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Where should I visit in Margaret River??

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JohnnyNg

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Where should I visit in Margaret River??

by JohnnyNg » Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:35 am

Hi there,
I am going to spen da few days in Perth in Sept. I target to drive down from Perth. Could you reocmmend me a few wineries that worthy to viist and also more close to Perth? I found Leeuwin Estate may be a good spot because it seems I could have a good lunch there? Any experience to share? Thanks very much :)
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Robin Garr

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Re: Where should I visit in Margaret River??

by Robin Garr » Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:57 am

Hey, Johnny! It was good to see you in Chat the other night, and good to have you posting again.

I'm sorry that my Australian travels have not taken me west to Perth or the Margaret River yet, but certainly Leeuwin is the most widely recognized name of the region here in the U.S., and if I were to visit the region, I would certainly want to go there. I've loved their wines, which strike me as very different from the familiar Barossa and McLaren Vale style.
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Cam Wheeler

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Re: Where should I visit in Margaret River??

by Cam Wheeler » Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:26 am

Definitely check out Woodlands, they have been around for a few decades but are really starting to shine in the last few years and are making a wide range of excellent wines.

Others worth looking at besides Leeuwin are

Voyager
Pierro
Cullen
Howard Park
Moss Wood (by appointment)
Gralyn
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Ian Sutton

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Re: Where should I visit in Margaret River??

by Ian Sutton » Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:46 am

Cam Wheeler wrote:Definitely check out Woodlands, they have been around for a few decades but are really starting to shine in the last few years and are making a wide range of excellent wines.

Others worth looking at besides Leeuwin are

Voyager
Pierro
Cullen
Howard Park
Moss Wood (by appointment)
Gralyn

Cam's on the money here and Woodlands are getting praise across the board (I'm no different, they're making some fantastic wines across the board).
The advantage of all of these is they're very close to each other (with the exception of Voyager, which is near Leeuwin in the centre). In fact if you were cycling, you would be able to do all of these (barring Voyager/Leeuwin) in half a day they're that close. I'll add one more onto the list in the same area - Juniper Estate. When I first came across them about 4-5 years ago, I was pretty unimpressed, however this was one of the highlights for us this April and I think they offer great value for money.
If Thompson estates cellar door is open yet, then they'd be worth a visit as well.

There were a few disappointments for us, mainly around the tourist focussed side of the region. MR Chocolate co. has gone downhill from average and is worth avoiding (go to the big sweet shop in town if you want a sugar fix). Yahava Coffee works was disappointing, but if you need a good coffee hit, go for their stronger blend (the Indian Mountain on the day we were there). Meals are pretty hit and miss in MR township itself - perhaps better to eat in the better winery restaurants/cafe's. There was one place that was a hit with us though, the MR venison co. who do some great carpaccio and salami amongst other cuts. I thought it was decent value as well. A nice option for building up a picnic.

I have a map in front of me supplied by the visitor centre http://www.margaretriver.com or email at welcome@margaretriver.com
They may be able to email an electronic version through (it's about A2 size though).

For other wineries, if you have time, Also consider going to Brown Hill (great value in a more elegant style) and Rockfield on the Rosabrook Rd both on the South-east side of town - Rockfield is again quite elegant.

and if you're looking a a gift to bring back, we'd recommend the bunyip pottery teapots at Wilyabrup Dreaming (near Cullens etc.). It's a lovely location and the teapot makes a satisfying gurgling sound when poured.

I think I posted a trip report a while back (which probably says a little more about the wines) on this board, so a search should pick it up.

p.s. buy your petrol/gas in Perth, MR prices are pretty high!

regards

Ian
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Re: Where should I visit in Margaret River??

by JohnnyNg » Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:02 pm

Ian,

Your detailed help is absolutely great, it's a travel guide!

Cam,

Thanks very much for your suggestion.

Robin,

Nice to be here again :) :)
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WWLL

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Re: Did not try Chinese food in Margaret River

by WWLL » Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:03 pm

I was there in 2005.

I have planned, taken and enjoyed many a trip. Some were scenic, some spiritual, some educational, some hedonistic but none was as surprisingly rewarding as my recent seven days in Western Australia.

The pictures are at http://www.pbase.com/wwll/wa

The wines of Western Australia truly display the concept of terroir. The wineries of Western Australia are architecturally distinctive and the staff most welcoming and accommodating. The food in Western Australia was terrific, from the unique marron to Thai fusion, most enjoyable. The scenery was amazing, with vistas of grapevines, uncountable sheep, deer farms, many kinds of forests and ever changing skies to impress anyone. Finally, there are the people of Western Australia, friendly and helpful to a fault.

The red wines of Western Australia are elegant and subtle rather than the fruit bombs I have come to associate with Australian wines. These smooth and balanced reds can be enjoyed with food. The chardonnays are almost identical to California chardonnays. The distinctive white is the sauvignon blanc-semillon blend, offering a little more body than New Zealand sauvignon blancs. I tried a sparkling merlot and introduced Teresa to a sparkling shiraz.

The best winery experience was at Voyager Estate. Voyager Estate is truly from outer space. There are formal gardens like
at Versailles, and a sunken garden. Another wonderful winery experience was at Alexandra Bridge in Kerridale. We arrived at 4:10 pm and they are open until 4:30 but the cellar door lady insisted we taste through the entire lineup. We were wondering why she was so nice then she told us we were her only visitors that day.

The best winery architecture was Fox River at Mount Barker. A yellow building just off the road, the vista was unbelievable. I asked the cellar door lady how much she pays to have that job.

The top whites were Pierro Chardonnay 2003 (A$65) and Leeuwin Artist Series Chardonnay 2002 (A$76), both with great chardonnay nose and long finish.

The top reds were Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Shiraz 2003 (A$52) and Leeuwin Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (A$51). In Western Australia they use almost exclusively French oak.

The best value wine was a cleanskin (2000 Prevelly Cab/merlot) that we took to Ze Arc of Iris one night. Ze Arc is the best restaurant in Margaret River and strictly BYOB.

In my opinion the best overall house was Pierro.

We had two memorable meals at winery restaurants. At Leeuwin we got a corner table where the table consisted of a tree trunk so we had to sit side by side. We had a half marron, a local crustacean that is very sweet and the meat very tender. We also had filet magnon with a glass of their brut. At LaMont in Yallingup the restaurant was on a lake. We had Thai chicken curry and venison osso buco. As we dined, the weather changed from pouring rain to sunshine and the colors changed every few minutes.

We were in Western Australia when a series of storms broke a 12-year drought. It rained all seven days. One night we stayed on the beach in Prevelly and saw tremendous surf coming off the Indian Ocean. We moved to a B&B with an indoor jacuzzi. Kangaridge is set in a 2.5 acre opening of forests. Snuggled under covers we would hear the wind, beginning from a low moaning, rising to a howling like a chorus of demons and then fading to an anticipatory peace.

A few words about the wine town of Margaret River. It has no traffic signals. Rush hour was five cars in a row down the main road. To show the movie "Sideways" a special showing was arranged for the wine trade because there is no movie theatre in Margaret River.

I wish to thank my friend Ted in Perth who provided advance logistic advice and dinner one night and my friend Teresa who accompanied me.
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Re: Did not try Chinese food in Margaret River

by JohnnyNg » Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:25 pm

WWLL,

It is great PIECE of advcie and tips. Being a guest in a less popular winery could sure bring you more pleasure and exposure :D :D

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