Winery Guide
Western Australia is blessed with over 150 wineries. The wineries can be grouped by their physical location into different regions which are: Coastal, Great Southern, Margaret River, Pemberton, Perth Hills and the Swan Valley. The regions span from within 30 minutes from Perth to the Southern regions which can be a 3-4 hours drive, but well worth the time.
The Swan Valley
The Swan Valley is a 30 minute drive from Perth. In the region you will
find wildlife and historical parks, bushland, arts and crafts, and most
importantly, several wineries. Like the wineries
in other regions, many of the Swan Valley wineries
also offer fine cuisine with restaurants that are part of the winery. The
Swan Valley is especially known for its fortified wines, produced with help
from the hot Perth Summer. The Swan Valley is also breathtakingly beautiful
in wild flower season. So make a Spring day of it and drift from winery
to winery. Click here to more information
about the Swan Valley and a map
of the Wineries in that region.
Margaret River
The Margaret River region is world renowned for its excellence in viticulture.
The Region was only discovered as perfect for vine growing about 30 years
ago. Today, you can find dozens and dozens of fine wineries
within a few kilometres of one another. The Margaret
River wineries love to welcome visitors for wine tastings, meals in
their first class restaurants, and a stroll around their beautiful grounds.
"Margarets" is famous for its prize winning cabernets, but you can sample
the full range of wines in most of the wineries. There is also plenty of
other things to do in Margaret River, like swimming at the pristine beaches,
surfing at the world famous surf spots, and visiting the many arts and crafts
shops.
Coastal Region
The Coastal region runs from Wanneroo to Busselton. The wineries
are not grouped, so you will need to be prepared to drive a little. However,
with wineries like Capel Vale and Peel Estate,
it certainly is worth it. Why not pop in on your way down to Margaret River?
Great Southern Region
The Great Southern Region describes the region formed by the Albany/Denmark/Mount
Barker triangle. The Great Southern Region
is less established than Margaret River, with the advantage of being unspoiled
by too much tourism. The region has produced extraordinary Rieslings, and
make sure you sample Wignall's award winning Pinot.
Other links:
There are some great Internet sites about Western Australian wines, wineries and vineyards. These sites have up to date information on just about everything to do with wines. Not only do these sites provide detailed wine profiles, but they also have the option to buy your favorite wines online. We recommend Australian Wine Online,Winner of the 1999 World Food Media Award for best food and/or beverage CD-ROM or website, for an extensive and detailed wine website. For information about Margaret River Wines, www.mrwines.com has it all covered.