is now home to 10 wine varietals, all grown right here on the property. Our unique coastal location, rich volcanic soil, and hands-on approach produce fruit of exceptional quality — and it shows.
But wine wasn’t always part of the plan.
In fact, when Greg Bishop first developed an interest in viticulture, his father Colin wasn’t convinced. Grapes weren’t grown commercially on the South Coast, and the idea of planting a vineyard seemed like a gamble. At the time, the region had no established wine industry to follow.
Still, Greg was persistent.
After years of convincing, Colin granted Greg two acres on the eastern slopes of Mount Coolangatta. In 1987, those blocks were planted with Sauvignon Blanc — the first vines of what would become a remarkable chapter in Shoalhaven history.
The first harvest came in 1990, producing Coolangatta Estate’s first vintage — and marking the birth of a wine legacy. Coolangatta Estate became the first commercial winery in the Shoalhaven, paving the way for a now-thriving regional wine industry.
At the same time, the Bishop family formed a connection with Tyrrell’s Wines in the Hunter Valley. Col, stocking the restaurant, had been purchasing Tyrrell’s wine by the truckload. That early supplier relationship evolved into a winemaking partnership that continues to this day, with Tyrrell’s vinifying all of Coolangatta’s estate-grown fruit.
Together, we’ve built a wine portfolio that has earned more than 2,200 awards, making Coolangatta Estate one of the most awarded wineries in Australia.
From the coastal freshness of our Semillon, to the signature depth of our Chambourcin, every bottle reflects our land, our story, and the family who planted the first vines with a leap of faith.
The Story Continues
From a dairy farm with falling-down buildings to a thriving estate producing award-winning wines, Coolangatta has always been built on belief — in the land, in family, and in possibility.
Today, Ben and Natalie Bishop live and work on the estate with their children, Harry and Katy, representing the third and fourth generations of the Bishop family. The vines are still hand-picked. The cellar door still welcomes guests daily. And the historic buildings still stand strong — creaky floorboards and all.
We’re proud of what we’ve created here: a place that honours its past while growing toward the future. A place where stories are shared over long lunches, glasses are raised in celebration, and history is tasted in every bottle.
This is more than a winery — it’s our home.
And we’re so glad to share it with you.
– The Bishop Family