Middlebrook has recently been beautifully restored and enhanced to make it one of the most beautiful winery complexes you will find in Australia.

Joseph Cogno from the well known Cogno wine family, is the new owner. The Cognos also have "Cobbitty Wines" in New South Wales, Joseph done a superb job in redeveloping this fine property, he has been in the McLaren Vale region for a number of years and was manager of a large McLaren Vale winery. Joseph certainly has a feel for the vineyards and wines of the district and an aesthetics of winery design.

The new Middlebrook complex includes a spacious tasting area with floor to ceiling windows overlooking a landscaped, tuscan style terrace garden, lawns and the classic rotunda. Later this year Middlebrook will open a superb Art Gallery at the rear of the Cellar Door area.

The Middlebrook winebar and restaurant is in the center of the building with a long covered verandah where one can also eat. On the Sand Road entrance is the Medlow Confectionery factory producing unique fruit gels andchocolates.

Middlebrook is surrounded by its own 15 acre vineyard which Joseph has put considerable work into, reviving the old vines which are now producing wonderful fruit full of character.

Middlebrook also have an 80 acre vineyard called Highcrest a little further into the Hills near Kangarilla.

The Middlebrook Estate wines are great examples of the rich full flavours produced by the rich ironstone soils in the Willunga scrap area. Apart from his range of premium table wines Joseph is now producing the famous Cogno Lambrusco at Middlebrook. This is one of the largest selling Lambrusco's in Australia.

Joseph is also reviving a unique liqueur created some 25 years ago by David Hardy the then proprietor. This is a combination of fortified wine blend with cumquat at a strength of around 23% alcohol, it certainly is a delicious after dinner drink and great base for cocktails and long drinks. Joseph found a couple of barrels of the original blend beautifully mature and has used this as his base for the new blend. I tasted is recently and if anything he has improved on my uncle's blend.

Middlebrooks history goes back to 1880 when wine pioneer Thomas Hardy bought and planted a fertile block of land between two streams east of McLaren Vale, calling it "Glen Hardy". Ironically after a number of changes of ownership it was purchased in 1978 by Thomas's great grandson David and his two sons Christopher and John, they renamed the property Middlebrook.

When you are in McLaren Vale region, it's a absolute must to search out Middlebrook, although it's not far from either McLarn Flat or McLaren Vale - it is a little tucked away, but make sure you find it, it's well worth the trouble.

The McLaren Vale Wine Region is located forty kilometres south of Adelaide, South Australia, generally describedas the area bounded by Sellicks Beach and Willunga in the south to O'Halloran Hill in the north and Mount Barker to the east.

The climate is Mediterranean. Cool, wet winters, long warm summers from December to March. Average rainfall is 550mm with about 20% falling in the summer months. The soil is red loam over limestone, some clay for a portion of the region with heavy to light sandy loam over clay. Much of the region's soils being impregnated with ironstone.

In 1840 Sir John Franks took up a land at the join of two waterways in the McLaren Vale district and named it Middlebrook. He planted Muscatel and Current grapes.

In 1880 Thomas Hardy purchased the property lying between 4km east of McLaren Vale and between two streams, and renamed it Glen Hardy, by which it was known for the next 67 years.

In 1947 was built in by the English firm of ship chandlers B.B. Mason & Co. of Hull and named it Roxton. A high reputation was gained for its premium red table wines. In the min 60's ownership once again changed and the doors re-opened at Valle d'Oro, Italian for Golden Valley. Valle d'Oro was headed by two Adelaide businessmen Giordano Rossetto and Lorenzo Comasetti.

1971 was when Dalgety acquired the Valle d'Oro Winery and neighbouring vineyards and firstly calling it Benelen and later in 1983 re-established the name of Middlebrook and applied it to the winery. A restaurant was added which then developed into a reception center catering to all major functions.

In 1994 Middlebrook was purchased by Walter Clappis an owner/winemaker from Ingoldby Wines at McLaren Flat. The Clappis family has made some significant changes during their time as owners of Middlebrook, changes which have laid the foundation for Middlebrooks new lease of life.

2000 was the year the Cogno family acquired the property and buildings and the guidance of Joseph cogno will re-establish Middlebrook to its former glory as a Winery and Function complex. Our objective is to establish the Middlebrook branding for our McLaren Vale premium range of wines and also offer the Cogno Brothers range to further complete our spectrum. As our motto states "The best wine is the one you like". The Cogno Brothers Winery is situated at Cobbitty near Camden where pioneer Captain John Macarthur planted vines shortly after the settlement of New South Wales. The area is now part of outer Sydney.