Showcasing South Australia

John and Faye Parker established Parker Coonawarra Estate in 1985 after a career-long interest in the region. Today, the privately owned Parker Coonawarra Estate is committed to John Parker’s standards of excellence, and producing the most faithful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the celebrated Terra Rossa soils of the Coonawarra growing region.

In the mid 1980’s, with help and advice from longtime friend Doug Balnaves, John and Faye Parker identified the best locations on Coonawarra’s Terra Rossa strip, which resulted in the purchase of land from the Abbey family, just north of the Penola township. In 1985 they planted their first vines using the Reynella Selection cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon - the original cuttings from Bordeaux - sourced before Phylloxera decimated the vineyards in France in the late 1800’s.

The Hesketh family assumed custodianship of Parker Coonawarra Estate in March 2013. With over fifty years’ experience in the wine industry, their philosophy is to retain John Parker’s vision for the Estate, focusing on the core elements that make Parker Estate superior. The most appropriate grape varieties and clones, grown on the right soil profile in the best locations within Coonawarra, to make the best possible wines from this exceptional growing region.