Secret cellar doors

If you’re looking for one of the best vineyard vistas in the Margaret River Region, then Victory Point in Cowaramup is your spot. Despite relative isolation atop its view-soaked perch, it’s a hidden gem where they make plenty of award-winning wines, including some of the best rosé in WA. From the huge windows, enjoy the view down the valley and see the never-irrigated vines that have substantially climate-proofed themselves from the drying climate.

Just 10 minutes from Margaret River, Evoi Wines is tucked away from the main wine trail. Everything happens onsite, with winemaker Nigel Ludlow often on hand to lead tastings and offer a glimpse inside this small working winery.

Tucked away in the rolling hills of Yallingup, Rivendell is a hidden cellar door well worth seeking out. Settle in for a relaxed lunch on the deck, pairing award-winning wines with generous pizzas, ribs and seasonal dishes, before browsing the onsite art gallery and local produce. Families, four-legged friends and garden lovers will all feel at home among the sprawling grounds.

Tucked away in Rosa Brook, Brown Hill Estate offers tastings inside its working winery. Family members pour the wines, while everything begins with estate-grown fruit that is hand-picked, hand-sorted and made onsite.

Twisting the wrought iron latch and entering through the heavy wooden door at Gralyn Estate feels like a discovery of a place from a bygone era. First opened in 1978, the underground cellar is where the owners of the family-run estate, Scott and Annette, hold their new premium wine-tasting experience. Designed to be intimate, wine lovers are taken behind the scenes and treated to the rare opportunity to taste museum wines dating back to 1980.

This family-owned winery first planted its chardonnay and pinot grapes back in 1997, and since then Thompson Estate has consistently produced highly awarded wines. Also at Thompson Estate is a sculpture walk featuring works by internationally acclaimed artists, acquired at Cottesloe’s Sculpture by the Sea.

Wise Wine combines small-production wines and spirits with sweeping views across Geographe Bay. Settle in for a relaxed tasting away from the region’s bigger names, before exploring the onsite distillery’s small-batch gin and spirits.

Winemaking runs in the veins of the family behind Walsh & Sons. The location is also home to free-range and handmade small goods butcher The Farm House, and it is highly recommended to add a Margaret River grazing box to your experience. The relaxed setup encourages lingering, and keep an eye out for regular food trucks parking up on the weekend.

Owner operators Jen and Craig Brent-White at Cape Naturaliste Vineyard not only have a terrific selection of current release and museum wine from their Yallingup property on show, but there’s also an entire wall of the cellar door filled with polaroids of visiting dogs. You’ll be greeted by their rescue dog Max, who is featured in the Wine Dogs Australia book. The icing on the cake: all their wines are estate-grown, with a hybrid biodynamic-organic approach in the vineyard.

Bruce Dukes is a bit of a rock star in the Margaret River winemaking world, and it’s not just his charm and good looks. He makes incredible wine for many of the big-name wineries, and after nearly three decades working with local producers, he took the plunge to create his own wine, Domaine Naturaliste. The Johnson Road cellar door presents fantastic flights of wine in seated tastings with optional cheese and charcuterie platters, as well as the traditional stand-up tasting experience.

There are plenty of options at this lovely estate: a seated or standing tasting, bring the kids and a picnic to enjoy with a bottle of House of Cards wine, or book a table at Chow’s Table next door. Liz, whose winemaker husband makes the batches, lets us in on one of their winemaking secrets. “Because we’re small, we can use some traditional methods like the basket press for our reds. Production is tiny – sometimes just two barrels of a wine.” In happy news, after many years of organic farming, they are now fully organic certified.

A family (or passel) of critically endangered Western Ringtail Possums was relocated to Passel Estate following the 2011 Margaret River bushfires, and their important conservation work has continued. Testament to their commitment to this beautiful patch, owners Wendy and Barry Stimpson have launched a series of winery experiences with part proceeds going back to their conservation efforts. From guided tastings to wine sunsets and nature walks through the conservation sanctuary, find this hidden gem off Ellen Brook Road.

Take the backroads and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful scenery, an abundance of wildlife and boutique winery Firetail. Owners Jessica, Rob and Amelia will be happy to tell you all about their ancient vines, their organic vineyard principles, and their sustainable winemaking style, while you relax at their beautiful cellar door. Don’t hesitate to ask them about the fascinating Firetail birds, as unique to WA’s South West as their medal-winning wines. Make sure to stock up, as their wines are only available at their cellar door.

Amato Vino are small-batch artisan winemakers with a winemaking philosophy termed ‘lo-fi’, embracing wild ferments, minimal adjustments in the winery, gentle handling and employing traditional processes. Wines are typically unfined and unfiltered. An old-school approach with a modern flair for creativity and adventure, their wines are made from some eclectic and unusual grape varieties and winemaking methods, as well as with traditional Margaret River varietals. The tasting bar is just down the road at the iconic “Darnell’s Trader” in Witchcliffe, and is a must-see, must-do on your journey of discovery of secret cellar doors.

Hidden in a peaceful valley south of Busselton, Whicher Ridge Wines is home to Australia’s first wine sensory garden. Book an experience with winemaker Cathy to explore the garden, discover where wine flavours come from and learn just how easy food pairing can be.

Young, boutique and sustainably certified, Altair Estate brings together classic Margaret River wines and Italian varieties. Its three-glass tasting experience uses different glassware to offer a fun and educational look at how wine travels from vineyard to palate.

Churchview Estate is a boutique, family-owned winery with a period cottage tasting room overlooking the vines. Its single vineyard grows 16 grape varieties, giving curious wine lovers plenty to discover beyond the region’s usual suspects.

Although conveniently positioned off Bussell Highway, Island Brook Estate and its cellar door fly under the radar. The family-owned estate reopened in 2024, donning their first, self-labelled vintage in over a decade. Their small-batch, predominantly hand-picked wines have collected two gold medals, a trophy and a handful of silver and bronze medals for their 2023 and 2024 vintages. Open Friday to Sunday for wine tastings and build-your-own charcuterie boards from a selection of local cheese, crackers and house-made olives.

Follow a red dirt road through the forest to Cape Grace Wines, a small, family-run winery established in 1996. Its single-vineyard wines are grown, made and bottled onsite using traditional techniques, including basket pressing. You might even see the winery in action — or meet resident dog Lenny.