People tend to go to Margaret River to indulge. In food, fashion, art and of course, wine. And what were we to break with tradition? I was excited just thinking about all the delectable wonders to sample!
After driving up the beautiful Caves Road from the windy Augusta, we weren't really sure what to expect when it came to the Margaret River area. It's got a reputation for being the 'Byron Bay' of W.A and once we drove into town, we could see why. A main street filled with designer clothing shops, gourmet food stores, health food and alternative medicine practitioners and tons and tons of restaurants and cafes. So many, in fact, I wondered whether they would be able to stay open through the slower times of the year - like in winter. But I quickly learnt that Margaret River doesn't seem to have any 'slow' times anymore, with tourists flocking to the town for weekend retreats or weeks of relaxation.
The famous wineries that attract most are really spread out across the countryside, so the best way to see all the sights and taste all the flavours of the region is on some kind of tour. We booked into the Cheers wine tour and prepared ourselves for a big day. And we weren't the only ones. We ended up befriending a bunch of American girls, a Perth local and an Irish lass, all up for a day of delights, so teamed with our trim looking part-time surfer, part-time P.E high school teacher and part-time tour guide Andy, we were sure to be in for a bloody good day!
After a gourmet BBQ on the banks of Margaret River itself, with a glass of vino in hand (at 11am mind you, they don't muck around in these parts), I was having flash backs to our messy evening in a Barossa Valley caravan park...
First stop, Watershed Wines, a corporate, multi-million dollar wine producer that's floated on the stock market. The visit is worth it just to see the amazing architecture of the restaurant and cellar door, with a view out onto the vines.
Next stop Redford wines - a middle range winery that's big enough to employ cellar door staff and showcased a wine called Bin3455, which was a Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot mix. I'm no wine expert but this drop tasted more like some kind of rocket fuel that we used to make out of goon at Uni, than an award winning vintage. No sales from us here, but we were quite happy to taste away!
Venison was next, as we visited an award winning farm that sold all sorts of deer products. From handbags and hats to sausages, salami and kebabs - I was feeling for the two vegos on the bus.
Onto a small wine grower/ maker/ seller, a crazy guy called Greg from Bethany Wines who ran his own show and did everything from help pick the grapes to teach his son how to come up with a killer brew. So good a teacher he turned out to be, that in fact his son's Lost The Plot First Blush Rose wine that's infused with chili, outsells his Dad's 18-years in the making Chardonnay, 3:1. We even bought a bottle it was that good!
All that drinking obviously made Luke hungry (that's the excuse he's using anyway) for going back to the sample bowl at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory three times and piling his hand high with choccie buds - white, dark and milk. Okay, I went back three times too, but I'm blaming the frenzied atmosphere created by the bus loads of drunks.
Some marinated feta and soft-as-silk tasty cheddar at the cheese factory helped our thirst return, and what better way to quench it and finish the day, then with a paddle of six different beers at an award winning micro brewery. What time is it? Where am I? Who cares!
So thanks Cheers and our tour guide Andy (who had an uncanny resemblance to the American actor Tim Allen, from Home Improvement, lame jokes included) for that headache and empty wallet. We had so much fun!
Yours in the great outdoors,
Odette
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