scout editor and publisher Anastasia has spent the week in WA, on a mission to answer to one important question: is west really best? When it comes to wine – specifically, the best wineries in the Margaret River wine region – the answer is a resounding ‘YES’.
Gold Coasters like to think we’ve got it all right here on our doorstep. Great surfing? Check. Incredible food? Check. Trend-setting fashion? Check. Unbeatable coffee, beer, ice cream? Check, check, check.
But, fellow Gold Coasters, there’s one area we’re undoubtedly beaten in. Wine regions.
Don’t get us wrong – we have some great local wineries. But when it comes to wine regions, the likes of which you’d find in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, we have to accept defeat.
Luckily, world-class wine regions can be found both near and far. If you’re happy to travel a little further afield (about five hours by plane) the sprawling Margaret River region with its 200-odd wineries is well worth the trip.
But where should you visit? Making sure I did my due diligence, I spent two gruelling days visiting seven wineries. No chardonnay went unsipped, and only one spittoon (the vessels used for spitting, rather than swallowing, a wine sample) was used. Here’s what happened…