Passionate about supporting wine region tourism, Elizabeth Hollingsworth has introduced three more destinations to her tea towel range.
Coonawarra, Orange and Rutherglen are lesser-known wine areas for tourists, especially ones coming from overseas.
All three regions are located more than three hours’ drive from a major city. This can make it harder to attract tourists—especially international tourists—than day-trip hotspots like the Barossa and the Yarra Valley.
Nadine Simpson, coordinator of Rutherglen’s visitor centre, estimates that less than 10 per cent of visitors to Rutherglen come from overseas. Most visitors come from Melbourne (three hours drive), Canberra (four hours drive) or Sydney (six hours drive).
Sally MacDonald, marketing & events coordinator at Zema Estate winery in Coonawarra, agrees that distance can be an advantage when it comes to wine region tourism.
“We’re four hours’ drive from Adelaide and four and a half hours from Melbourne, and we’re seeing an increase in international tourists who drive down the Great Ocean Road then stop in Coonawarra for a few days,” she says.
“The people who visit are really interested and engaged, not just in experiencing beautiful food and wine but in discovering all that the region has to offer. They’re hungry to find out more.”
And the ‘more’ is what Palatable Tea Towels founder Hollingsworth is striving to showcase with her new tea towel maps of Rutherglen, Coonawarra and Orange.
“I want to open people’s eyes to the incredible array of delights in Coonawarra, Orange and Rutherglen, and encourage more people to make the trip.”
Each hand-illustrated map features the region’s 15 best wineries, ranked four stars or more in the Halliday Wine Companion, with a cellar door open to the public. There are also 15 accommodation providers catering to a range of ages and budgets, and 15 local attractions to round out the tourist experience.
The Coonawarra, Rutherglen and Orange tea towels were launched in January 2024 in response to numerous customer requests. Hollingsworth is also spreading her love of wine region tourism beyond tea towels; she’s just released a limited run of BBQ aprons featuring maps of Mornington Peninsula, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley.
“I’ll continue to do everything I can to promote wine region tourism,” she enthuses.
“I want our wine regions to continue growing and evolving so that future generations can enjoy them as much as I do.”
