Margaret River winery visits

Margaret River, in the south-west corner of Western Australia, is a wine region of forests, beaches and vineyards. It is known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The two wineries compared here show the spread of Margaret River winery visits: a tasting at the bar for 15 Australian dollars, a vineyard tour for 50 dollars, or a private tasting with food for 65 dollars.

Three ways to visit

At the bar. Vasse Felix runs hosted tastings of all its current vintages at the bar every day, for 15 dollars per guest, or 25 dollars with its Icon wines. Bookings are required for groups of nine or more. This is the classic cellar door format: a host pours through the range at the counter and answers questions.

With a tour. Vasse Felix’s Original Tour, available seven days a week for 50 dollars per person, introduces the vineyards before a private tasting of its Wine Collection. It suits a first visit to the region, when you want to see how the vines are grown before tasting.

Private, with food. Voyager Estate’s Savour is a private, 45-minute tasting of six wines with paired snacks, at 65 dollars per guest, and it must be booked. Bookings are essential, so reserve it first.

The table below lists each offer with its price and what is poured.

Margaret River winery visits: which one to choose

On a first visit, the Original Tour gives the context: vines first, then the glass. For a special occasion or a group of friends, Voyager’s Savour. On a tight schedule, the Vasse Felix bar, where tastings run every day.

Planning the day

Caves Road runs the length of the region, parallel to the coast. Vasse Felix stands at the corner of Caves Road and Tom Cullity Drive in Cowaramup, north of the town. Voyager Estate is on Gnarawary Road, near Margaret River itself. One bar tasting and one private tasting fit into a day, with lunch in between.

There is no train to Margaret River. Hire a car in Perth, and plan for one person to skip the tastings, or book a tour with transport from the town. The legal drinking age in Australia is 18.

When to go

Seasons are reversed in Australia: harvest runs from late summer into autumn, roughly February to April in Margaret River. Summer, from December to February, is the busiest time on the coast.

Budget

A day with the Vasse Felix bar tasting and Voyager Estate’s Savour costs 80 Australian dollars per adult, with the Original Tour instead of the bar, 115 dollars.

Where to stay

The town of Margaret River has the widest choice of accommodation and restaurants. Cowaramup, to the north, is closer to Vasse Felix and the northern cellar doors.