From the uber-sustainable to kid-friendly estates, these Margaret River wineries have all bases covered.

One of the most geographically isolated wine regions in the world, Margaret River has come a long way since the founding wineries set up shop here in the late 1960s, converting former cattle farms and timber yards into picture-perfect vineyards. While it may be one of the youngest wine regions in the country, the vintners in this corner of WA have made a name for the place in record time.

According to the country’s foremost wine authority, the Halliday Wine Companion, Margaret River is now home to more five-star rated wineries than any other appellation (of which there are 60-plus) in Australia. In fact, although Margaret River is responsible for just three per cent of the country’s total grape production, it produces more than 25 per cent of Australia’s premium wine.

Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are the local stars, but plenty of other varieties vie for your attention, too: syrah, malbec, and sauvignon blanc Semillon blends are chief among them. And just as you’ll find diverse expressions of these grapes, you’ll find a variety of cellar doors.

Looking for things to do in the region? It’s impossible to look past the abundance of Margaret River wineries. Here are some of the best.

1. Cullen Wines

Cullen is not a winery that relies solely on the strength of its award-winning wines to please patrons. Instead, this Margaret River winery has deployed some imaginative, off-kilter experiences that capitalise on the land’s beauty, honour the heritage of its traditional owners, the Wadandi people, and highlight the venture’s sustainability.

Perhaps chief among them is the private Seated Tasting Experience at the Wannang Storytelling Table, launched in early 2022. This outdoor tasting – which takes place around a table crafted from the trunk of a beloved estate peppermint tree that unexpectedly fell the year prior – is ideal for groups of four to six and can be added to any of Cullen’s other tastings in the biodynamic, carbon-positive wine room.

The winery also offers self-guided biodynamic garden tours, a dining room with a four-course set menu, and homestead accommodation.

Cullen Wines is well-known for its environmentally friendly ethos (in 2007, it became the first winery in Australia to be certified carbon neutral). Still, the other claim to fame at this regional frontrunner is the Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot, one of Australia’s few wines to receive the hallowed status of ‘Exceptional’ in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine.

Address: 4323 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup

2. Dormilona

Wine runs in Josephine Perry’s veins. She was born in Margaret River and took up work experience at Cape Mentelle at the tender age of 14, her early interest in wine culminating in the founding of Dormilona in 2012. She’s somewhat of a pioneer, being one of the first Margaret River winemakers to dare to play with the industry status quo. Perry’s boldness even earned her Young Gun of Wine awards in 2013 and 2016. Her MO? Natural, low-impact, and minimal intervention wines, most of which enjoy some skin contact time, and some of which are fermented in traditional amphorae pots (the ‘Clayface’ range).

For many years, Perry just did her thing and wasn’t too focused on having a cellar door. But times change, and you can now try the wines from the source at the breezy, coastal-inspired cellar door in Margaret River. Pay $5 for a 30-minute, unstructured tasting around the timber and tin tasting bench, then linger over a glass of your favourite. Humphrey, the Old English Sheepdog, will likely be there to keep you company.

Address: 1/1 Boodjidup Road, Margaret River

3. Moss Wood

Among the more exclusive experiences in the Margaret River region, a visit to Moss Wood is by appointment only. First, you need to become a member (fret not, you can sign up for free online) before booking a tasting at least two weeks in advance, at a cost of $100 (redeemable against any wine purchased on the day).

On the flip side, visiting this Margaret River winery promises the undivided attention of one of Moss Wood’s staff and a delightfully unhurried experience. Taste wine from barrel and tank, visit the museum and view back vintages, and learn more about the winery’s history and philosophy.

And if you’re lucky enough to be in town during vintage (February to April), you may even see the processing of the grapes and try pressed juice during various stages of fermentation.

The wines at Moss Wood are revered for their consistency and known to age exceptionally well, rendering the winery a regional standout that’s a must-visit for any true oenophile.

Address: 926 Metricup Rd, Wilyabrup

4. LS Merchants

Margaret River has two distinct camps when it comes to wineries: the chic and the casual. LS Merchants sits firmly in the latter, trading cutting-edge architecture for rustic timber and tin and white tablecloths for comfortable couches. The best seat in the house, though, isn’t the soft sofa but rather one of the stools at the window-side bar overlooking the vines. You can do your wine tasting in situ, having eight to ten different wines poured for you while you enjoy the view ($15 per person).

For a more immersive experience, consider booking the three-day ‘School of Winemaking’ course. In it, you get super hands-on, learning every part of the winemaking process, from pruning to blending. They’re only run a handful of times a year, so you’ll have to plan your visit to the region around it.

Address: 163 Treeton Rd N, Cowaramup

5. Cherubino

Call into Cherubino’s flagship cellar door, and you’d be forgiven for momentarily thinking you were living la vita dolce in central Italy. Owners Larry and Edwina Cherubino worked in Italy for a number of vintages, bringing a piece of the country home with them when setting up in the South West. The cellar door is reminiscent of a Tuscan farmhouse, all timber, rammed earth, and terracotta roof tiles, surrounded by vines and West Australian bushland.

Inside, Linton and Kay Galleries have taken up residence, showcasing the work of local and international artists. Tastings take place nearby in the barrel hall, where more than 140 stacked barrels line the walls. Here, you can sample Cherubino’s premium wines ($20 per person for eight wines). Just down the road in Metricup, at the sister winery Ad Hoc, there’s a more approachable selection of wines up for tasting.

Address: 3462 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup

6. Domaine Naturaliste

Planted mere inches from the estate’s merlot vines, Domaine Naturaliste’s cellar door offers a wildly picturesque outlook, with barely a speck of development on the horizon, and instils visitors with a feeling of being in the thick of it all.

Open since the end of 2018, the interiors at this Wilyabrup cellar door somehow strike that elusive balance between smart and homely. Light streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, timber seemingly covers every surface, the low ceilings lend a cosy vibe, and picnic tables line the impeccably manicured front lawn.

Settle in for the afternoon with one of the winery’s made-to-order cheese and charcuterie boards, and punctuate the salty and savoury morsels with the estate’s fruit-forward pours on a six-strong wine flight. It’s a relaxed little spot with friendly and knowledgeable staff where one could easily linger.

Address: 160 Johnson Rd, Wilyabrup

7. Goon Tycoons

Winemaker Julian Langworthy, viticulturist John Fogarty, and businessman Mark Fogarty all have day jobs. Goon Tycoons—an irreverent, fun wine label—is their side hustle project. Where they subscribe to making more traditional blends of wine during the day, they describe the Goon Tycoons approach as ‘dancing on the verge of stupidity and sensibility’, playing around with typically unheard of blends like muscat, riesling, and gewürztraminer (AKA their ‘Red-Headed Step Child’ orange wine).

Trying before you buy is essential when it comes to left-of-centre combinations, and you can do so at the Goon Tycoons cellar door. It’s shared with Abbey Vale Wines—Julian is the winemaker there, too—and looks out over the vines, a dam, and the region’s beautiful Jarrah and Marri gums. Pair your wines with a selection of cheeses from local producers (think Cambray Sheep and Cow Cheese and HaVe), and before you leave, shop the small range of deli goods and clothing on display.

Address: 1071 Wildwood Rd, Yallingup Siding

8. Victory Point Wines

If you’re forever on the hunt for that little-known hero that’s a touch off the beaten track, then add Victory Point Wines to your itinerary. Recognised as an outstanding winery by Australia’s wine bible (AKA the Halliday Wine Companion), this small, family-owned and run winery is a bit of an overachiever.

Pop into this small cellar door, and you might find co-owner Jude behind the timber tasting bench, pouring tastings of the estate’s premium chardonnay and Bordeaux reds (cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, pinot noir). But it’s not just this Cowaramup winery’s wines that create chatter; it’s the sweeping verdant valley views, too.

Address: 92 Holben Rd, Cowaramup

9. Vasse Felix

It’s a cardinal sin to visit the Margaret River Wine Region and not visit the place where it all began. Dr Tom Cullity—the founder of Vasse Felix—is widely credited with establishing the wine industry in the region, planting vines on his plot of land in Wilyabrup back in 1967. This plot is where the current incarnation of the winery sits: a two-storey stone build with a wraparound balcony and unparalleled views out over the vines and dam.

Within these four walls are experiences galore, from stand-up tastings to sit-down fine dining. People just passing through can experience the Vasse Felix range at the cellar door bar ($10 per person for a tasting or $20 for icon wines) or sit on the porch to enjoy a glass. For a more immersive experience, join a vineyard tour with tasting ($50 per person). The ultimate is the Cape to Vine tour ($700 per person), which begins with a walking tour of the nearby Cape to Cape trail and culminates in a five-course lunch from the much-lauded Vasse Felix restaurant, paired with the winery’s icon wines.

Address: Caves Road (Cnr, Tom Cullity Dr), Cowaramup

10. Voyager Estate

Where most wineries in the region opt to build cellar doors that are at home in the unique natural environment of the South West—favouring the use of timber, rammed earth, stone, and tin—Voyager Estate has veered off on another tangent. There’s no missing the impressive white-washed Cape Dutch cellar door, sitting pretty in front of perfectly manicured lawns and gardens. Visitors are welcome to stroll or picnic among the roses, sharing a bottle of organically farmed Chardonnay in the sunshine.

Much of the kitchen’s bounty comes from the gardens, too. Any deficit in produce is made up of purchases from other local farmers, keeping the carbon footprint as minimal as possible. Book any tour at Voyager, and you can add on the seven-course paired lunch, seasonally inspired and intricately plated (prices start from $240 with lunch). Where time and budget are of concern, dropping in for a seated wine flight ($15 per person) and charcuterie board is just as wonderful of an experience.

Address: 41 Stevens Rd, Margaret River

11. Howard Park Wines

Talk about dramatic; this minimalist and modern cellar door, with its lofty ceilings and a riot of textural design elements (native timber, concrete, steel), is impeccably styled. Not only that, but this award-winning building has the unusual distinction of adhering to the principles of feng shui, courtesy of Professor Cheng Jianjun.

One of Australia’s First Families of Wine—a collective of 10 of the oldest family-owned wineries in Australia—Howard Park is something of an Aussie icon. And while the boutique label’s prized Abercrombie cabernet sauvignon is its number one calling card, the Margaret River winery is also making waves with its Jeté range of méthode traditionelle sparkling.

Sample something at the cellar door bar, enjoy a guided tasting flight, or go all out and host a private wine tasting at the estate’s Wine Chapel.

Address: 543 Miamup Rd, Cowaramup

12. Gralyn Estate

Wine isn’t Gralyn Estate’s sole focus; they’re heavy into fortifieds, too. In fact, there are just shy of ten different fortifieds in the estate’s portfolio, which, outside of sticky and sweet, leans heavily towards red. Try the collection at the Jarrah tasting bar, or join a 90-minute tasting experience led by owners Scott and Annette Baxter, which includes samples of museum stock with specifically paired food, a vineyard tour, and recorked bottles of your favourite wines to take with you ($495 per person).

Don’t forget to go for a wander outside, either. There are beautifully maintained hibiscus, palm, and rose-filled gardens to peruse.

Address: 4145 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup

13. Wills Domain

If winning multiple WA Good Food Guide ‘Best Regional Restaurant of the Year’ awards isn’t accolade enough, throw in a James Halliday five-star rating, and it may change your mind. Wills Domain clearly has everything going for it: great wine, an equally impressive menu—overseen by one of WA’s brightest cheffing talents, Jed Gerrard (Wildflower and Hearth)—and beautiful views of the rolling hills and bushland of the Gunyulgup Valley in Yallingup.

Open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, you can practically drop in at any time for a wine tasting. Sampling a range of their wines will set you back $15, more if you want to add a ploughman’s board to snack on, and you can redeem your tasting fee on any purchase made. Your wine tasting is complimentary if you book in for lunch (a la carte, five, or seven-course).

14. Marri Wood Park

Wine tastings sans fees are a rarity these days (and fair enough, too). But Marri Wood Park is bucking the trend and offering samples of their catalogue of wines completely free of charge. The friendly, family-run winery’s generosity doesn’t end there. If you book ahead for your tasting, you’ll also be presented with a complimentary cheese platter. Fancy adding a winery tour with owner and viticulturist Julian Wright onto the booking, too? That’s also completely free.

Post-tour, the wine tasting takes place by the fire (weather permitting), back in the rustic, tin shed cellar door. Kids and dogs on a lead are welcome, the former surely kept entertained by the biodynamic property’s free-roaming geese.

Address: 28 Whittle Rd, Yallingup

Address: 17 Brash Rd, Yallingup

15. Aravina Estate

With a more casual and relaxed experience than most, Aravina Estate is a bit of a crowdpleaser. Its vast grounds not only have a tasting room but a sizable fenced-off playground, gardens, a surf and sportscar museum, a microbrewery, an a la carte restaurant, and a pizza bar, too. It’s a failsafe option, whatever the weather.

Avail yourself of the frequent live music, best enjoyed from the winery’s lawns with a glass of crisp Aravina grenache rosé in hand, and let the kids run riot around the estate as you unwind and drink in the bucolic lake and bushland views.

Address: 61 Thornton Rd, Yallingup Siding

16. Juniper Estate

Juniper Estate takes all of the pomp out of wine tasting. First of all, it’s family-run, so you’ll often get to meet the family team at the cellar door. And, that cellar door isn’t a multi-million-dollar venue, but rather a humble cottage-style build, complete with a lush, cottage-style garden. Sitting at a picnic table under the peppermint gums, enjoying a glass of wine, and looking out at the blooming ranunculus, irises, and roses is as relaxed a way to spend an afternoon. Dogs on leads are most welcome to join.

You can bring your own picnic to enjoy while you sit, or if you’ve timed your visit well, there may be a local food van there slinging pizzas or tacos. To sample the breadth of their catalogue, book a standard ($10 per person) or premium ($25 per person) wine. The fee is redeemable on purchase.

Address: 98 Tom Cullity Dr, Cowaramup

17. Leeuwin Estate

This Margaret River heavyweight is a triple threat. Beyond the obvious pull of its wines (Australia’s leading wine critic, James Halliday, in fact, named the winery’s Art Series Chardonnay as “Australia’s finest example based on the wines of the last 30 vintages”), Leeuwin Estate boasts a fine dining restaurant and an acclaimed art gallery that houses more than 150 paintings and artworks, from artists such as John Olsen, Arthur Boyd and Sir Sidney Nolan.

Thankfully, the powers that be have recognised the combined force of these three features and channelled them all into a handful of haute experiences. Most notable among them is the ‘Triple Celebration: Art, Wine & Ultimate Lunch’, which spans five hours, costs $370pp and offers a heady introduction to everything this estate does so well. But for those with less time (or cash), try the classic cellar door tastings instead.

Address: Stevens Rd, Witchcliffe

18. Si Vintners

This cellar door is as lo-fi as the wines served there, nothing more than a little green shed on a small parcel of land. But Si Vintners’ unpretentious home is a big deal. It took owners and winemakers Sarah Morris and Iwo Jakimowicz a little while to find the perfect place to showcase their wines, and it involves a wine window, a small wine-tasting bench, rustic picnic tables, and a small playground; it’s the ultimate reflection of their biodynamic farming practices and minimal intervention wines.

Bring the kids, the dog, and a picnic blanket, and make an afternoon of it. Food trucks park up on the property over the summer, so there’s always something to eat should you get peckish. Otherwise, bring your own picnic and enjoy in the sun.

Address: 779 Davis Rd, Rosa Glen

19. Walsh & Sons

One of the newer wineries in the area, Walsh & Sons does things a little differently from many of its neighbours. For a start, you’ll only find small-batch, minimal-intervention wines at this cellar door, which has been open since January 2022.

What’s more, there’s nothing haughty about the rustic, dog-friendly indoor-outdoor space, where you can expect relaxed and friendly service from the operators Ryan Walsh and his partner Freya Hohnen. Sample five wines from their two estates, or simply order a glass (or bottle) to enjoy on the patio.

You’ll find more than just wine under the tin roof: from the tasting room, you can spy the family-run butchery and smokehouse, also known as The Farm House, and enjoy the house-made small goods for yourself by picking up one of the grazing boxes.

Address: 5962 Caves Rd, Margaret River

20. Pierro

Dr Michael Peterkin isn’t one to boast; he’s both a fully qualified doctor and anaesthetist and holds a diploma in oenology, but you wouldn’t know it. He worked diligently at the two careers for 25 years before hanging up the stethoscope and focusing solely on his winemaking at Pierro.

The winery’s small rammed earth cellar door is as understated as its founder, letting the wines and scenery do the talking for it. Visit any time from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm to try a selection of chardonnays, shiraz, and cabernet sauvignon, or book to visit on a Friday to join a personalised vineyard tour. Though all the wines here are exemplary, it’s the chardonnay that wins the highest praise, with respected wine writer Jeremy Oliver describing it as being “… the role model for so many of Australia’s more opulent and hedonistically proportioned chardonnays… a stunning expression of Margaret River chardonnay.”

Address: 4051 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup

This article was originally written by Kristie Lau-Adams with updates by Monique Ceccato.

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