Leeuwin Estate
Leeuwin Estate would have to be one of not only Margaret River’s – but Australia’s – most recognised wineries, least of all for its spectacular Art Series Chardonnay. The powerhouse multi-generational operation includes a cellar door, art gallery and fine-dining restaurant, and (in pre-pandemic times) international concerts and events. So naturally there is almost an encyclopedia’s worth of wine experiences to sink your teeth into here. The mother lode of these is the aptly titled Ultimate Tasting Experience, which includes morning tea, an intro to the estate and its winemaking, an art gallery tour and tutored wine tasting, culminating in a seven-course menu at the restaurant expertly paired with Leeuwin wines, and with each course being introduced by the culinary team. But(!) we did say that was the mother lode, and there are many other niche experiences to be had, including the Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Flight looking at the winery’s flagship variety, The Art of Wine Tasting taking in four top varieties and museum releases, the Immersion Experience with morning tea, an art gallery tour and a flight of five wines…and more!
- Price range: $45 – $269 pp
- Duration: 45 mins – 5 hours
- Availability: Wed – Sun for any food-inclusive experiences, otherwise 7 days a week for wine tasting experiences. Bookings essential for all.
- Perfect For: High achievers. Those who like to be top of the class.
Vasse Felix
Vasse Felix is the founding wine estate of the Margaret River region, helmed by the Holmes a Court family since 1987. The cellar door is an icon of the area, known for its modern interiors, sculpture garden, art collection and much-lauded restaurant. The wine experiences are befitting of the estate’s long history. The Original Tour is a behind the scenes winemaking discovery with historical, regional and wine production insights and a private tasting of the wine collection accompanied with small gourmet bites. Budding wine buffs should head straight for the Tour, Tasting and Lunch, which explores The Vault (the in-house museum and historical wine collection) with a private tasting by your host at cellar door, then a three-course meal matched with wines at the Chef’s High Table in the restaurant. The Cellar Experience adds onto this with a historical tour of the old vines on the property, and focusing in on the star varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Those with a penchant for the finer things in life (ahem, food and wine) need look no further than The Epicurean Tour, which stops in at the winery to meet the winemaker and later dives into the world of food and wine matching, learning the insights and philosophies behind the food with a five-course tasting menu paired with wines, and a take-away bottle of Premier wine to boot. The Cape to Vine Tour combines the Epicurean experience with a preceding spot of the outdoors thanks to partners and nature specialists, Cape to Cape Explorer Tours.
- Price range: $60 – $560 pp
- Availability: Daily or weekly depending on the tour, bookings essential.
- Duration: 90mins – 4+ hours
- Perfect for: Aspiring wine afficionados. A one-stop-shop on your road to connoisseur-dom.