An ideal way to discover South-west Australia is to drive through this rare wine region where stunning beaches, majestic forests, exhilarating surfing and beautiful caves congregate along great gastronomic trails, all within three hours from Perth.
Brewery and cidery
Arimia Estate (arimia.com.au) is one of Margaret River's newest additions and a short drive down Quininup Road off Caves Road. Sip award-winning wines in the breathtakingly beautiful estate, while partaking in the light-lunch menu served on the al fresco veranda.
Bestowed five stars by wine critic James Halliday, Credaro Family Estate (credarowines. com.au) has a tradition dating back to 1922 when the Northern Italian family settled over the picturesque Wildwood Valley and then involving themselves in the wine industry since the 1980s.
Seated tastings, tutored by knowledgeable staff or self-guided with a dedicated iPad app, are run at Voyager Estate Wine Room (voyagerestate.com.au). The awardwinning winery and restaurant provides complimentary tastings, and education sessions by Sommelier Claire Tonon.
Margaret River is fast gaining a reputation for its craft breweries. Head to Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery (cheekymonkeybrewery. com.au) to sample its new range of drinks and delicious food, in a cosy, rustic environment.
The intimate Wine at Night (tastethesouth.com.au) group tour combines classic wine appreciation at several boutique wineries, followed by dinner at a vineyard restaurant. Visit the barrel room of a selected winery or enjoy a tasting under the stars.
Truffles and mulberry
Bahen & Co Chocolatier (bahenchololate. com) operates vintage chocolate making equipment in their family farm, using just cocoa and cane sugar.
Wine & Truffle Company in Manjimup produces more truffles than the rest of Australia combined. One of the tastiest worldwide as listed by USA Today, Simmo's Ice Creamery
(simmos.com.au) in Dunsborough poses delicious dilemmas, boasting dozens of different flavours such as Apple Pie and Whiskey Prune.
If you are in town on a Saturday, head to the farmers' markets at Margaret River and Albany.
Join the locals to shop for a comprehensive range and sustained quality of produce. Fresh and seasonal, the staggering variety of products is accompanied by helpful tips and recipes from the growers and producers. See Australia's first homegrown silk at the new mulberry and silkworm farm, Silk Road (margaretriversilkroad. com).
Learn about cultivating silkworms, and buy an array of mulberry and silk products including delicious jams, syrups and mulberry teas for tasting, along with silk fabrics, clothing and gifts.
December Cherry Festival
Happening on Dec 14 and 15 is the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival.
Cherries are the star attraction here, with a range of activities and events such as a cherry pie competition, log chops, cooking demos, the popular long table lunch to cherry pit spitting competition and even a fashion parade.Coming up on Jan 19 next year is the Grapes and Gallops Festival at Mount Barker where you can enjoy VIP gourmet luncheons, great wine tastings from local wineries and live music amid nine thoroughbred horse races, including the richest sprint in the Great Southern region - the $90,000 Mungrup Stud Sprint.
Slated for February, the South West Craft Beer Festival at Cowaramup brings together craft breweries to celebrate South West's fresh produce, music and beer. Mark your calendar on March 15 and 16 for the Channel Seven Mandurah Crab Fest at Mandurah - it is less than an hour's drive from Perth and the Crab Fest coincides with the Action Sports Games and the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation's World Cup held in the same city.
Join 120,000 visitors as they celebrate the abundance of blue manor crabs with cooking demonstrations, gourmet food stalls, art competition, market stalls, live entertainment and fireworks.
For more information, visit http://westernaustralia.com
This article was published by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.