Margaret River - Our gorgeous wine region

I love Margaret River - everything about it! For people that live in Perth, Margs is the quick getaway spot. A place where we all go to escape, pretty much any chance we get! With an quick 3hrs drive from Perth, you are there - it's too easy.

Margaret River is special for many reasons but for me it's all about the wine. This is where some of the worlds best wine gets made and I am a big fan. It doesn't matter what time of the year you go. Whether you go in Summer and take advantage of the amazing (world renowned) beaches & refreshing white wine or you go in Winter when it's cold and you get to sit by the fire with an amazing glass of red, it doesn't matter. It will be a perfect holiday either way.

I have been to Margaret River countless times, each with a new experience to take away with me. Although it is a small town, there is so much to do and see and every time we go, we try to do something new.

There are so many wonderful wineries to choose from & the perfect (and safest) way to see them all is going on a tour. This way, everyone can try the tasters & you don't need to worry about a designated driver! The tours are usually fairly reasonable and normally include a lunch at one of the well known wineries. Ours went to Voyager which is one of the most beautiful wineries around. This should definitely be on anyone's list of must-sees! Another one of my very favourites & probably a more understated winery is Fermoy Estate. Their wine is beyond divine. I have always been impressed by them & stock up as much as I can whenever I am down there. The Merlot is great & they also have a great cleanskin Rose which is only $10 but worth so much more in flavour! Some of my other favourites are Howard Park (Mad Fish), Knee Deep, Stella Bella & Willespie.

The list of wineries to see goes on & on. The ones I mentioned are my favourite but the best thing to do is to grab a map of the area and see what interests you. Most of them are close to each other and just by heading off and stopping in randomly, you might stumble upon your hidden fave!

Last time we were down, we visited the Grove Vineyard Liqueur Factory. This was very cool. You get to try delicious liqueurs for a couple dollars a tasting. The tastings are very generous and by the end of it, I couldn't handle the sweetness anymore! The turkish delight flavour was my best.
I also can't speak highly enough about the Venison Farm. I wasn't keen to go at first because I usually do not like the taste of game meat. However, as well as fresh meat they do have a large variety of other meats, including salami, chorizo, biltong (dried meat), cold meats as well as some delicious meat spreads. Definitely worth a visit.

Of course the Margaret River Cheese Factory is always a priority for me. If I could live on cheese, bath in cheese and build my house out of cheese, I would do. They have free testers & lots of different varieties, as well as crackers, relishes and more. A wine & cheese platter back at the apartment is always a great lunch. The same goes for the Chocolate Factory. You can help yourself to free chocolate drops as you wander around. Need I say more?

The Town Centre is basically one long road. It has some great restaurants, pubs and some nice little boutique shops and everything else you need. One of my favourite places to go for dinner is Must Wine Bar. The food is amazing & the range of wines is vast. It is small and intimate with a classy atmosphere. Last time I had the most delicious Carpaccio and then Crab with Angel Hair Linguine. Wow. I can recommend this place to anyone. We have actually stayed in the Must Apartments too (which are located above the restaurant) and they were also great. Very central and suited to couple on a romantic getaway. It cost more than what we would usually pay per night but is worth it and comes with a free breakfast in the restaurant. Also worth a mention is the seafood platter at Arc of Iris (near the top of the road). I have never tasted a better seafood platter anywhere in Perth.

So overall, Margaret River is a great place to visit if you are in need of some down time. I always feel relaxed & happy when I am there and refreshed when I come home. It is the perfect getaway in my eyes.

My rating for Margaret River is 9/10

Points to Remember:

* The Margaret River Tourist Centre is great and so helpful. They will go out of their way to help you out with whatever bookings you want to make - accommodation/tours etc...

* You need to book months in advance if you are booking in peak season or over a long weekend. All the reasonable places book out very fast and it is only the very expensive accommodation that you are usually left with, if any. So plan a long time in advance!

* Wine tours also book out fast so get in nice and early!

* It gets really cold and breezy down there in Autumn/Winter so pack lots of warm stuff

* Taxi's are very expensive there and some are unregulated so beware of being ripped off if you are staying out of town (near the beach or bush)

http://www.must.com.au/MMRfolder/index.html
http://www.margaretriver.com/
https://secure.thegrovevineyard.com.au/liqueur/liqueur.php