Warm up this winter with mulled wine

Locals have known it for years, but winter might just be the Margaret River Region’s best-kept secret. It’s for settling into a cosy spot you’ve got no intention of leaving, wrapping your hands around a warm mug and ordering another plate simply because no one is in a hurry. It’s fireplaces instead of beach towels, slow-cooked lunches instead of picnic hampers, and the unmistakable aroma of cinnamon, cloves and orange drifting through the room before the mulled wine has even reached the table.

And while every venue puts its own spin on the season, one thing keeps appearing on menus across the region: a steaming mug of mulled wine, inviting you to slow down and savour winter exactly as it should be.

Long before it found its way onto winery menus, mulled wine was warming cold hands through European winters. Today, every venue has its own take, and no two are ever quite the same.

At Jilyara, their Mulled Wine Saturdays come with a distinctly Scandinavian twist.

“Mulled wine has an ancient history of warming the Vikings through long, dark winters, so we wanted to bring a little bit of the family’s Swedish heritage to the cellar door, and share that story with our customers,” says Cellar door manager Ann-Marie.

Guests are served mulled wine the traditional way, in small cups rather than oversized glasses, allowing the fragrant blend of cardamom, cinnamon and other warming spices to take centre stage.

“We love seeing people’s reaction when that first steaming cup arrives,” Ann-Marie says. “There’s something so wholesome about wrapping your hands around a little warm cup.”

Just down the coast, Busselton Pavilion has created its own take on the winter ritual, blending red wine with spiced brandy, cinnamon, cloves and fresh orange. It’s an easy place to while away a moody South West afternoon, whether you’re settling in after a wintry beach walk or watching the weather roll in across the bay.

There’s something about a roaring fire that convinces you to stay for another drink.

At Settlers Tavern, house-made mulled wine is best enjoyed beside one of the three crackling wood fires, whether you’re settling into the bistro or finding a cosy corner in the covered beer garden while live music drifts through the venue.

And if mulled wine isn’t your style, the Tavern’s legendary wine list offers more than 600 bottles alongside glasses of local favourites, while delicious winter dishes remind you why cold weather was made for red wine.

A little further south in Witchcliffe, Dear Darnell’s was made for winter, with not one but four fireplaces, and an open kitchen centred around a roaring wood-fired oven. As the sun goes down, jazz and blues drift through the restaurant while chefs cook over the flames, creating, as co-owner Andre Laurence puts it, “an atmosphere that’s hard to leave.”

This winter, Sons & Daughters is adding another stop to the region’s cosy winter trail, pairing a limited-edition mulled wine with live music beside the inviting glow of its fireplace.

Winter has a way of encouraging us to linger a little longer around the table at the end of the day, and at Yarri, Sunday Supper was created to capture that exact feeling.

“Traditionally, Sundays are for sharing a meal with the family,” says venue manager Govert Naber. “We wanted to create our own Yarri version of this and give people an excuse to cosy up with slow-cooked meat, mulled wine and comforting sides. It’s the perfect way to warm you up from whatever the weather is throwing at you before you come inside our cosy doors.”

Not ready for a full mug? Yarri’s creative team has also reinvented the tradition as the Spiced Sour, a cocktail blending spice-infused vodka, house-made white mulled wine, lemon and gingerbread bitters into something that’s unmistakably winter.

A little further south, Aravina Estate offers another excuse to settle in – this time for the afternoon. Venue manager Noémie Russell recommends beginning with a guided wine tasting, before settling into a long lunch, and finishing the afternoon around the outdoor fire pit with a glass of wine.

“Winter brings a completely different feel to the estate,” she says. “The crowds are smaller, and it’s the perfect season to slow down and enjoy the beautiful Margaret River landscape.”

For those wanting to continue the warming theme, Aravina also serves mulled wine daily, and even an Eight Waves Stout for beer lovers.

As the seasons change, so too do the ingredients and the menus. Winter gives way to hearty pastas, slow-cooked dishes, rich sauces and desserts that feel right at home beside a glass of local red.

At Olio Bello, the season is celebrated with handcrafted spiced wine made using cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, citrus and the farm’s own mulled wine syrup. The team describes it as an invitation to “warm the senses and fire the soul”, whether you’re enjoying a mug beside the café fireplace or taking it lakeside during a glamping stay, complete with toasted s’mores around the fire beneath the stars.

Winter is also the perfect time to enjoy the season’s fresh ‘olio nuovo’, served alongside Olio Bello’s Mediterranean-inspired dishes, hand-rolled pasta and generous long lunches that celebrate the farm’s produce.

Meanwhile, The Berry Farm has long been one of the region’s favourite family winter stops. As birds flock to the gardens and the cooler weather encourages slower afternoons, it’s an easy place to warm up over homemade treats before continuing your South West adventure.

Of course, winter isn’t only about mulled wine.

Sometimes it’s a rich glass of Cabernet Sauvignon beside a roaring fire, sometimes it’s a warming Shiraz with slow-cooked comfort food, or perhaps it’s the dark, velvety Cacao Stout poured at Eagle Bay Brewing Co., proving that beer can be just as satisfying when the temperature drops.

Because that’s really what winter in the Margaret River Region is all about. It’s staying a little longer, ordering another round, watching the rain roll across the vineyards, listening to the fire crackle, and discovering that the quieter season might just be the most memorable one of all.