Where to find the best grazing boards and great wine in the Margaret River Region.
There are so many great wine and cheese options in the Margaret River Region that you can’t help but try at least one. Or two.
Read on for cellar door experiences where small bites matched to great wines sound a siren’s call for the taste obsessive.
Header image: Passel Estate/Tim Campbell
With a converted farmhouse-cum-butcher vibe, Walsh & Sons’ minimal intervention wines matched with a side of Sunday deck session is really charting up.
The Margaret River grazing box is ideal when it comes to bites – munch on Cambray cheeses, and a swathe of locally made pickles, chutneys, olives, and small goods made on-site by the family-owned butchery. Dogs are welcome outside. And there’s plenty of space for kids to run amok.
For Mr Barval Fine Wines owner and winemaker Robert Gherardi, the marriage between great wine and delicious local produce is inexorably linked – it’s the Italian in him. So, pull out a stool at one of the outdoor high tables and match a glass, bottle or wine flight to local cheeses that range from incredibly ripe aged goat cheeses, to classically produced local camembert styles.
The platters have all the condiment trimmings, and Rob’s Italian-style wine varietals made on site are not only memorable but highly limited in stock. The insider’s tip? If you love something, buy a case then and there. As for the rest, the lawn is vast. The tyre swing a kid-lure. And the view over the karri forest is a descriptive regional experience.
Ben McDonald is the fifth generation at Glenarty Road, a bucolic working farm and winery run with his wife, Sash and their co-production – the sixth generation McDonald – in tow. The Karridale farm claims more than 240 acres. Here, they grow vegetables, farm sheep, nurture fruit trees, grow hops and, of course, tend their vines.
The restaurant in the stunningly converted farm shed spills outside. Food is straight off the farm. Including the graze board – a seasonal spill of house-made charcuterie, fresh-off-the-farm produce, house breads, curd, and local cheeses. It’s got summer picnic written all over it.
At Domaine Naturaliste, their cheese boards are the perfect pairing with wine – made to order with local and imported ingredients, offering great value and rave reviews. Whether it’s a light lunch or a snack to complement your wine, these cheese and charcuterie boards always hit the mark.
Set in the heart of the vineyard, the cellar door offers a cosy, timber-and-glass setting for enjoying wine flights – or grab a bottle and board and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. Bookings are recommended.
Tucked beneath the jarrah trees, family-owned Island Brook Estate welcomes you as one of the first cellar doors along Bussell Highway, just 15 minutes from Vasse.
Build your own grazing board with Bruny Island Cheese and Island Brook’s house-preserved olives, then pour a glass of their delicious and award-winning chardonnay. Continue to sample semillon, verdelho, merlot, and cab sav, and settle in under the tree canopy with picnic blankets, lawn games and the iconic old red truck marking the turnoff.
One of the prettiest turn-ins paves the way for one of the region’s oldest established vineyards – Woodlands was planted in 1973 by David and Heather Watson and continues as a family concern. Under the guidance of brothers Stuart and Andrew, Woodlands continues to produce the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Sauv blends so suited to red Wilyabrup soil. Of course, Chardonnay receives the royal treatment. As does the cellar door charcuterie offerings.
Choose from a cheese cabinet of international cheeses matched to local venison salami, Olio Bello olive oil, alongside chutney and cured meats from Margaret River producer, Farmhouse. There will be house-made focaccia and wine-savvy cellar door staff on hand to guide.
Located in Dunsborough, Happs is a larger-scale experience combining pottery, art gallery, and extensive manicured gardens alongside an array of wines as diverse as the space. There is something for everyone from rosé and reds, through to sparkling, sweet and fortifieds.
The picnic hampers are similarly expansive. Wander into the cellar door-cum-shop, grab a basket and fill it with everything from local gourmet crackers and condiments to Margaret River Region chocolates, nougat, olives, pâtés, and cured meats. It is the adult version of the best kind of savoury picnic-style pick ’n’ mix. Rugs, picnic baskets and serving boards are all part of the package. All you need to do is find the perfect garden spot and settle in.
Finish your 5-course 10 dish shared degustation at Rustico Hay Shed Hill with a Spanish-inspired house-baked dessert alongside one, two or three European cheeses. Cheeseboards here are on steroids.
The cheese is certainly the king here, with a thoughtful range of condiments to complement fresh and dried fruits on each board, loaded with house-baked focaccia and charcoal lavosh. The cheeses featured regularly are the Delice and washed rind Campagnier from France and the aged Manchego and vine-wrapped Valdeon from Spain. Olé!
Amato Vino is all about small-batch, lo-fi wines crafted with traditional methods and a touch of Mediterranean flair, alongside the classic Margaret River varietals. Their cellar door is tucked in the charming, restored Witch and Windmill building in Witchcliffe, a hub for boutique businesses like Witchy Brews Espresso Bar and Dear Darnell’s restaurant.
Relax in the cosy courtyard garden with a wine paddle or tasting flight, perfectly paired with local cheeses. It’s a great spot for a casual afternoon, and yes – doogos are welcome! For a special treat, try their wine and cheese paddle deals, ideal for two. The cheese plates feature local goodies like Cambray cheeses, Eco Kitchen cashew cheese, Paddock 2 Produce relishes, and more. You can also take home their delicious olive oils, relishes, and sweet treats like Bahen & Co chocolate or Bettenay’s nougat.
Speaking of Bettenay’s – they don’t only produce delicious, gooey sweetness; they also craft exceptional wines. Settle in by the vineyard lake with a glass in hand and a cheeseboard worth lingering over. Enjoy three local favourites from Cambray Cheese – Blackwood Blue, Cambray Cream Brie, and Farmhouse Gold – served with local nuts, fruits, and Bettenay’s Cabernet-poached pears. The best part? It’s just $20 when purchased with a bottle of wine (usually $35).
And don’t sleep on their signature nougat-inspired liqueurs – the perfect sweet finish to a slow, sun-soaked Margaret River afternoon.
At Aravia Estate, it’s all about the best local flavours. The team serves up delicious dishes made with fresh ingredients from the region’s top producers – grab a cured meat board or a three-cheese platter, and pair it with the A Collection Cabernet Merlot Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. Perfection.
Cherubino in Wilyabrup serves up Mediterranean-inspired cheeseboards with a delicious mix of local and Italian cheeses. Pair it with their top-notch wines and enjoy the stunning vineyard views for the perfect afternoon. Want to bring a little piece of that experience home? They also offer artisanal cheeses for sale, so you can keep the flavours flowing wherever you are.
Try Wayfinder’s to-die-for cheeseboard, perfectly paired with their organically grown wine. Thanks to their team of wine lovers and expert chefs, you’ll get a seriously good spread featuring honey, garden-fresh pickles, and three mouthwatering cheeses. It’s the ultimate way to enjoy a glass (or two) of their incredible wine – right in the middle of Dunsborough too, does it get any better?
At Wise Winery Restaurant, you can kick back and enjoy epic ocean views while diving into some seriously good food. Their international cheese and charcuterie boards are a standout, featuring a tasty mix of premium cheeses from around the world, paired with perfectly matched meats. Whether you’re just enjoying a relaxed lunch or celebrating something special, the stunning scenery and amazing food make it a visit to remember.
Tucked away in Wilyabrup, Lenton Brae feels like one of those spots where you arrive and instantly exhale. The cellar door is beautifully designed, with big windows that open out to rolling vines – the kind of view that makes you want to stay all afternoon. Pour a glass, then wander over to the deli to put together your own cheese and charcuterie board stacked with local favourites.
Kids and dogs are welcome (read: adored), there are outdoor games on the lawn, and the whole place has that relaxed energy that makes you feel right at home.
Guided by their three keywords – provenance, discovery, and sanctuary – Passel Estate is a stunning haven for great wine, local produce, and the natural bushland reserve that became home to a family of endangered Western Ringtail Possums after the devastating 20211 Margaret River bushfire.
At their peaceful property, you can pick a spot on the Tasting Room lawn, spread out a picnic blanket, and settle in for a relaxed wine tasting with a grazing platter featuring handmade Cambray farmhouse cheeses, Eagle Bay marinated olives, The Berry Farm relish, Margaret River Venison chorizo, and gourmet Margaret River Crackers. Even your pup can join a beautiful day out at the Estate – just keep them on a leash.
… these places also serve banging cheeseboards and delicious wine:
