Touring wineries in Western Australia

Just a couple of hours’ drive south of Perth in Western Australia, is one of the most beautiful and scenic wine regions I have ever visited. Close to pristine, sandy beaches, surrounded by rolling farmlands, national parks, and a huge number of wineries in a warm and summery climate, this is a perfect vacation spot (if you like warm weather!)

From the airport though, the drive to Dunsborough was alternately amusing and frustrating, because both the GPS navigation app, and the Google maps had not been updated to know about the new highway.

So it took a little while longer to reach Dunsborough than originally planned, and we missed our flight from Melbourne to Perth (but were able to board the next one, 1.5 hours later, thank you Qantas!) We flew back with Tiger Airlines, which was a terrible experience, and I will never fly with them again!

Places to visit in Margaret River

The beaches along the coast (Indian ocean) are sparsely populated, and gorgeous. The towns are small, and the shops close early. There is a fantastic sourdough bakery hidden away in the back streets of Yellingup - look for the hand-drawn sign of a flame, which may or may not be placed on the main road.

The Margaret River wine region has a range of excellent wines, available from winery cellar doors, and a small collection of boutique beers. I’ve included my wine tasting notes below - but I’m not a beer person, sorry! We went on an excellent group tour and an even nicer, tailored individual tour with the Taste the South, a wine and brewery tour company which sadly, no longer exists.

The Margaret River Dairy, a chocolate company, an excellent ice creamery, and a few olive oil plantations are some of the other attractions in the area. We stayed out of the towns though, so I do not know what other retail shops are in the area.

Note: This trip was in 2009 - many of the companies, wineries, galleries and retail locations may have closed, and even Tiger Airlines is gone. The wines from more recent years will have a different taste. Make sure you do your research and find up-to-date information before you travel anywhere - don’t rely on AI as it often suggests completely fabricated places to see and things to do!

Also, make sure you monitor fire warnings and follow their advice around active fires - most locations in Australia have a high risk of fires in summer. This section had burnt a few months prior, as you can see from the charred ground behind the purple wildflower.

Beaches and coastal wildlife

The many beaches along the coast are pristine and often deserted! A variety of sandy and rocky beaches are loved by families, surfers and fishermen. Clamber over the rocks, bake in the sun, or enjoy the crystal clear, turquoise waters. Look out for whales and dolphins - they are often seen cavorting in the waters further out from the coast.

Western Australia is known for its wildflowers in spring, and the coast is no exception. An internationally renowned hotspot for biodiversity, this region is home to more than 150 types of orchids and 2,500 different wildflowers.

We spent a relaxing, laxy afternoon on one day at Cape Clairault and had the beach pretty much to ourselves and the sea gulls. They were more interested in dancing than pestering us for snacks.

Visit lighthouses

The Foul Bay Lighthouse, originally on Hamelin Island, was moved to the mainland from Hamelin Island in 1967. There are quite a number of wrecks on the reefs and rocks around Hamelin Bay. Be especially aware of sharks when swimming here, because the number of whales and whale strandings along this stretch of coast attract more sharks than other areas.

The Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse (right), was featured on an Australian Stamp in 2002 and was built in 1902. It’s short, stubby and cute, set amidst low-growing scrub on the dunes.

Where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse has been battered by powerful waves and stormy weather since 1895 (the photo at top of post). It’s the most south-westerly tip of Australia (not the south-most point though).

You can walk from one lighthouse to the other through the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, which includes several impressive (but smallish) caves, a little in from the coast line.

Hike from cape to cape

The 135km Cape-to-Cape hiking trail runs from Cape Naturaliste in the north, to Cape Leeuwin in the south. It runs past cliffs, caves and beaches as it winds through large swathes of national parks along the coast with a few inner loops through native karri forests. The Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is varied, although most of it is coastal.

Small sections of the hike are perfect for half day hikes, and the entire distance can be covered in 5-7 days. Many local tour and service companies offer support, transport and accommodation for the long, multi-day hike.

I would have loved to have done the cape to cape walk in spring, to see all the Western Australian wildflowers in full bloom. In November, the heat is pretty rough, and I got badly sunburnt on the day we spent hiking one rocky coastal section (that included Smith’s Beach).

Augusta Caves

Some of the larger limestone caves in this complex karst system of over 150 caves, buried under native forests and national parks, are open to the public. You can book tickets via the Capes Foundation on their website. Caveworks, who we booked through in 2009, no longer services these caves.

I can highly recommend Lake and Mammoth caves - they are beautiful and serene, and nice and cool in the summer heat! Be prepared for hundreds of steps though - they are quite a way down under the surface.

Wine notes

I am not an experienced taster, and I certainly do not know or use the wine-tasting terminology.

The notes below are my thoughts on the wines I tasted, you will most likely think something completely different!

Adinfern

Name	Year	Notes
Shepherds Rhapsody	2009	Semillon sauvignon blanc, very drinkable, not too sweet or dry.
Sauvignon blanc	2009<	Citrussy and dry, with a strong tang. Not my style of white.
Merlot	2006	Dry and strong, would age well.
Cabinet sauvignon	2005<	Dry, strong and very acidic. I didn’t like this one.
Shiraz	2005	Drinkable, only slightly acidic.
Shepherds Serenade	2009	Autumn semillon - light, drinkable and would work well with Thai.
Shepherds Harmony	2009	Autumn cabernet sauvignon Shiraz, chilled. Nondescript, not sure how it would age.
Shepherds Fanfare	2009	Sparkling sauvignon blanc, with an interesting cork. Drinkable, not so dry and slightly fizzy. Yum!

Bettanay

Name	Year	Notes
Semillon sauvignon blanc	2008	Slightly dry but drinkable.
Sauvignon blanc	2009	Smoother than the 2008 blend, and very drinkable.
Sweet dreams	-	Sweet, light, fresh, fruity and must be well chilled. Excellent!
Cabernet merlot	2006	Light for a cabernet merlot and not so dry.
Shiraz	2007	Warm finish, very dry. I didn’t like this so much.
Cabernet sauvignon	2007	Good, even better with food!
First blush	-	With a light infusion of chilli. Mildly warm, I know people who’d like this.
Hot flush	-	Strongly infused with chilli, not as sweet as first blush, and hot!

Edwards

Name	Year	Notes
Sauvignon blanc	2008	Dry smell, strong taste but less dry than expected.
Semillon sauvignon blanc	2009	Dry, strong and acidic. Not my type of white.
Sauvignon blanc semillon	2009	(Tigers tale) Not a nice aftertaste, but a nice smell.
Chardonnay	-	Complex flavour, smooth and a nice aftertaste.
Shiraz	2007	Smooth for a shiraz, easy drinking.
Cabernet sauvignon<	2007	Interesting start, but not a smooth finish, and very dry.
Cabernet sauvignon merlot	2007	Much drier than previous wines, very acidic finish and a lingering aftertaste. Chocolate would go well after this.

Happs

Name	Year	Notes
Muscat (pink)	2009	Sweet, but not overly so. Very drinkable, even by people who don’t normally drink sweet wines.
Tintanello	2005	Drinkable, not too dry.
Three Hills Merlot	2007	Fairly drinkable, but would benefit from aging for longer.
Pale Gold	2009	Sweet, light, would work well with lime and ice.

Hayshed Hill / Pitchfork

Name	Year	Notes
Sauvignon blanc semillon	2008<	Vineyard series, characterless, boring.
Block semillon sauvignon blanc	-	(Barrel) Bit drier and not a good finish.
Pitchfork semillon sauvignon blanc	2008	Bit drier again, but a much nicer finish. Needs to be partnered with interesting food.
Block 6 Chardonnay	-	Fresher than usual for a chardonnay, dry finish. Not my style.
Pitchfork pink	2009	Not overly sweet, yum!
Hayshed Hill shiraz tempranillo	2008	Dry, tasty and has character. Would go well with a BBQ.
Hayshed Hill tempranillo	2007	Smoother and less dry. Not my favourite.
Cabernet merlot	2008	Dryish, not my choice for a first bottle, otherwise drinkable.
Vineyard series cabernet sauvignon	2008	Strong, smell and taste, acidic and lingering finish. Pair with chorizo rissoto.
Cabernet franc	2008	Lighter, drinkable but boring.
Muscat	-	Lighter muscat, not so sweet, drinkable. In between a liqueur and a sweet wine. I’m not sure how I feel about this one.

Howard Park / Mad Fish

Name	Year	Notes
Mad Fish reisling	2007	Dry, strong, typical reisling.
Sauvignon blanc semillon	2007	Drinkable, but otherwise uninteresting.
Premium white	-	Meh - I didn’t like this one.
Rose	2008	Chilled, and tasted like weak cordial.
Late harvest reisling	-	Surprisingly sweet, and not my style.
Moscato low alcohol chilled spritz	-	Weak - tasted like lemonade, but extremely sweet. Yuck!
Pinot noir	2008	Slight chill, average taste, have had much more impressive pinots.
Premium red cabernet merlot	-	Odd, smokey, peppery and dry.
Shiraz	2005	Dry, acidic, and not worth it.
Carnelian hybrid	2007	Drinkable with food.
Howard Park leston shiraz	2004	Smooth, subtle, rounded with a nice aftertaste.
Howard Park muscat	-	Excellent - sweet, but not overly so, complex with a beautiful scent.

Lenton Brae

Name	Year	Notes
Semillon sauvignon blanc	2009	Drinkable, smooth with a nice aftertaste, but not that strong a flavour.
Chardonnay	2008	Nice finish.
Rose	2009	Fresh, but dry for a rose
Cabernet sauvignon	2006	Bad weather, drinkable, but not good.
Cabernet sauvignon	2007	Medal winner, but still I didn’t like it.
Late harvest semillon	2008	Sweet, and moderately drinkable. Not my style though.

Mongrel Creek<

Name	Year	Notes
Sparkling shiraz	-	Not tasted, but recommended.

Pallandri

Name	Year	Notes
The Estates Sauvignon Blanc Semillon	2008	Smooth, and good for hot days.
Baldivis classic dry white	2008	Dry and nondescript.
Cabernet sauvignon merlot	2005	Very drinkable, dry finish followed by a well rounded aftertaste.
Cabernet sauvignon	2005	(Vita novus) Drinkable, dry, plenty of tannins. Good with food.

The Growers

Name	Year	Notes
Rose	-	Not sweet, lightly sparkling, very drinkable.
Cleanskin cabernet merlot	-	Perfectly drinkable, innoffensive.
Moscato (Peppermint Grove)	-	Excellent! A sweet but clean finish - loved this wine!
Cackleberry tawny port	2009	Smooth, but has a much stronger smell than taste.

Willespie

Name	Year	Notes
Verdelho	2000	Odd but interesting and smooth - I enjoyed it.
Sauvignon Blanc	2002	No character, uninteresting
Semillon Sauvignon	2002	No character, uninteresting
Merlot	2005	Would be good with food, less dry than most merlots, but with a dry finish.
Cabernet blend	2002	Flat, uninteresting, boring.
Cabinet Sauvignon	2001	Mild, smooth, slightly acidic finish. Not my style.
Black Jewel (port)	2002	Excellent, very fresh.
White gold (verdelho)	2000<	Chilled, amazingly smooth. Yum!