Overview
Whicher Ridge Wines is the only Cellar Door and winery in Australia with a specially themed and planted Wine Sensory Garden. This is the centre piece of the wine tasting experience with it's plantings of fruit trees, herbs, flowers and seasonal vegetables which describe and match the flavours, textures and styles of the award winning Whicher Ridge Wines.
Visitors can "Pick and Sip" their way around the Garden, immersing all of their five senses in the experience and discovering along the way how to describe the flavours that they tasting in a wine as well as learning how simple it is to pair food with wine.
More information
An artisan wine producer, Whicher Ridge makes a range of small batch sparkling and table wines which are single vineyard, single region wines.The grapes are sourced from it's own vineyard and from vineyards in other WA wine regions including Frankland River in the Great Southern, and Margaret River.
Whicher Ridge is owned by two highly experienced vignerons, Neil and Cathy Howard, who between them have over 45 years of viticulture and winemaking experience working with high profile wineries across Australia.
Their vineyard is located at a unique site south of Busselton, 180 metres above sea level in the Whicher Range to take full advantage of the cool winds that arrive off the Southern Ocean during Summer.
The soils are gravelly ironstone sandy loam, similar to the highly acclaimed Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River.
The vineyard was planted in 2004 with Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. New plantings of Malbec and Mourvedre have been added in recent years.
Riesling and Shiraz are sourced from vineyards in Frankland River, and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec are sourced from two different Margaret River vineyards.
The farm style Cellar Door is open five days a week, from Thursday through to Monday. Visitors can choose from a variety of tasting experiences, including an in-depth tasting and Wine Sensory Garden which can be booked in advance. Enjoy the unique opportunity to taste with the winemaker and gain a first hand understanding of three of Western Australia's wine regions, and the philosophy behind the making of each of the wines.
Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and stay a little longer and enjoy the peaceful, rural landscape. The large garden areas also have shady petanque playing areas and boule sets are available for visitors to borrow.
Dogs are also welcome to visit as long as they they are kept on lead as Whicher Ridge is a working farm with sheep, horses, cows, chickens and ducks.