Bendooley Estate

Paul Berkelouw is a 6th-generation antiquarian book dealer whose name is known to just about everyone in Australia who has any interest in such things. He, his wife, Katja, and their four children inherited the historic Bendooley Estate in Berrima from Paul’s father, Leo, who acquired it in ’76 as a base for his expanding book business. Since taking ownership in ’11, Paul and Katja have developed the estate into a destination, with an onsite restaurant, bookstore, accommodation and event spaces. With wine an integral part of their vision, in ’08 they planted 2ha of the property to chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot gris and released their first vintage in ’11. Jonathan Holgate (ex-Tertini Wines) has made the wines since inception: the range includes three Reserve wines made with estate-grown fruit – the rest are made with fruit sourced from Hilltops, Tumbarumba, Orange and other cool-climate regions in the Southern Highlands. -ANNA WEBSTER