From origins steeped in sporting legacy hails The Cover Drive 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – Jim Barry’s proud tribute to a family’s passion and the Coonawarra of yesteryear.

The Cover Drive 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon feeds on fruit from the old Penola Cricket Ground on the southern boundary of Coonawarra, which first saw a ball bowled in anger and the flashing cover drives of the local champions in 1950.

Following the grounds closure in the early 90’s, Jim Barry purchased the 30 acre Penola cricket ground and transformed it into a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard – the Barry family’s first foray in to the Coonawarra. The original pavilion has been retained and the vineyard planted around the cricket pitch, thus preserving a little piece of Coonawarra’s cricketing history.The “old cricket ground” is proudly regarded by brothers Peter and Mark Barry who maintain the family’s policy of selecting fruit only from their own vineyards, thus “enabling us to control our wines from vine to glass,” Jim Barry’s Managing Director, Peter Barry explained.

According to Peter Barry; “The quality of the fruit produced from this vineyard is excellent and has created a standard of wine of which we are proud. As the vines mature, we are very confident that this vineyard will soon become a landmark Coonawarra site.”

“The decision to expand our vineyards from the Clare Valley to the Coonawarra required a great deal of soul searching, but our father’s interest in Coonawarra was passed on to both Mark and myself. When the opportunity to purchase the old cricket ground arose it was too good to miss. Although it meant a heavy financial investment we saw it as a perfect fit for our family owned vineyards in the Clare Valley,” Barry said.

“This is an extremely exciting, new development for Jim Barry, which we believe will be very successful…it’s an absolute thrill to have a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Coonawarra.”