Town tastings: Where to find cellar doors without leaving town

Follow local sommelier Cyndal Petty as she takes a wander through the Margaret River Region’s town-based tasting rooms. Along the way, you’ll discover hidden gems, meet passionate makers and uncover the unique cellar door experiences bringing the region’s wine culture into the heart of its towns.

Cover image: Tim Campbell

Amato Vino’s tasting room is a destination in itself. Housed inside the eccentric heritage listed Darnell’s Trading Post, the cellar door feels like a vortex of eras to explore. Crafted from clever joinery and a patchwork of mismatched components, tastings here feel intimate and conversational. A perfect extension of their soulful wines. Perch at a bench or by the window for a guided flight, or self-drive your own tasting experience.

Wander down what feels like the set of an old Clint Eastwood film, also known as Witchcliffe’s main street, and you’ll land at McHenry Hohnen and Vintners Wine Bar. Championing holistic viticulture, McHenry Hohnen’s wines are pure, transparent and reflect the region. Enjoy a guided tasting of current releases or indulge in a glass of history from their ‘Sommelier Selection’. It’s not often you can drink beautifully aged wine without committing to the whole bottle, but here, museum wines are brought out for that exact reason.

Just a short stroll from the heart of Witchcliffe, Borrello brings boutique winemaking right into town with a relaxed, approachable tasting experience. Born from a long family tradition of grape growing in the South West, the team crafts small-batch, naturally inspired wines that reflect the region’s soil and climate, prioritising quality over quantity. Their range spans elegant Margaret River chardonnay, vibrant rosé and classic red varietals, all made with low-intervention techniques that let the fruit shine.

Located in a light-industrial pocket just minutes from the main street, Dormilona is the hot-and-wild aunt of cellar door experiences. Think small-batch, experimental drops. This urban tasting room, part New York studio, part cellar door, perfectly captures what fans love about Josephine Perry’s wines. Made organically with a minimal-intervention approach, these natural wines are poured straight from the bottle, with a chance to taste both the latest releases and a few well-loved vintages. Bookings essential.

Swings & Roundabouts’ Margaret River outpost now runs as a cellar door from 2pm, before shifting into its second act as a neighbourhood pizza spot. Seated tastings of up to eight wines are available, with a few well-chosen snacks on hand too. Expect classic Margaret River varieties, and if you’re in the know (which, you are now), their Backyard Stories sparkling rosé is a must.

As one of Margaret River’s pioneering wineries, Cape Mentelle needs little introduction. It helped put Margaret River on the wine map with classic cabernet sauvignon and other styles that define the region. Off Wallcliffe Road just a few minutes from the main street, their cellar door is warm and welcoming with a passionate team keen to share both history and tasting notes.

Right in the heart of Margaret River’s main street, Sons & Daughters packs big personality into arguably the region’s smallest winery and distillery. This intimate urban cellar door pours handcrafted, small-batch wines you can enjoy by the glass or as part of a laid-back tasting, best paired with gourmet platters, friendly chats and a front-row seat to the action.

Family-run since 1995, Peacetree’s warm-hearted Cowaramup cellar door sits right on the main street. The space is small, genuine and inviting, pouring boutique organically grown wines that lean into simplicity, elegance and charm. It feels like the beginning of regional cellar doors in the good old days of Margaret River circa 1999 just brought into town.

Not a cellar door in the traditional sense but far too fun to leave out. Strange Brew Wine Bar is Skigh Wine’s unruly offspring: part wine bar, part local hangout. Tastings of six wines are available and run in a conversational style, not presentational guided by feeling, not tasting notes. Each Thursday, the Producer Series showcases a different local maker’s range. So, you can taste Skigh (and friends) without leaving Cowaramup.

Slick, modern and beautifully designed, Wayfinder gives Dunsborough the contemporary tasting option it’s been waiting for. The cellar door and restaurant bring a fresh spirit and touch of class to town. Drop in between 4pm and 5:30pm (these hours may change) for a tasting of six wines, giving you access to both of their local labels, Swell Season and Wayfinder. Expect wines of effortless elegance and classic charm, with market-garden produce freckled throughout the food offering.

Inside Origins Market, Settlers Ridge Organic Wines offers a casual tasting experience pouring certified organic wines grown on their Wilyabrup vineyard. For more wine, plus beer and spirits, The Market Bar offers a carefully curated range from local producers. Enjoy a tasting or a drink before taking a wander through Origins’ range of food stalls and local produce, all under one roof.

Located at the Augusta Boat Harbour, Subsea Estate delivers a truly unique cellar door experience as the world’s first open-ocean winery. Their wines are aged by the movements of the Indian Ocean before you in Flinders Bay and tastings offer insight into this innovative process alongside a selection of sparkling and still wines shaped by the sea