Best Wineries in Margaret River: A Private Wine Tour Guide
- Bianchi
- Mar 15
- 8 min read
About the Margaret River Wine Region
Margaret River is one of Australia's most celebrated wine regions, and its reputation is well-earned. Despite producing just around 2% of the country's total grape harvest, the region accounts for roughly 20% of its premium wine output - a ratio that speaks directly to the quality of what is grown here.
Established in the late 1960s, the region now hosts more than 200 predominantly boutique wineries. Around 12% of wines produced are organic, a notably high proportion by Australian standards, with many producers following organic or biodynamic practices.
Climate & Terroir
Margaret River enjoys a strong Mediterranean climate, moderated by consistent ocean breezes from the Indian Ocean. This maritime influence minimises frost risk and allows for long, even ripening periods. The region’s gravelly loam soils, often compared to those of Bordeaux, provide excellent drainage and contribute to the elegance and longevity of its wines.
Stretching from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, the region is surrounded on three sides by water. This unique geography plays a significant role in shaping the distinctive style and balance that Margaret River wines are known for worldwide.
Signature Varieties
Margaret River is best known for:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon blends
Shiraz
Cellar Doors in Margaret River
With over 100 cellar doors spread across the region, Margaret River offers an incredible diversity of wine experiences. Even if you’re familiar with the area, navigating the options and planning tastings and lunch stops can quickly become overwhelming.
A private wine tour is the perfect way to explore the region without the stress of planning, scheduling, and driving. At Oak Drive Co., we work with guests to shape a day around their preferences — whether that means a long lunch at a celebrated estate restaurant, an intimate appointment with a boutique winemaker, or a relaxed afternoon moving between a handful of great cellar doors.
Below is a guide to some of the best wineries in Margaret River. We understand that wine is deeply personal, what one guest loves, another may not, but these selections are based not only on the quality of their wines, but also on the consistency of their service and the overall experience they offer visitors.
Our goal is to help you enjoy a variety of experiences across the region. Think of this as a starting point to design a memorable, well-balanced wine tour tailored to your preferences.
The founding estate and still one of the best
If this is your first visit to Margaret River, Vasse Felix is almost certainly a name you’ve already encountered — whether recommended by a friend, spotted on a wine list, or seen in every guide to the region. There is a reason it appears so consistently.
Established in 1967, Vasse Felix is widely recognised as the founding winery of the Margaret River wine region. It played a pivotal role in shaping the area’s international reputation for premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and continues to set the benchmark for quality and consistency more than 50 years on.
The estate offers a beautifully designed cellar door experience, guided tastings, and a well-regarded on-site restaurant, making it a well-rounded stop for both wine lovers and food enthusiasts. If you enjoy sparkling wine, keep an eye on their Idée Fixe range. A dedicated sparkling house — a first for the region — is also in the pipeline, which is well worth following.
Best for: First-time visitors, Chardonnay and Cabernet lovers, those who enjoy a full experience combining tasting and dining.
World-class wine, art, and one of the region’s finest lunches
Leeuwin Estate is one of Margaret River’s most iconic wineries, internationally recognised for its elegant Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Family-owned and deeply connected to the region’s evolution, Leeuwin has built a reputation not only for exceptional wines but for a rare combination of wine, food, and art that sets it apart.
The estate’s on-site art gallery features an impressive collection of contemporary Australian artwork, with each vintage of their renowned Art Series wines showcasing a commissioned piece. This creative dimension makes a visit feel like more than just a tasting — it’s a genuine cultural experience.
Adding to its prestige, Leeuwin Estate’s restaurant was recently awarded Best Regional Restaurant by the WA Good Food Guide. A long lunch here, paired with estate wines and seasonal local produce, is one of the most memorable ways to spend an afternoon in Margaret River.
We often include Leeuwin Estate on private wine tours for guests who appreciate a complete experience: wine, cuisine, and atmosphere all in one stop. The combination of world-class wines, a celebrated restaurant, and the Art Series gallery creates a refined yet welcoming setting. It’s particularly well suited to those who enjoy a premium lunch as a centrepiece to their day.
Best for: Art lovers, those wanting a long, celebratory lunch, guests who enjoy learning the story behind the wine.
Organic, immersive, and strikingly beautiful
Nestled in the renowned Stevens Valley in southern Margaret River, Voyager Estate is one of the region’s most striking properties — and one that rewards guests who take time to explore it properly.
The estate is family-owned and certified organic across both vineyard and winery, placing sustainability at the heart of everything it does. It is also one of the first traditional grape-based wineries in Australia to achieve Ecotourism Australia’s Sustainable Tourism certification. These aren’t just credentials on a page; you feel them in the way the property has been cared for, from the immaculate rose gardens to the working farm.
The iconic Cape Dutch Manor House cellar door houses the Wine Room, where guests can explore wine flights across Voyager’s certified organic range. Tastings can be as brief or as in-depth as you like, with three tiers of experience available — from a one-hour hosted tasting to a full behind-the-scenes vineyard and winery exploration.
The restaurant, which earned the title of Regional Restaurant of the Year at the 2025 WA Good Food Guide Awards, offers a five-course tasting menu that evolves with the estate’s seasonal milestones. Head Chef and Sommelier work in close collaboration to pair the wines with dishes crafted from estate-grown and locally sourced produce. Bookings for the restaurant are essential and fill quickly.
Best for: Sustainability-minded guests, those wanting a tiered or immersive winery experience, couples and special occasions.
Precision winemaking in the heart of Wilyabrup
Fraser Gallop Estate sits at the elevated heart of the Wilyabrup sub-region, one of the most highly regarded appellations within Margaret River for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. It is a winery that rewards the attention of those who seek it out.
Established in 1999 by Nigel Gallop, the estate spans 165 acres of undulating land on Metricup Road. All vines are dry-grown, which limits yields but intensifies flavour, producing wines with a characteristic slate-like minerality that reflects the estate’s elevated position and proximity to the Indian Ocean. The house philosophy is straightforward: allow the fruit to speak for itself.
The result is a range of wines celebrated for their precision, balance, and finesse — from the flagship Palladian Chardonnay, which consistently comes in at lower alcohol than many of its peers, to the Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, which is built to cellar beautifully over many years. Fraser Gallop holds a 5 Red Star rating from James Halliday and their 2023 Parterre Chardonnay was recently ranked #2 in WA at the 2025 WA Good Food Guide Awards, following a 97-point Decanter rating.
The cellar door is open daily and the atmosphere is intimate and unhurried, with knowledgeable staff who are happy to walk guests through the full range, including museum releases.
Best for: Serious wine enthusiasts, Chardonnay and Cabernet lovers, guests who appreciate single-vineyard, low-production winemaking.
A rare, off-the-beaten-track encounter with the winemakers themselves
Flowstone is not a winery you stumble upon. Located 17 kilometres south of the Margaret River township, on the edge of the Margaret River Plateau in the Forest Grove area, it is deliberately removed from the main touring circuit — and that is precisely what makes it special.
Founded by winemakers Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald, Flowstone is a small-batch producer driven by a genuine passion for site-driven wines. Stuart’s career in Margaret River spans more than 30 years, with formative roles at Voyager Estate, Devil’s Lair, and Stella Bella before he and his partner Janice established Flowstone in 2013. The depth of experience behind these wines is significant.
Flowstone does not have a traditional cellar door. Tastings are by appointment only and are hosted personally by Stuart and Janice, often in the winery itself. It is the kind of encounter most visitors to Margaret River never get — sitting with the winemakers, working through a range of wines that includes standout Sauvignon Blancs, a rare Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and hearing the story of each directly from the people who made them.
The wines are produced in limited quantities and released only when ready. The Flowstone, Moonmilk, and Queen of the Earth ranges take their names and inspiration from the limestone cave formations beneath the Margaret River Plateau, a fitting metaphor for wines shaped by patience and the character of place.
Because appointments require advance planning, Flowstone is an ideal stop to include when booking a private wine tour. We can help coordinate the visit as part of your day, ensuring you don’t miss one of the region’s most genuinely memorable experiences.
Best for: Dedicated wine lovers, guests seeking something beyond the mainstream, those who want to meet the makers. Booking essential.
A benchmark for Margaret River Cabernet
Xanadu is one of the Margaret River region’s most decorated producers, consistently recognised for Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional quality and outstanding value. It is a winery that earns its place on almost any well-rounded itinerary.
The estate covers more than 100 hectares of vines in the heart of the Margaret River sub-region, with a cellar door experience designed to be welcoming to first-time visitors and experienced tasters alike. The range is diverse, from approachable entry-level wines through to the flagship Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which regularly draws strong scores from national and international critics.
The cellar door itself is comfortable and well-staffed, and the wines — particularly the Cabernets — offer a clear and compelling expression of what Margaret River does so well: structure, elegance, and a depth that rewards careful attention.
Best for: Cabernet Sauvignon enthusiasts, guests new to the region wanting a well-rounded introduction, those who enjoy accessible but serious winemaking.
Planning Your Day: A Few Things Worth Knowing
Margaret River’s wine region stretches over 110 kilometres from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin. The wineries in this guide span the full length of the region, from the Wilyabrup sub-region in the north (Fraser Gallop) to the southern reaches near Forest Grove (Flowstone). A well-paced private wine tour typically focuses on a section of the region rather than attempting to cover it end to end in a single day.
A few practical notes for planning:
Most cellar doors are open daily from approximately 10am to 5pm, but hours vary by season. Leeuwin Estate, Voyager Estate and Vasse Felix recommend booking restaurant reservations well in advance.
Flowstone requires an appointment - their newly launched experience, Flowstone Vineyard Tour & Tasting, is fantastic and definitely worth adding to a full day tour in the region.
Fraser Gallop welcomes tour groups by appointment, though walk-in tastings are available daily. During warmer months, their experience Wines & Vines, is a standout.
If you’re visiting Margaret River and want to explore the region without the pressure of planning, scheduling, and driving, Oak Drive Co. offers private wine tours designed around your interests and pace. Whether you’d like a set itinerary or a flexible day shaped around your preferences, we can help you put together an experience that makes the most of your time in the region.
Learn more about private wine tours here or get in touch.
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