Margaret River Wine Region

Margaret River lies in the south-west corner of Western Australia, between the karri and jarrah forest inland and a coast of limestone cliffs and surf breaks. Commercial vines were planted here only in the late 1960s, after a study identified the maritime climate as close to Bordeaux, which makes it young by wine standards. It produces a small share of Australia's wine by volume and a much larger share of its premium bottles, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The region has grown a food economy around the vineyards: marron from the freshwater creeks, local cheese, olive oil, breweries and a chocolate maker. Caves run under the ridge, and the Cape to Cape walking track follows the coast for about a hundred and thirty kilometres.

Highlights

• The cellar doors - a concentration of Cabernet and Chardonnay producers along a short run of roads.
• The surf coast - limestone headlands and reef breaks at Prevelly and along the capes.
• The karri forest - tall hardwood forest inland, with walking tracks and a tree-top walk further south.
• The regional produce - marron, cheese, olive oil and small breweries scattered between the vineyards.

When to go

Spring and autumn give the best balance of weather and quiet; the vintage runs through late summer into autumn. School holidays and Easter fill the region and push accommodation prices sharply up. Winter is wet and green with big surf, and some cellar doors cut their hours. Whales pass the coast between roughly June and December.

What to expect

It is three hours from Perth and the region is spread out, so you need a car and a driver who is not tasting. Most cellar doors charge tasting fees, often waived on purchase. Accommodation and food are expensive for regional Australia and rise steeply in holiday periods. Coastal water is cold and the rips are strong. Distances make more than four wineries in a day unwise.

Nearby

The Cape to Cape track, the limestone caves and the tall timber forests to the south.