Editor’s Note: It gives me great pleasure to introduce this article on the Margaret River by our guest writer, Thomas Binetter. I first met Thomas at a Glenfiddich event in 2014, and ever since, we’ve always met with a dram in hand. Thomas has kindly offered to share his experience in the Margaret River from a whisky drinker’s perspective with our readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do.
Thomas Binetter
I am not passionate about wine, but I am passionate about wineries. Much like their distilling cousins, wineries offer the consumer a sensory overload, a range of delectable samples and first-hand education about the product and process. Yet in many ways wineries offer experiences that go beyond those that can be offered by distillers. Where most distilleries are housed in industrial spaces (albeit most in picturesque regions), wineries are designed to reflect the very terroir that shapes their product. As such, wineries offer an experience that most distilleries cannot, the opportunity to walk amongst the vines, to taste a finished product that can be cultivated from start to finish on site and to do so whilst experiencing restaurant fare often also sourced from the grounds of the winery itself.
Having previously frequented several of the Australia’s premier wine (and spirit) regions, the Margaret River was one of the last left on my exploratory bucket list. Assuring myself that Tasmania nor South Australia’s best could be beat in terms of whisky and wine respectively, I arranged a simple long-weekender to offer just a cursory taste of the mythical white river whale.
Margaret River Wineries
Though I spent a mere two days, you could easily spend a week in Margaret River, for the area is enormous, with scattered properties separated by both vast bushland and open fields in equal measure. But more so since one’s time can be spent exploring the plethora of quality vineyards offering a range of experiences for both the casual tourist through to the most serious grape aficionado. Given that I place myself towards the former in terms of wine appreciation, I nevertheless took on board the superb recommendations offered to me from those more astute, and approached each venue with as open a mind as possible.
1. Cullen Winery
Cullen Winery
Our first port of call was Cullen’s. Whilst modest in design, Cullen offered amongst the sweetest varietals on taste. Given my purveyance for rum and other sweet liquors, Cullens was a natural fit for those who do not dabble in drier wines or the more casual wine drinker. Whilst the restaurant on site looked appealing, our late arrival, together with the cellar door’s limited trading hours meant that our stay was short, but indeed sweet.
Ambiance: 6/10. Wine: 9/10. Pros: Restaurant on site. Cons: Limited trading hours.
2. Vasse Felix
Vasse Felix
Next on the must-see list is the well-known Vasse Felix, a picture-perfect estate complete with quaint creeks, underground private dining rooms and rolling vineyards as far as the eye could see. Whilst the wines tended to be on the dry side for this whisky-drinker’s palate, the accompanying cheese platters, idyllic scenery and overall experience made for a well-earned and enjoyed stop.
Ambiance: 10/10. Wine: 6/10. Pros: Picture-perfect drinking surrounds. Cons: limited wine flavour profiles on offer.
3. Voyager Estate
Voyager Estate’s on-site herb garden, used in the restaurant’s fare.
The crème de la crème, Voyager may well be the most opulent and magnificent winery that I’ve ever had the pleasure of frequenting. A sprawling campus with surely one of the biggest flagpoles this side of parliament house, Voyager offers countless spots which will stop you right in your tracks. Even if one doesn’t care to dabble in the wine or fine dining on offer (with many of the cooking ingredients produced on site), the estate offers more than enough architectural, garden and landscaping fascination.
Ambiance: 10/10. Wine: 7/10. Pros: Is this real life? Cons: Out of this world pricing to match the fare.
4. McHenry Hohnen
The hidden gem, McHenry Hohnen might not have the financial girth of Vasse Felix or Voyager, but it more than makes up the difference with its pleasant and cordial atmosphere together with some of the finer drops in the region. Great varietals explained by warm and attentive hosts.
Ambiance: 8/10. Wine: 8/10. Pros: Down-to-earth winemaking. Cons: limited experiences besides tasting.
Margaret River Distilleries
1. Margaret River Distilling Company / Giniversity / Limeburners
And now for the main event.
As many of Gourmantic’s readers would already appreciate, Limeburners, one of the seminal Australian whisky producers, has been crafting award winning stock out of its Albany distillery for over a decade. Yet unfortunately for most casual tourists, the Albany distillery is just that bit too far, meaning that only those with ample time up their sleeves will have the privilege of tasting from its source. Yet that does not mean that Margaret River’s visitors are any worse off for not making that giant leap. For whilst I expected the Margaret River Distilling Company to only offer essentially the core range of Limeburners products on tasting, instead I was met with the most dazzling array of prized single-cask drops I’ve ever seen.
One of the great benefits of visiting tasting rooms such as these is sampling drops that you only ever hear about in whisky folklore. For example, I had heard of the rare and elusive Sherry Cask M305 but never thought possible that it would be available to taste for a nominal fee. But low and behold, the Margaret River Distilling Company did not disappoint, and in addition to this spectacular dram came others just as worthy. The cask strength Heavy Peat and “Director’s Cut” similarly amazed, making my only regret why I didn’t bring a sleeping bag so that I could set up camp in the tasting room semi-permanently.
Whilst the whisky would have been more than enough, Margaret River Distilling Company also has plenty of non-whisky offerings, particular the well-known Giniversity range and its own branded vodkas. The Giniversity products offer more mass-market appeal, with its core line already widely available across the East Coast. That being said, an experimental “smoked hemp” gin did burst the bubble of commonality and offer a unique spirit rarely seen on these shores. The most interesting however were the range of chilli vodkas produced for the Margaret River Chilli Festival, each infused with a potent variety of chilli and providing plenty of distinctive bang for its buck. The lingering chilli peppers left inside the bottle, a playful touch ala scorpion mezcal.
Ambiance: 6/10. Spirits: 11/10. Pros: Peated and unpeated perfection. Cons: the surrounds offer little grandeur in contrast.
2. The Grove Distillery
A more playful, varied affair, the Grove Distillery has been pumping out a wide assortment of spirits, wine and liqueurs from its Margaret River distillery for over 20 years. Maturing its offerings considerably in the last few years, the Grove has now added a range of single grain, cask strength bottlings, together with craft absinthe, rums, gins and more. If the spirits weren’t enough, the tasting room itself is worth the visit, with beautiful surrounds, “croc-filled” pond and plenty of room for a sundowner with mates.
Ambiance: 8/10. Spirits: 6/10. Pros: fun facility, breadth of products on offer. Cons: still yet to match the quality of many comparable distilleries.
Margaret River: The Food Pairings
1. Margaret River Chocolate Company
Like an adult in a candy store, the Margaret River Chocolate Company seems to know its target demographics well. Appealing to kid and adult alike, the gigantic factory store offers almost every type of chocolate under the sun, but it’s the unique body products that really set the store apart. Chocolate body butters, massage oils, soaps and bath salts as far as the eye could see, we were simply spoilt for choice.
Ambiance:8/10. Chocolate: 9/10. Pros: simultaneously family friendly and adults only, something for everyone. Cons: limited range on sample.
2. Margaret River Dairy Company
We had already had a week’s worth of dairy in the chocolate factory, but a visit to the Margaret River wouldn’t be complete without sampling its fine dairy. The Margaret River Dairy Company was one further essential stop, with its spectacular smoked cheddar still on the tip of my tongue days later. The feta, double-brie and Camembert were comparable highlights, each well priced and in perfect portions to complement whichever whisky, wine or spirit you take home from Margaret River.
Ambiance: 5/10. Cheese: 8/10. Pros: nearly everything available for taste. Cons: storefront could do with some remodelling.
Margaret River: In Summary
As if this verbose drivel didn’t already express the underlying sentiment, I simply adored Margaret River. The variety of restaurants is arguably superior in the Hunter, and the produce even more exceptional in the Adelaide’s surrounding wine regions, but Margaret River offers a multitude of spectacular culinary and travel experiences for its visitors, even those who prefer whisky to wine. The surrounding beaches, nature and wildlife only add to the world-class consumption on offer. Five stars.
Photography © by Thomas Binetter for Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.
Thomas Binetter is a solicitor, musician, traveller and all-round Gourmantic tragic. All experiences were at the author’s volition and cost. Comments and criticism are warmly welcome here.
