Margaret River is the name given to 3 things in south west Western Australia, the river, the town and the area. We are visiting our good friends Jim and Kerry who live here…lucky them (and us).
Among other things, we have been visiting some of the many wineries in the area.
The Margaret River region is celebrating 50 years as a wine growing area. It was a small agricultural area with good surfing beaches when Dr Tom Cullity began his winery, Vasse Felix, in 1967. There are now 142 wine producers and they make 20% of Australia’s premium wine exports.
The first winery we visited was Voyager Estate, one of the most beautiful wineries I have been to anywhere in the world. The setting is stunning. We will return to try the restaurant as it was booked out during our visit. http://www.voyagerestate.com.au
Vasse Felix still flourishes after 50 years. It is also in a beautiful setting helped along by glorious blue skies. http://www.vassefelix.com.au
Leeuwin Estate is family owned and one of the 5 founding wineries in the area. It is famous for its concerts as well as very good wine. They have an excellent restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. http://www.leeuwinestate.com.au
Cape Mentelle is one of the early wineries in the area, established in 1970 by brothers David, Mark and Giles Hohnen. Today it is part of the Estates & Wines owned by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. http://www.capementelle.com.au
Watershed Winery has an excellent restaurant with great food as well as a spectacular view over the vineyards. http://www.watershedwines.com.au
Credaro Wines was established by the Italian Credaro family who first came to Australia in the 1920s. http://www.credarowines.com.au
Clairault Streicker began in 1976 with just 4 hectares of vines. Today they have 200 hectares under vine. They also have a cafe with a contemporary farm-to-table menu. http://www.clairaultstreickerwines.com.au.
Robert Oatley Margaret River is a large established vineyard, cellar door and restaurant. It was formerly Laurance Wines with 110 hectares of vineyards and a stunning rose garden. http://www.robertoatley.com.au
Amelia Park was established in 2009 by Jeremy Gordon. The winery has won several prestigious awards. The entrance to the cellar door is via a stunning barrel room. http://www.ameliaparkwines.com.au
Margaret River is a very popular tourist destination with 2.7 million visitors a year, but even at one of the busiest times of the year it is relaxed and unhurried. As well as the famous wineries it has pristine beaches, stunning forests and quaint towns asking to be explored…there will be more on Margaret River and surrounding areas.
I hope you all have a very merry Christmas, wherever you are.
A beautiful area. Enjoy your stay! And say hello to Jim and Kerry. Have a happy Christmas!
By: Mulino Dominillo on December 24, 2017
at 12:55 pm
It is a stunning area and it is great to see Jim and Kerry again. Have a wonderful Christmas.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 1:17 pm
We are so blessed in this country – enjoy Deb & Jim and have a great Christmas
By: Elizabeth Litzow on December 24, 2017
at 1:00 pm
We certainly are blessed. The whole area is stunning and we have excellent guides.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 1:16 pm
Thank you for sharing such beautiful images, Debra! It is wonderful to see green and growing at this time of year. I spent the holidays in southern Australia years ago and enjoyed New Year’s Eve under the stars in summer weather – a delight.
By: composerinthegarden on December 24, 2017
at 1:44 pm
Margaret River is a very beautiful part of Australia. We have been extremely lucky with the weather as you can see. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 1:47 pm
SettIng looks great – what about the wine?!!
By: Sue on December 24, 2017
at 1:50 pm
The wines from the area are excellent. A favourite was the Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay. I have to say that I don’t have a lot of interest in wine. I drink very little, but I love the beautiful vineyards and wineries.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 2:00 pm
Each to their own….I do love a good Riesling, and I believe some from Western Australia are very good….. Happy Hiolidays!
By: Sue on December 24, 2017
at 2:49 pm
Oh my, what a wonderful area to visit. I think it would be hard to leave. Vasse Felix was especially pretty and the food looked delicious at each of the restaurants. Have a wonderful Christmas.
By: Karen on December 24, 2017
at 2:39 pm
The area is stunning.All of the vineyards we visited were beautiful. Lots of money has been spent to create them. I hope you have a happy Christmas.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 10:00 pm
I never knew Australia had such fabulous looking vineyards…..oh, how I would love to taste all that food….merry Christmas to you and Jim….
By: sealights99 on December 24, 2017
at 3:26 pm
These are just the wineries in Western Australia. There are wine areas in each state and they are wonderful. Keep warm and have a lovely Christmas.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 9:55 pm
Merry Christmas to you and Jim. Lovely photos, obviously a place we need to visit.
By: Wendy Bradford on December 24, 2017
at 7:21 pm
I hope you have a great Christmas. Margaret River should definitely be on your list.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 9:56 pm
Did you do all that in one day? The food looks amazing. You chose a fabulous place to spend Christmas. Looking forward to more posts. Merry Christmas to you & Jim.
By: kathy on December 24, 2017
at 8:49 pm
We visited these vineyards over 3 days. We are staying very close to them. Have a great Christmas,
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 9:54 pm
Happy Christmas Deb and Jim!! You’ve got off to a fine start with spectacular vistas and great food !!! Look forward to hearing your stories on January Jx
By: Jan Williams on December 24, 2017
at 10:48 pm
Margaret River is a wonderful place to be. It is not too hot and there is much to see and do.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 24, 2017
at 11:01 pm
Merry Christmas Debra! It’s such a pretty place to visit and your pics have really brought it to life 😀
By: Lorraine @Not Quite Nigella on December 26, 2017
at 11:02 am
What beautiful vineyards. I love the roses at Vasse Felx and that lovely cockatoo birdbath – your meals looked very inviting too.
By: Jan on December 27, 2017
at 3:29 am
[…] December saw us back at the seaside, this time in Western Australia. […]
By: A new year begins | Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on January 1, 2018
at 8:19 am
Wonderful photos Debra, brought back good memories when I visited WA for a couple weeks, all the way from Shark Bay in the north to Margaret River in the south. I took a tour of the Karrie trees, walking across metal bridges almost to the top of the trees. Thanks for the memories of another beautiful place in Australia.
By: Jack Erickson on January 1, 2018
at 7:47 pm
[…] Margaret River a few years ago. It is one of the most gorgeous wineries I have ever been to. Wineries of Margaret River We wanted to have lunch there, but it was completely booked out during our stay. I was determined […]
By: A long lunch at Voyager Estate | Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on February 11, 2023
at 9:55 pm