As the world’s most isolated wine region with an Indigenous history stretching back a staggering 40,000-plus years, Margaret River propositions visitors with palpable romanticism and an intrinsic connection to nature. Fringed by the Indian Ocean on three sides with endless pristine beaches, the often-used moniker “paradise” is a laudable one. Wine history is young here; vine planting began in the late 1960s when the area was better known for dairy pastures and iconic surf breaks. Today, there are more than 150 Margaret River wineries and a budding gastronomic scene to boot.
A warm maritime climate verging on Mediterranean has allowed cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay to excel: both have garnered a status for being some of the finest examples in the New World. Add unique ironstone gravels found nowhere else to the equation, and powerful wines with excellent ageing ability routinely dominate.
Expect exceptional wines and an arresting landscape: a youthful region with enormous appeal.
From old-school vineyards to up and comers, these are the best Margaret River wineries and cellar doors to visit in 2024.
Vasse Felix
Cowaramup
The Home Vineyard is where it all began for Margaret River in 1967. Today, with a glass in hand, you can sit in the chic Wine Lounge and look out over this historic piece of dirt. A cellar experience in The Vault is an exceptional chance to try back vintages and soak in the folklore of the winery.
Cullen Wines
Wilyabrup
Previously organic, now biodynamic, and impressively the first vineyard and winery certified carbon neutral in Australia. Offering a dazzling assortment of tastings, there’s ample opportunity to explore back vintages and to understand the processes and philosophy behind it all. The highlight is an outdoor storytelling experience hinging on sustainable land care.
Domaine Naturaliste
Wilyabrup
Winemaker Bruce Dukes’ prowess with Margaret River vines is a relationship three decades in the making. Unsurprisingly, this nous and fervour for the region translates handsomely to an open-style vineyard-side tasting room where memorable afternoons transpire. A gorgeous lawn replete with games where you can enjoy charcuterie in the open air is the cherry on top.
Voyager Estate
Magaret River
Rolling manicured lawns and a beautiful, whitewashed Cape Dutch-style manor house will do their very best to grab your attention from the outset. Those who resist can even go behind the scenes and see the inner workings and comprehend how some of the region’s best chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are made.
Howard Park
Cowaramup
Take a Feng Shui-designed award-winning winery and position it among 138 hectares of vines and native bushland; you have the blueprint for this stunning cellar door. Across three labels, visitors can relish casual pours or uncover more during private tastings at the Wine Chapel – if vistas over the Wilyabrup Valley don’t distract too much.
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