The Margaret River wine region is dotted with over 200 stunning vineyards. — Photos: ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Margaret River is one of the most geographically isolated regions in the world, and yet, tales of its pedigree, beauty and wealth of cultural and culinary experiences have inspired many travellers to make the trek to this little corner of the world.
Part of this growing interest is buoyed by this Western Australian region’s burgeoning repute for premium wine. Consider this: Australia has 65 regions where wine is grown. The Margaret River region is one of nine wine regions in Western Australia and produces only 3% of Australia’s grapes – with most modern vines planted fairly recently – from the late 1960s onwards after scientists realised its potential – yet it has quickly grown to become one of Australia’s most vaunted wine producers, accounting for 20% of all premium Australian wines.
The region is now home to over 170 wine producers and is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon – affectionately dubbed the “king” of Margaret River and Chardonnay – which reigns as queen.
At the recent International Wine & Spirit Competition 2025 (often called the Olympics of wine), Margaret River wine growers scored a major coup. The boutique region walked away with 39 gold medals and a Cabernet Sauvignon from the renowned Xanadu Wines that scored a phenomenal 98/100 – the highest score at the whole awards.
Late last year, Margaret River also hosted the first World’s 50 Best Vineyards event (previously called World’s Best Vineyards). The move was a clever attempt to bring in the world’s top wine critics, judges and purveyors to Margaret River, which has traditionally been thought of as too far-flung to even attempt to visit.
Margaret River accounts for 20% of Australia's premium wine production.
Previous Best Vineyard host locations like Mendoza, Argentina and Rioja, Spain shot to popularity and visibility on the World’s Best Vineyards list as a result of the same targeted marketing, so it’s only a matter of time before Margaret River vineyards climb up the scoreboard and the region becomes a must-visit for wine enthusiasts (there are no Western Australian vineyards on the current list).
But the Margaret River story isn’t just centred on wine; food plays a huge role in the region’s development too. After all, food and wine have a symbiotic relationship that go hand in hand. Which is why for international foodies looking to spread their gastronomic wings, Margaret River certainly holds its own. The region boasts an increasingly diverse stable of restaurants, growers, farms and producers – all of which contribute to the lively, pulsating ecosystem that supports the area’s rapidly evolving culinary scene.
The region is also host to a growing number of food and wine festivals, including the hugely successful Pair’d Margaret River Region, an annual (typically sold-out) affair which draws some of the best celebrity chefs and wine experts from around the world.
Last year’s edition saw Davy Pynt from Singapore’s Burnt Ends, Rishi Naleendra of the two Michelin-starred Cloudstreet in Singapore and legendary Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann, among a long list of other starry culinary icons.
The best way to experience Margaret River wines is to indulge in tastings around the wine region.
All of this combine to make Margaret River a must-visit place, especially for food-loving Malaysians looking to whet their appetites with new culinary experiences.
If you’re planning a trip to the Margaret River region, an important point to note is that the area is huge – about 110km from north to south – so do look at hiring a car or utilising a tour service like Perth Luxury Tours (which has ferried celebs like Katy Perry and Bruno Mars). Other reputable tour operators include the father-and-son outfit behind McLeod Tours and the food-focused Forage Safaris.
Here’s a brief guide to the best wine and dine destinations in the Margaret River wine region and beyond.
VINEYARDS AND WINE TASTINGS
Cullen Wines
Cullen Wines is one of Western Australia’s premier wine families. The vineyard was launched by Dr Kevin Cullen and his physiotherapist wife, Diana Cullen, when they decided to plant vines on the land in 1971, having first tried their hand at farming.
Diana went on to become an award-winning winemaker and the chief winemaker at Cullen. Together, she and Kevin were pioneers in planting the roots for Margaret River’s subsequent success. Both were awarded Members of the Order of Australia for their contributions to wine.
The Kevin John and Diana Madeline of Cullen Wines are some of the most highly awarded wines in Australia. — Cullen Wines
If you’re able to, indulge in their namesake wines on your visit here – Diana Madeline (Cabernet Sauvignon blend) and Kevin John (Chardonnay). These are expensive but absolutely worth the splurge for exceptional tipple, with both regarded as some of the best red and white wines in Australia, routinely raking in 99 points for each vintage.
The Diana 2023 is elegant with a hint of spice and a long, satiating, robust finish. The Kevin 2023 meanwhile is tropical and floral, a fluent, sophisticated drink with a bright send-off.
Leeuwin Estate
Home to concerts, art and yes – great wine, Leeuwin Estate is something of a cultural icon in Margaret River. The family behind the estate is considered one of the founding families behind Margaret River’s fledgling vines.
Established in 1973 by Denis and Tricia Horgan, with its first commercial vintage in 1979, the vineyard’s Art Series has become internationally acclaimed over the years – as are the 150 mostly commissioned artworks that have been collected and displayed prominently throughout the art gallery at Leeuwin.
The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2022 is one of the most collected wines in Australia.
The vineyard is particularly noted for its Art Series Chardonnay, which redoubtable wine critic James Halliday has called “Australia’s greatest chardonnay”. The series has bagged scores as high as 98/100, with the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2021 being the most collected wine of 2024.
The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2022, meanwhile, is also on track to be one of the most collected whites – this particular chardonnay is incredible – light, effervescent and accessible with a beautifully husky, lush finish, so make sure to taste it on a visit here.
Passel Estate
Founded in 2011, this charming boutique winery is named after a family (passel) of Western Australian possums, which the property provided sanctuary for following the 2011 Margaret River bushfires.
Owners Wendy and Barry Stimpson fell in love with Margaret River over numerous visits and made it their home in 2005, establishing a vineyard surrounded by bushland. It’s a serene space that isn’t quite like many other vineyards you might have visited.
At Passel Estate, you can do a wine and cheese tasting that makes use of premium cheese from award-winning local producer Cambray Cheese.
Many of the wines produced at Passel are award-winning and if you’re able to, definitely look at indulging in one of their tasting experiences, like the classical wine and cheese tasting (AUD26/RM70 per person), which pairs some of the estate’s best offerings with cheese from award-winning local producer Cambray Cheese. Tastings are often conducted by the estate’s sales manager, Christine Harper, whose love of wine flows vividly through her poetic expressions and engaging discussions on vino.
Wines offered as part of the pairing include the 2022 Passel Estate Chardonnay, a lovely floral affair that won a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge 2025, as well as the 2019 Passel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a feisty, deeply energetic red that bagged the gold medal at the International Wine Challenge 2021.
FOOD EXPERIENCES
Millbrook Winery
Although not actually in Margaret River, this Perth Hills classic is worth a detour if you’re making your way from Perth to Margaret River via a rented car or tour vehicle. Situated on a 300-acre winery of the same name, the on-site restaurant is renowned for utilising produce grown and cultivated on its 90-year-old orchard.
Time your visit here for a Monday when the restaurant churns out its signature no-waste lunch, priced at AUD60 (RM163), the brainchild of the restaurant’s previous chef Guy Jeffries, who now acts as an ambassador for the winery. The concept is so novel that the New York Times even wrote about it!
Millbrook Winery grows over 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables on-site. — Millbrook Winery/Instagram
According to Jeffries, there are about 100 fruit and veg varieties grown here, including 15 different kinds of tomatoes! The interesting thing about the no-waste lunches is that they make use of all the excess bits of fruits, vegetables and proteins, which are then harnessed into a full meal for every table, which means different tables often get entirely different offerings! You can also opt to tack on matching wines from the vineyard’s award-winning stable to your meal.
Koomal Dreaming
Once a popular honeymoon destination for early 20th-century newlyweds, Ngilgi Cave was formed over the past million years and was once home to the Aboriginal Wadandi custodians of the land, who used the cave for over 60,000 years.
Tours of the cave are conducted by Josh Whiteland, an incredibly knowledgeable Wadandi man who talks travellers through the customs, rituals, food traditions, bush medicine and seasons of the Wadandi people.
Whiteland is a Wadandi man who conducts informative tours at Ngilgi Cave, which are followed by an indigenous meal that you can book.
Incidentally, Whiteland is so renowned that he has carved a didgeridoo for Nigella Lawson and was invited by Rene Redzepi of three Michelin-starred Noma to his acclaimed MAD Symposium, which brings together thought leaders on food.
A tour through the cave is mystical, magical and very uplifting. This often also culminates in an Aboriginal native feast (which you can book online), which can include everything from wallaby to kangaroo and emu alongside accoutrements like kwandong (edible wild peach) chutney, salt bush and native river mint. It’s a must-visit for those looking for a little sprinkling of culture alongside a great sampling of indigenous cuisine.
Margaret River Organic Farmer
Charming husband-and-wife team Lawson Armstrong and Laura Bailey started Margaret River Organic Farmer 10 years ago with the aim of creating healthy food on healthy soil.
Armstrong has a background in viticulture and worked at renowned vineyards like Cullen Wines and has applied his vast knowledge to farming.
The cattle at Margaret River Organic Farmer are fed grass, which is better for their digestive systems.
At this 65-acre farm, there are chickens, sheep, lambs and cows. The chickens go through an open-range organic egg system, while the cows are left to graze and fed a grass-finished feed. Bailey emphasises that this is the healthiest way for cows to be fed as opposed to grain-feeding, as “cows don’t have beaks – they were not designed to eat grain.”
While cows at feedlots are typically beefed up with grain before being slaughtered at about a year old, the cows here are left to graze and grow until they are at least two years old.
Armstrong (left) and Bailey are the husband-and-wife team behind Margaret River Organic Farmer. — Margaret River Organic Farmer/Instagram
The end result speaks volumes – the beef grown on this farm is supple and tender, incredibly juicy and flavourful with a clean, lean profile. If you have the time, also try the farm’s homemade lamb chorizo studded with chilli – which highlights the natural purity of the lamb in a thoroughly delicious format.
Farm visits and tastings can be arranged directly through www.mrorganicfarmer.com.
Gabriel Chocolate
Western Australia’s first bean-to-bar maker is led by the eponymous Gabriel, who sources the best cacao from around the world and transforms that into world-class chocolate. The establishment offers free chocolate tastings, and you would do well to indulge in everything from the 72% Madagascar chocolate with its silken, robust underpinnings to the smoky, earthy 72% Venezuelan offering.
Gabriel Chocolate is Western Australia's first bean-to-bar maker, helmed by the eponymous Gabriel (pictured here).
The space also serves delicious gelato, so if you’re there on a hot, sunny day, make sure to order up a portion.
Rare Foods
Founded by husband-and-wife duo Brad and Jodee Adams, Rare Foods produces Australia’s first commercially grown green lip abalone on 813 hectares of leased ocean in Augusta, Western Australia. It is also the world’s first commercial abalone ranch.
Juvenile greenlip abalone are reared on artificial reefs; these reefs are then lowered into the pristine waters of Flinders Bay in Western Australia, where the abalone thrive until they are ready for harvest in approximately two to three years’ time. The outfit currently supplies about 20% of the world’s premium greenlip abalone.
Brad (pictured here) and his wife Jodee started Rare Foods, which now produces 20% of the world’s premium greenlip abalone. — Rare Foods/Instagram
Tastings of this abalone are available at Rare Foods’ tasting room, priced at AUD39 (RM105). Try the chilli, ginger and garlic-cooked abalone, which highlights the supple, bouncy qualities of the abalone while providing a flavourful backdrop.
The Colourpatch Café
Perched alongside a stretch of road in Augusta on the banks at the mouth of the Blackwood River, Western Australia, the Colourpatch Café overlooks blue waters beyond and is famed for being the “original last eating house before the Antarctic”, highlighting its southerly positioning near Cape Leeuwin.
The gorgeous views from the Colourpatch Cafe, known for being the last eating house before the Antarctic. — Colourpatch Cafe/Instagram
The café has been around since 1947 and is unique in that the bar serves drinks from the repurposed deck of a yacht named Nomad.
The eatery is vibrant, sun-drenched and fun and famed for its fish and chips – essentially beer-battered Augusta shark with chips, lemon and tartar sauce. The fish is fabulously good – hearty, tenderly yielding flesh buried under a crisp, firm shield that crackles like it really means business.
De’sendent
One of the only fine-dining restaurants in the centre of the Margaret River township is De’sendent, which was named Western Australia’s New Restaurant of the Year at the 2025 Western Australian Good Food Guide Awards. The highly lauded eatery is perpetually booked out and deviates sharply from the more casual establishments strung throughout the town.
At De’sendent, chef Evan Hayter helms the kitchen and regularly churns out carefully curated meals built through a foundational structure of Western Australia’s finest produce. Hayter and owner Ann Spencer previously helmed the critically acclaimed vineyard restaurant Arimia Estate and their affinity for the bounty of local ingredients continues at their new venture.
Hayter (right) is the creative force behind De’sendent, a fine-dining restaurant in the Margaret River town.
At Hayter’s recent collaboration dinner with Cloudstreet chef Rishi Naleendra (a Pair’d event), his mastery of local ingredients was on full display, with guests indulging in Manjimup marron, line-caught dhu fish and Futari wagyu striploin, to name a few.
His current summer tasting menu, priced at AUD135 (RM360) per person, also includes a wealth of regional produce like Margaret River venison and kangaroo. There is also the option to go completely local and pair the meal with a range of stellar Western Australian wines.
