Art paired with wine is truly divine

Wine and art are the type of co-dependent relationship we can’t get enough of.

Ever been a few wines deep and caught staring at an awe-inspiring painting for a long time? The wine teases you into the moment, allowing you to lose yourself completely. Then, the art itself takes over, and you dive so deep you forget you ever worried about things like cargo pants coming back in a non-ironic way. That’s the mood.

French artist Jean Cocteau said, “a glass of wine is like a brushstroke of light in a painting”. The soil and the grapes make the canvas. The harvesting, fermentation and blending are all creative choices made by an artist with vision. A vision that becomes the glorious wine you hold in your hand, while marvelling at a piece of art deep in the South West.

Keep reading for a selection of Margaret River wineries where art and wine share the spotlight.

When Jilyara Wines meets Yallingup Aboriginal Art you get perfect pours and art that's anything but still life. Photo: Supplied

Flow Gallery at Edwards Wines

If you want to do this for real, Edwards Wines is the place. The Cowaramup vineyard is home to Flow Gallery, an art space located in an old shed hangar showcasing the impressively powerful works of local big wave photographer, Russell Ord, as well as curated works from local artists. Gallery Owner Catherine Ord says the connection started with friendship, a deep love for surfing and the desire to find the perfect space for their new venture.

“Both families have long called this coastline home, and it felt like a genuine flow-on effect of locals doing what they love,” she says. “The wine and the images each tell a story of this region, and together they create something that feels really grounded in the spirit of Margaret River. “

In 2023, Edwards released a special Ocean Series Wine Collection. That meant sinking hundreds of bottles of chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon off the coast of Augusta, which then matured underwater over 12-months. After each collection resurfaces, they do it all again. Catherine says the series pairs beautifully with Russell’s ocean-inspired photography.

Head to Edwards Wines and explore curated local artworks and big wave photography at Flow Gallery. Photo: Russell Ord

WA Surf Gallery at Aravina Estate

The WA Surf Gallery is another art space dedicated to salty water. The gallery which lives at Aravina Estate, is close to renowned surf breaks like Yallingup, Surfers Point and Gracetown. It is the first official Western Australian surfing museum, boasting an impressive collection of surfboards from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, as well as iconic photos, rare memorabilia, and trophies from major surfing events. Venue Manager Noémie Russell says the gallery offers up a nostalgic and inspiring look into local surf culture.

“It was born out of a desire to create an experience that went beyond wine, a celebration of both local culture and lifestyle,” she says. “By pairing our wines with an inspiring gallery space, we give visitors something unexpected and memorable to explore.”

WA Surf Gallery at Aravina Estate celebrates local surf culture with vintage boards, iconic photos, and a splash of nostalgia. Photo: Tim Campbell

Yallingup Aboriginal Art at Jilyara Wines

Making moments that inspire people to slow down and take in the good stuff is one reason Tim and Sara Greay launched Yallingup Aboriginal Art, a beautiful, light-filled gallery brimming with contemporary Indigenous art. Visitors can read stories about the pieces, learn about artists from the region, and enjoy wine from their cellar door side kick, Jilyara Wines.

“We love their wine, but especially that their wine making story, as it is intertwined with the Noongar six season calendar,” Sara says. “Sustainability, listening to the land, this is something we could all strive to live by, and this is what the six seasons are all about.”

Sara says the gallery, and their collaboration with Jilyara was everything to her husband Tim, who fought cancer while the pair converted the shed into the beautiful gallery visitors get to enjoy today.

“The gallery is something Tim can be so proud of,” she says. “He may have lost his battle but his passion and legacy to have this beautiful pairing in the region lives on.”

Yallingup Galleries at Vallée Du Venom

Yallingup Galleries is a five minute cruise from Yallingup Aboriginal Art and Jilyara. The gorgeous, purpose-built space is home to paintings, sculptures and ceramics by talented Western Australian artists. The gallery is nestled in stunning native bushland, which really cranks the serenity up to 11.

Onsite is Vallée Du Venom’s cellar door, an urban micro-winery making minimal intervention vino in the neighbouring town of Dunsborough. Their terroir driven wines have developed something of a cult following amongst locals and tourists alike. Gallerist and Curator, Emma Skinner says Vallée Du Venom’s cellar door complements the gallery’s collection perfectly.

“Their wines are small-batch, expressive, and made with care, much like the artwork we exhibit,” she says. “From the beginning, the energy was collaborative, a shared desire to create something that was more than just art or just wine, but an experience.”

Explore the Yallingup Galleries sculpture trail and check out Three Wise Men by Richard Jenkin. Photo: Supplied

In Margaret River? Start in town...

Wander down to Swings & Roundabouts on Bussell Highway for a glass of their Backyard Stories label wine. Then, head next door to REDSEA Gallery for collections from beloved local and international artists. Owner Chris Churcher has over 20 years of experience curating exceptional art spaces, with a particular interest in the land, seascapes, flora and fauna from the Margaret River Region.