Margaret River: Wine, Chocolate & Brewery Tour with Lunch

4.78

(252 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t swirl it too hard or you’ll wear it,” our guide joked as we crowded into Brown Hill Estate’s barrel room. The air was cool and smelled faintly of oak and something sweet — maybe plum? I’m not sure I’d ever tasted wine straight from a barrel before; there’s something earthy about it, less polished than the bottles but kind of exciting. We’d started our Margaret River wine tour in a blur of introductions on the Cheers bus (I forgot half the names immediately), but by this stop people were already swapping stories like old friends.

There was this moment at the nougat place where I tried to pronounce “pistachio” the way Li did — she laughed and told me I sounded French. The samples were sticky and sweet, almost too much after all that Shiraz, but honestly, who says no to free candy? At one point someone asked if there was a secret to picking the best bottle; our driver just grinned and said, “Trust your tongue.” It stuck with me for some reason. The main keyword here is definitely “Margaret River wine tour” — you hear it everywhere in town but living it is different.

Lunch came at this country-style brewery (CBco), big wooden tables and sunlight slanting through dusty windows. I went for the veggie burger with a local pale ale — not my usual order but it felt right. People drifted outside after to play a quick round of golf (badly) or just sit in the grass. There was cheese and crackers later at another winery, plus chocolate tasting that made me wish I’d worn looser pants. By then, everyone was relaxed enough to tease each other about their tasting notes (“burnt toast?” “wet rocks?”), which is probably what makes these day trips from Margaret River so good: you forget you’re on a schedule.

I still think about that first sip from the barrel — how raw it tasted, like you could taste the year in it. If you’re wondering if this private wine tour of Margaret River is worth it…well, let’s just say my suitcase came home heavier than planned.