This is your guide to some of the best sparkling wine in the Margaret River Region.
Well known as an epicentre for stand out Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, the growing depth of sparkling wine production ticks yet another box for wine travellers and wine lovers who love a little bubble in their bottle.
Though by no means an exhaustive list, these five wineries offer a place to begin your journey.
The Margaret River Region’s founding wine estate Vasse Felix has been producing sparkling wine since the 1980s, but the 2018 first vintage of Ideé Fixe — a dedicated label for sparkling — has taken things up a notch.
Made using the traditional method and sourcing Chardonnay from its cooler climate Karridale vineyard, Ideé Fixe is a showcase for Blanc de Blanc: sparkling made using one hundred percent Chardonnay grape sparkling wines. The Premier Brut is a classic: all green apple aroma and an exuberant bead that makes this the perfect aperitif or celebration fizz. Add a little bit of Pinot Noir and you have the Brut Rosé: playful, balanced and just the right amount of dry to finish.
Keep an eye out for the specialty Blanc de Blanc cellar door and restaurant currently under construction at the sparkling house’s winery just south of the Margaret River township. A true sparkling lover’s paradise.
Though a well-known local player, Fermoy Estate flies a little under the radar for the region’s visitors. Which is why we’re placing it front and centre as an example of a Margaret River Region sparkling worth celebrating.
Pop the cork on the 2017 Vintage Brut Premier — winner of the Champion Sparkling Wine of Show award at the recent 2022 Australian Small Winemakers Show. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, it’s a rich example of a classic aperitif wine.
A great choice, in other words, to lead a BYO picnic on the grounds of the Fermoy Estate, or to kick off a weekend with friends in the winery’s lux and fully equipped four-bedroom lodge. And you can’t forget the Vintage Brut Rosé, it’s a delicate blush of sparkling for those that love a little pink.
The beautiful and plump red-eared Firetail finches can be difficult to spot in their native habitat in the Jarrah, Marri and Tuart forests. Unique to the southwest of Western Australia, seeing one is always cause for celebration.
While a bit of signage will help you navigate the drive to Firetail’s cellar door, the sense of specialness at arriving is the same. A family affair, owners Rob Glass and Jessica Worrall have five hectares of estate owned vines over the Margaret River and Geographe regions, including their award winning 2016 Sparkling Chardonnay. The Silver Medal winner at the 2022 Australian Sparkling Show is a traditional method sparkling aged for 72 months on lees.
But even if you’re not a sparkling fanatic, it’s worth the drive to Rosa Glen just to experience the space: set deep in the bush, the cellar door building is handcrafted from jarrah and used French oak barrels. That The Berry Farm with its famed scones is right up the road is an added bonus.
Howard Park Wines has been one of the Margaret River Region’s most known producers of traditional method sparkling for quite some time. Its elegant cellar door is the flagship space showcasing the family-owned winery’s Margaret River Region and Great Southern focus.
The Jeté range is a tiered offering of four styles of sparkling within the frame of straight Chardonnay and dominant Chardonnay and Pinot noir blends: a bar tasting is a great intro for newcomers on how region, ageing, and blending affects the end glass.
And when all is said and done, you can choose your favourite bottle and make for the sheltered lawn with a pick-your-own cheese and charcuterie board. Lawn games are on hand to keep the kids entertained.
House of Cards makes all the right noises. Organic. Single vineyard. Family owned. Small scale. In the Margaret River Region this translates as a winery with the freedom to offer a unique personality of wine—and its signature “pet nat” is no exception.
From 100 percent hand-picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes, husband and wife team Travis and Elizabeth Wray makes a Pétillant Naturel sparkling that’s all about orange marmalade, sherbet and pineapple, and made to drink now. The pet nat style is great for those looking for a bit less of a formal fizz.
If you get hungry after wine tasting it’s worth noting that House of Cards has an equally famed neighbour—the lauded and locally loved Chow’s Table run by talented Chinese Malay super chef, Mal Chow.
The Margaret River Bubbles Tour is the only winery tour in the region specialising in sparkling wine, and the owner Mark will take you on a great day out combining sparkling wine tastings and gourmet food.
