Warming winery experiences in the Margaret River Region

At Lenton Brae, colder days are best spent fireside – with not one, but two 360-degree fireplaces (indoors and out).

The onsite deli serves up local gourmet bites, ideal for grazing as you sip your way through the seasonal wine list. It’s a space designed for everyone, with indoor games to keep the kids entertained while you unwind in the leather couches.

Surrounded by sweeping views of the Wilyabrup vineyard, the atmosphere is warm, relaxed, and feels like a true home away from home.

Wine, nougat and a fire? Bettenays may have cracked the winter formula.

The family’s fireside experience combines wine tasting with their handmade French-style nougat, including the opportunity to toast nougat by the fire before finishing with a Nougaretto liqueur-infused hot chocolate. Children are welcome too, with nougat and an alcohol-free hot chocolate.

The fireside experience is seasonal, so check availability before visiting. Outside fire season, the Wine and Nougat pairing offers another very good reason to stop by.

Loved this? Visit Gralyn Estate, the region’s first cellar door, where their fortified wines will warm you up.

There’s nothing quite like snuggling up by the fire, wine glass in hand, watching rain fall on the region’s first vines at Vasse Felix. Taste at the bar, browse the art gallery exhibitions, then pull up a chair in The Lounge for wine, cheese and charcuterie. Looking like something from a design magazine, the Lounge features a suspended fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass with superb views of vines, the winter creek and sculptures.

Also on offer are a range of behind-the-scenes tours, tutored tastings and delectable epicurean experiences. Upstairs, the restaurant blends modern features with original timber panelling and another roaring fireplace making it a supremely comfortable place to while away wintry afternoons indulging in modern Australian fare and fine wine.

Love the luxe surrounds? Also visit Howard Park for a superb cheese platter by the fireplace, in the cellar door that was architect-designed to ancient Feng Shui principles.

At Cape Mentelle, winter is a chance to delve a little deeper.

The cellar door fire keeps things cosy for tastings, or book ahead for a seated experience in the atmospheric Barrel Hall. The estate’s Food & Wine Pairing Experience ventures behind the scenes, exploring the winemaking process before moving from the cool barrel hall into the warmth for perfectly paired food and wine.

Twin fireplaces, farm-grown produce and Karridale Syrah make Glenarty Road particularly well equipped for winter.

Drop in for a tasting, settle in for a long lunch or explore the working farm, where vines sit alongside macadamias, vegetable gardens, hops and a collection of four-legged and feathered residents.

The paddock-to-plate philosophy runs throughout the experience, with sustainability shaping both the farming and minimal-intervention winemaking.

Small, family-owned and wonderfully intimate, Mr Barval Fine Wines is made for slow winter afternoons.

Settle beside the fireplace for a seated tasting, add a grazing board and, when available, a warming glass of mulled wine. Art adds another layer to the cellar door experience, while there’s a very good chance the person pouring your wine is also the owner or winemaker – and may well have been pruning the vines a few months earlier.

A big open stone fireplace sets the winter mood at Flametree Wines.

Inside the Hamptons-inspired cellar door, pull up a seat beside the fire with a glass of wine and cheese platter. If the sun makes an appearance, the expansive deck offers another option, with undercover heating taking care of any lingering chill.

It’s an easy place to settle in with friends or family and let a winter afternoon unfold.

While Swings & Roundabouts is a dreamy spot to while away a summer afternoon, massive open fireplaces and an outdoor fire pit make it just as appealing as a winter winery experience.

Inspired by English-style bars and reminiscent of ski chalets lined with wood, Swings & Roundabouts Yallingup features two floor-to-ceiling chimneys and open fireplaces in the wine tasting room, and a cosy fireplace flanked by Chesterfield-style armchairs. Outside, a generous fire pit is beautifully landscaped and overlooks the adventure playground.

Love this? Visit Swings & Roundabouts Margaret River for a wood-fired pizza.

At Credaro Estate, the fireplace stays busy through winter, surrounded by comfortable lounges, long tasting tables and views across Wildwood Valley.

The wine list offers plenty suited to cooler days, from Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Nebbiolo to the 1000 Crowns 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, winner of Best Cabernet at the 2025 Royal QLD Wine Awards. Or return to where the family story began with Fragola before finishing with the spiced richness of Alleanza Tawny NV.

Perched high above the coastline, Wise Wines serves up one of the region’s most unforgettable winter spots.

The cellar door oozes rustic charm, with incredible views over Geographe Bay and a crackling fire to cosy up beside. Grab a glass of their award-winning wine, sink into a comfy seat, and if the timing’s right on the cusp of spring, you might even spot whales playing in the water far below.

It’s everything you want from a South West winter – laid back, scenic, and just a little bit magical.

There’s something special about settling in for a long, flavour-packed lunch with a bold glass in hand – and Rustico at Hay Shed Hill really nails that feeling.

Their signature five-course tasting menu, featuring ten carefully crafted dishes, is the perfect way to indulge on cooler days. Even better, you get to enjoy it all with Hay Shed Hill’s award-winning wines, poured steps from where they’re made.

Plus, with the Rustico Ride offering easy round-trip transport from select hotels and central spots across Dunsborough, Yallingup, Margaret River, Cowaramup, Busselton, and Vasse, you can fully relax and enjoy your degustation without organising a designated driver from your group.