Heading South from Perth
Less than 3 hours after having breakfast in Perth, we were driving through Yalingup in the Margaret River region. We had a little time before our first wine tasting of the day so we headed west off Caves Road, driving the short distance to the sea and called in at Canal Rocks. Our first glimpse of this beautiful coastline. Passing Cape Lavender cafe on the way we made a mental note to try and check out their famous afternoon tea. Being a sucker for a good scone, and always on the search for the best high tea in Australia, we would strive to call in over the weekend.
Time to taste what Margaret River is all about
Thoughts of scones pushed aside, at 12.30pm we sat down to enjoy what we really came to Margaret River for. Wine. This was our first visit to Domaine Naturaliste and we were booked in for a seated tasting and a charcuterie board. Owned by Bruce Dukes, a contract winemaker in the Margaret River region for over 30 years, Domaine Naturaliste is a relatively new cellar door with a vineyard that was only purchased in 2018.
We sampled 6 excellent wines, with me favouring the three whites we had. We didn’t have to wait long before making our first purchase of the weekend, taking a “Sauvage” chardonnay and the “Floris” Sauvignon Blanc. Both fresh, with well balanced acidity, and subtle hints of oak.
Voyager Estate, a hint of South Africa
Next up was Voyager Estate, again for a seated tasting. Voyager is a grand vineyard housed in some beautifully tended gardens. This was our second visit and we had previously been struck by the similarities with the cellar doors we visited in Franschhoek, South Africa. This was explained when we read the information on the original owner who garnered inspiration from his many trips to South Africa.
The tasting at Voyager was for 3 wines, choosing from an extensive list of options. I went for the Chardonnay (becoming a firm favourite), and a Chenin Blanc (here again is the South African influence), and finished with a new release Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ordinarily a self confessed red wine fan, my palate definitely leant to the white grape. The Chenin Blanc was a standout, and I quickly added to our day’s wine collection. Vik was quite taken by one of the Cabernet Sauvignons, which she slipped into the bag, before I realised it was $81 a bottle!
No visit to Voyager Estate is complete without a walk around the magnificently manicured gardens, stopping to take in the delicate aromas of the resplendent roses.
Something a little stronger than Margaret River wine
Margaret River is more than just wine, as good as that wine is. As a premier gourmet destination you will find something for everyone. Tucked away off the main Bussel Highway, a short distance from the Margaret River township, is the Margaret River Distilling Company.
Originally started up in Albany, in the state’s Southern region, the distillery’s outpost in Margaret River provides both food and drink. Before making a purchase, which I consider compulsory each time I visit, try a tasting paddle of either the award winning gin or whisky. My love of a good whisky nightcap is no secret and I couldn’t leave without a bottle of Limeburner’s Port Cask single malt. I was already imagining later that evening, sat silently on the deck, star gazing, sipping a wee dram.
Beerfarm, a must visit
But before then, as the sun started serenely setting to our left, we headed the 20 minutes north, back up the Bussel Highway to somewhere that had been on my “must visit” list for quite some time. Located on 80 acres of farmland, housed in an old dairy farm in Metricup, the Beerfarm comes universally recommended. It was time to find out for ourselves what all the fuss was about.
A large open space, with a bar at one end and a kitchen housed by the old cow sheds, Beerfarm ticks all the boxes. A wide range of craft beers on tap, of which the Pale Ale is a personal favourite, and a kitchen slinging out portions of meat that have to be seen to be believed. Friday is “steak night” up on the ‘Farm and we ordered the tomahawk. Sipping our beers, looking out across the paddock, as the sun slowly turned the skies all colours of red, we were in for a surprise.
And this was the surprise. I was assured that it was cow, and not dinosaur, but good lord, have you ever seen anything like it?
We will never finish this, we mumbled to the waiter. As the empty plates were cleared away we wondered out loud whether we still had room for desert.
Day 2 dawns in Margaret River
Our second morning started the way many of our mornings away start. With bacon and egg butties at home before heading out on the short drive to Prevelly, a surf spot just up from Gnarabup beach. In Margaret River this is often our morning walk, along the sea, amongst the sand dunes, under bright blue skies and a mild winter breeze.
No visit to this area, and specifically to Gnarabup is complete without a visit to the White Elephant cafe for coffee. A local’s favourite, the “Elie” is rammed each day with hardy swimmers warming up with their post swim brew. Hordes of hungry locals feast on the breakfast and lunch dishes whipped up but today we were only here for drinks. One of the joys of life is to get a very good strong latte and sit overlooking the beach and sea, taking in views that stretch all the way up to Prevelly beach.
Xanadu the vineyard, not the song
Suitably caffeinated it was time to move onto something a little stronger, and to head to our first tasting of the day. Another new vineyard, today we were off to Xanadu, a place we can’t pass without bursting into song. Seriously, it is impossible. Xanadu wines turns out to have the longest drive way of any vineyard I have ever visited. At one point I thought we were going to end up back in Perth. But the drive was worth it, entering a cracking cellar door and sampling some more of the world class wine on offer in this stunning region.
Like our cousins across the Tasman, Australia is now charging for tastings as the Kiwis do. I understand why, and chatting to staff at the cellar doors they explain it is to stop the many tour buses that disperse tourists at cellar doors who then taste a lot of wine, taking up lots of time from the staff, and then leave empty handed. It does make sense. Making wine is an expensive business. With tasting fees negated with any purchase of wine, we are seldom impacted, very rarely leaving a cellar door empty handed. And today was no exception.
One of the best lunches in Margaret River
When in Margaret River, one of the real pleasures, besides trying all the excellent wine, is having lunch at one of the vineyard restaurants. There are lots to choose from but today we were returning to the highly acclaimed “Rustico” at the Hay Shed Hill vineyard.
Originally starting out in Rockingham, the Margaret River outpost of Rustico serves up a 5 course degustation menu. From the Abrolhos Island scallops that are first up, to the best ever (really, and I have had a LOT) roast pork belly, and ending with the desert plate, every mouthful was an absolute delight. Being the skipper for the day I finished on a strong coffee, whilst Vik rounded off a great afternoon with a Lady Marmalade gin cocktail.
Cape Mentelle
With one eye on how much wine we had tasted, and knowing we still had to drive, we decided to return to the cottage and leave the car. Earlier, we had discovered that Cape Mentelle, another vineyard we had yet to visit, was literally across the road from where we were staying.
Strolling back along the eucalyptus perfumed back road, towards Cape Mentelle, we soon discovered that whilst the entrance was across the road, and in sight, what we couldn’t see was the subsequent 1km walk to the cellar door. With not long till closing, we needed to get marching if we were to get a tasting, and get back out before the large iron gates closed at 5pm.
I long ago stopped extolling the virtues of the wine from Margaret River. It is no surprise to me that Margaret River produces over 20 per cent of Australia’s premium wines. Ever since Perth cardiologist, Tom Cullity, planted the first vines at Vasse Felix in 1967, Margaret River has continued to blossom into a world leading wine region. And the drops grown and produced at Cape Mentelle are no exception. Another couple of bottles were added to our collection.
The evening saw us relaxing at the cottage, with a charcuterie board and a bottle of Chenin Blanc, sat on the deck as the sky grew dark. Watching the kangaroos going about their evening rituals, and with us even spotting the odd shooting star. A great end to a great day.
Reflecting on another great Margaret River weekend
It is always with a tinge of sadness that I sip my coffee on the morning of departure from this beautiful region. And it was no different this time. Sat in a silence only broken by birdsong, watching the dozens of kangaroos grazing in the paddock in front of me, I reflected on what makes this area so special. So restorative.
It is the slow nature of life. The hardworking locals who produce some of the worlds best food and drink. It is the beautiful scenery. The Indian Ocean on one side, lapping against some of the most picturesque beaches you will ever see, and the acres of forest that separate the sea from the township of Margaret River.
However, the sadness I feel about leaving is balanced against the gratitude I feel to be able to share in some of this magical place, and also happiness that I know it won’t be long before we return to Margaret River.
And we never did get back to Cape Lavender but we did get our home baked scones, calling in at Berry Farm who provided us with a takeaway option to keep us going on the drive home.
