My work family and I recently travelled down south for our annual Big Day Out! This year we were treated to a wine tasting tour in Margaret River to discover what makes W.A wines so special and unique. If you’re ever visiting Western Australia, you must make a trip down south. The beaches are incredible and the wineries are some of the best in the world.
The perfect escape
We arrived at work bright and early and hopped on the bus for the 3 hour journey. The drive down consisted of songs from the Lion King, watching wine making documentaries and snoozing. I have a special talent of being able to fall asleep anywhere in a matter of seconds so the trip went very quickly for me.
The first winery we visited was Whicher Ridge in Chapman Hill. Owned by a lovely couple, Neil and Cathy Howard, they have created a range of wines that are a culmination of many years of hard work together. The vineyard and winery are on their farming property and the team consists just of the two of them. They passionately believe in making wines that come from somewhere, rather than wines that could come from anywhere. Cathy guided us through their beautiful selection and you could really taste the distinctive flavours that created each blend. Each bottle of wine has a unique story to tell about the vineyard with where it’s from, and the soil and microclimate that it grows in. Neil and Cathy use hands on, traditional wine making techniques which make this family owned winery one of a kind.
Whicher Ridge Winery
Our next destination was Woodlands Winery in Wilyabrup which is one of Margaret River’s first five wineries, established back in 1973. The cellar door had recently been refurbished and the stone flooring and freshly painted white walls looked gorgeous. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek into there barrel room to see where the magic was made. After two wine tastings so early in the morning, we were all looking forward to our next winery where we would be treated to lunch. Vasse Felix is located right in the heart of Margaret River and has a fascinating history, which we discovered from our tour guide downstairs in the wine cellar. The founder, Dr Tom Cullity’s only aim was to make the best possible wine. His first vintage was an absolute disaster, however his second vintage led him to capturing the world’s interest. We sampled their award-winning wines before heading upstairs to their rustic restaurant where we were treated to a scrumptious 2 course meal.
Lovely ladies
Last, but definitely not least, was Swings & Roundabout in Yallingup. After sampling so many wines throughout the day I was feeling quite jolly by the time we arrived. What I loved the most about Swings and Roundabout was their locally sourced fruit which they use in all their wines. They strongly believe that Margaret River fruit can deliver “Mediterranean” style wines that are great for drinking with or without food and I have to agree with them. We were fortunate enough to be sampling their wine with the delicious wood fire pizza’s they available.
The wine cellar
It had been an incredible day gaining new knowledge. For me, there was one stand out winery and that was the family owned Whicher Ridge. I loved the freshness and fruity flavours of their wines. It was inspiring to see all of Neil and Cathy’s hard work over the years and made me realise that if there is enough love and passion, then anything is possible. I think that relates to everything in life. We just have to want it enough for it to become a reality.
Spread The Sunshine 