The next morning I headed for Bool Lagoon, the state's largest freshwater lagoon, 19 miles (31 kilometers) north of Penola.

CNN: Sampling the bounty of Australia's Coonawarra wine region

So crucial is Bool Lagoon as a drought refuge and breeding ground for thousands of birds and other wildlife that it is listed with UNESCO as a Wetland of International Importance.

CNN: Sampling the bounty of Australia's Coonawarra wine region