Woolly Wine Cooler

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The Gift Which Launched a Company ... Neal was so excited as he handed us the brown canvas bag with leather handle. The shape suggested its intended purpose. The name on the label — Woolly Wine Cooler — settled the matter. A brown canvas bag insulated with Wool is supposed to keep a bottle of wine cold. We had our doubts. And what the heck is a Didgeridoonas anyway?

It was a 90+ degree Saturday when we accepted a spontaneous invitation to go to an outdoor concert with friends. We have to bring something. A bottle of wine. But it’s 90+ degrees. We remember this silly bag Neal gave us 6 months ago. It was in the cupboard with all the other stuff we never use. Grab the bag, drop in a chilled bottle of white wine, and we’re off. Expectations low.

After 3 hours spent in the trunk of a car and out in the sun, the group had finally gathered, and the festivities began. We pulled the cork from the bottle and began pouring with great apprehension. To our surprise, the wine was just as cold as when it left the refrigerator. All were amazed, and very pleased. That experience changed our lives.

Redefining Cool … Naturally ... The Didgeridoonas and Coolamon® Collections are a range of Ice-Free Drink Coolers and Cooler Bags which adopt the temperature of what you put in your cooler, and will hold temperature for hours. Crafted from rugged, water repellant Oilskin (waxed cotton) Canvas, and insulated with pure Australian wool, these amazingly functional and durable ice-free coolers truly are Mother Nature at her very best.

Sheer Simplicity ... An Active insulator, pure Australian Wool is still one of the best insulators on the planet. Water repellant, yet vapor absorbent, the Aussie Wool insulation adopts the temperature of the contents, creating a thermal lock. As the contents warm (or cool) the Wool releases the stored cold (or hot) back into the cooler for extended life.

Man-made, largely petroleum-based insulators, simply create a passive temperature barrier. Trying to create a wall which keeps one temperature on one side, and another temp on the other. Unlike these man-made materials which lose their insulating capacity when wet, and never fully recover, Wool retains 100% of its thermal properties wet or dry.

Sheer Performance ... Aussie Wool is extremely durable, making it particularly well suited for rugged, repeated use applications. Aussie Wool is more durable than synthetic and other natural fibers. When paired with ultra-tough oilskin (waxed cotton) canvas, your Convertible Cooler has a life expectancy measured in decades, not mere months or years. You can wear it out, but you’ll have a great time doing so.

Sheer Sustainability ... The World has awakened to the importance of using renewable, sustainable resources for the long-term health of our Families and Planet. Australian Wool is organic, abundant, renewable, and sustainable. In addition to outperforming and outlasting man-made insulators, Wool is biodegradable and compostable, offering environmental benefits to the ecosystem. Man can simulate Nature, but we cannot replicate it. When it comes to finding the best insulators on (and for) the planet, there is nothing better than Mother Nature at her very best.

Sheer Genius ... The genesis of these great ice-free coolers can be traced back to the great Wool surplus of the 1990’s. Barbi & Leigh Hemming produced Wool blankets, Wool outerwear, and other Life Accessories on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Concerned for their Rancher friends Barbi & Leigh began searching for new uses for Aussie Wool. In a stroke of genius, they asked themselves: “We use wool to keep people warm, can we use wool to keep things cold?”

The Couple set out in hopes of creating a soft-sided cooler which would keep ice frozen longer than traditional ice-box coolers. Little did they know, until the completion of the original Australian Cooler Bag they had created a cooler which does not require ice.

• 1995: The Didgeridoonas brand of Wool-insulated coolers was launched in Australia.
• 1999: The Phillips Family of Cape Woolamai Mercantile® (USA) were given a Woolly Wine Cooler as a Christmas gift.
• 2005: David Phillips (age 12) began selling Didgeridoonas ice-free coolers off the Dining Room table in the Family home, in school, and in local shops.
• 2006: Southpaw Express (our business) was asked to display a collection of Didgeridoonas ice-free coolers to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World. Where they received a very enthusiastic reception.
• 2012: Southpaw Express began growing the business by selling these amazing Aussie products in Pop-Up Stores at Local and Regional Events.
• 2016: David graduated from college, and our pop-up shoppes graduated to a new name Cape Woolamai Mercantile Co.
• 2017: The Coolamon® Collection of premium+ ice-free coolers was launched In response to the many requests received from our American Friends for versions of these awesome Australian products tailored to fit the unique characteristics of the American Lifestyle.

Sheer Support Cape Woolamai Mercantile® is in the business of making Life more comfortable … guaranteed. All Didgeridoonas and Coolamon products are Guaranteed for Life against defect in material or manufacture. Visit the What to Know section of this site to get ideas on how to best use and care for your Didgeridoonas and Coolamon® products, and to learn about the Cape Woolamai Performance Guarantee.