# Best Wineries in Margaret River | Cellar Doors & Tasting Guide
Canonical: https://bookfromowner.com.au/guides/wa/south-west/margaret-river/best-wineries/
Type: BestOfGuide
Location: Margaret River, Australia's South West, Western Australia
Last updated: 2026-06-01

> A complete guide to the best wineries in Margaret River — Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen, Xanadu, Cape Mentelle and more, with the cellar-door experience, the wines, food and a suggested tasting route.

## Quick Answer
- Best for: Wine lovers, couples & food lovers
- Price range: Tastings often free–$15; lunches more
- Vibe: World-class wine, relaxed welcome
- Distance: ~3 hrs south of Perth

## Featured Properties
- Margarets Beach Resort: 4.5/5 (689 reviews)
  Book direct: http://www.margaretsbeachresort.com.au/
  Margarets Beach Resort — Margaret River
- Margaret River Guest House: 4.9/5 (121 reviews)
  Book direct: http://www.margaretriverguesthouse.com.au/
  Margaret River Guest House — Margaret River
- RAC Margaret River Nature Park: 4.6/5 (335 reviews)
  Book direct: https://parksandresorts.rac.com.au/margaret-river/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp-margaret
  RAC Margaret River Nature Park — Margaret River

## FAQ
Q: Do I need to book Margaret River wineries in advance?
A: For general cellar-door tastings, many wineries still welcome walk-ins, though some flagship estates now take bookings — so check ahead for the big names like Voyager and Leeuwin. For any cellar-door restaurant or long lunch, booking is essential, especially on weekends, over Easter and during the Margaret River Pro in April, when popular tables fill weeks ahead.

Q: How do I do a Margaret River wine tour without driving?
A: Book a designated-driver wine tour or nominate a non-drinker in your group. The cellar doors are spread along Caves Road and the coast with no public transport between them, and WA drink-driving enforcement is strict, so a tour (which also handles the route) is the sensible way to taste seriously. Tours run regularly from the township and pick-up points.

Q: Are Margaret River wineries family-friendly?
A: Many are relaxed about children, and several have gardens, lawns, lighter food and space to move — Leeuwin Estate’s lawn and family-friendly estates make easy stops. That said, the more structured tasting experiences and degustation lunches suit adults better, so confirm before booking a long lunch, and balance the wine day with the caves, beaches or a brewery garden for the kids.

Q: Which Margaret River wineries have the best food?
A: Several cellar-door restaurants are destinations in their own right. Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen and Wills Domain all run kitchens worth booking a long lunch around, ranging from à la carte over the vines to tasting-menu degustations. Book ahead — these tables fill, particularly on weekends and during events — and pick one as the centrepiece of your wine day.

Q: Which Margaret River wineries should I pick if I only have time for a few?
A: A good first-time mix is Vasse Felix for the history and a benchmark tasting, one of Voyager Estate or Wills Domain for a long lunch, Cullen for the biodynamic flagships, and a smaller room like Stella Bella or a close-to-town stop like Xanadu to finish. That covers the founding story, the destination dining, the serious wine and a personal cellar door in one well-paced day.

Q: What wines is Margaret River known for?
A: Margaret River is most celebrated for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, both of national and international standing, with Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon blends a regional signature alongside. The maritime climate gives the reds structure and longevity and the whites freshness, and many producers also make excellent Shiraz, Malbec and alternative styles — but Cabernet and Chardonnay are the headline.

## At a Glance
- Region: Margaret River, Western Australia’s South West
- From Perth: ~270km — approximately 3 hours via the Forrest and Bussell Highways
- Wineries: Around 200 in the region; the densest cluster along Caves Road
- Flagship wines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay; Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon blends
- First winery: Vasse Felix — first vines planted by Dr Tom Cullity in 1967
- Driving: Book a designated-driver tour or nominate a non-drinker — cellar doors are spread out

## Featured
- 1. Vasse Felix — The founding estate — start with the history
  - Why people love it: It’s the region’s origin story in a glass — benchmark Cabernet and Chardonnay at the estate that started it all, with a restaurant worth the lunch.
  - Don't miss: The flagship Cabernet and Chardonnay, and a long lunch at the restaurant over the original vines.
  - Good to know: As the founding estate it’s popular and can be busy — book the restaurant well ahead, and come early in the day for a quieter tasting.
- 2. Voyager Estate — Grand setting, serious wine
  - Why people love it: It’s the estate that turns a tasting into an occasion — grand gardens, a destination restaurant and Chardonnay and Cabernet that earn the setting.
  - Don't miss: A booked tasting-and-lunch experience among the rose gardens — the estate to make your centrepiece.
  - Good to know: It’s a structured, sense-of-occasion estate rather than a casual drop-in — book ahead, and if you just want a quick relaxed pour, choose a smaller cellar door.
- 3. Leeuwin Estate — The Art Series and the summer concert
  - Why people love it: It’s the estate that put Margaret River Chardonnay on the world stage — and the only one where you can drink it on the lawn at a concert under the karri.
  - Don't miss: The Art Series Chardonnay, and the summer concert on the karri-fringed lawn if you can time it.
  - Good to know: The summer concerts sell out far ahead and pack the estate — book concert tickets early, and for a quieter visit come on a non-event day.
- 4. Cullen Wines — Biodynamic and quietly brilliant
  - Why people love it: It’s the cellar door for people who care how the wine is made — pioneering biodynamics, a kitchen garden, and two of the region’s most respected wines.
  - Don't miss: The Diana Madeline Cabernet blend and Kevin John Chardonnay, with a kitchen-garden lunch.
  - Good to know: It’s a smaller, philosophy-led cellar door rather than a grand estate — come for the wine and the ethos, not for sweeping architecture.
- 5. Xanadu Wines — Close to town, big on value
  - Why people love it: It’s the easy win — minutes from town, a warm welcome, and award-winning Chardonnay and Cabernet that overdeliver on the price.
  - Don't miss: The award-winning Chardonnay and Cabernet, and a vineyard-view lunch minutes from the township.
  - Good to know: It’s a relaxed, modern cellar door rather than a grand estate — perfect for that, but not the pick if you’re specifically after architecture and ceremony.
- 6. Cape Mentelle — A founding name in a bush setting
  - Why people love it: It’s a founding estate that wears its history lightly — benchmark Cabernet in a relaxed bush setting, minutes from town.
  - Don't miss: The benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted unhurried in the bush setting.
  - Good to know: It’s low-key by design — if you’re after grand gardens and a big restaurant scene, pair it with a showpiece estate rather than expecting that here.
- 7. Stella Bella Wines — Small, characterful, near town
  - Why people love it: It’s the antidote to the showpiece estates — a small, characterful room where the tasting is personal and the wines (and the labels) have personality.
  - Don't miss: A relaxed, personal tasting through a characterful range, away from the bigger crowds.
  - Good to know: It’s small and food is limited compared to the estates — come for the wine and the personal welcome, not a full long-lunch setup.
- 8. Wills Domain — Hilltop views and a destination kitchen
  - Why people love it: It’s the hilltop long-lunch — a destination kitchen and one of the best vineyard views in the region, perfect for a northern-based day.
  - Don't miss: A long lunch from the destination kitchen with the hilltop view over the Gunyulgup Valley.
  - Good to know: The dining is a booked, sit-down destination experience with set days — reserve ahead and check food hours, as it’s not built for a quick casual drop-in.
- 9. Hay Shed Hill — One of the oldest, relaxed and reliable
  - Why people love it: It’s the easygoing all-rounder of the Wilyabrup cluster — one of the oldest vineyards, open daily, friendly, and reliably good value.
  - Don't miss: A relaxed daily tasting of good-value Cabernet and Chardonnay in the heart of Wilyabrup.
  - Good to know: It’s casual and reliable rather than a flagship showpiece — pair it with a grander estate if you want one big sense-of-occasion stop in the day.
- 10. Howard Park — A comprehensive, design-led tasting
  - Why people love it: It’s the one-stop range-finder — three labels and every price point under one beautifully designed roof, run by a family that knows wine inside out.
  - Don't miss: Tasting across the Howard Park, MadFish and Marchand & Burch labels in the feng-shui-designed room.
  - Good to know: The breadth can be a lot in one sitting — let the team steer you to a focused flight rather than trying to taste everything on offer.

## What travellers say
- [positive] World-class wine, relaxed welcome: The recurring surprise: even the flagship estates keep the welcome warm and unpretentious, and the Cabernet and Chardonnay genuinely live up to the reputation.
- [positive] The food matches the wine: Several cellar-door restaurants are destinations in their own right — visitors rate a booked long lunch among the highlights of the whole trip.
- [mixed] Sort the driving first: Cellar doors are spread along Caves Road with no transport between them — visitors who book a tour or nominate a non-drinker have a far better day than those who don’t.
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: