Undoubtedly one of Australia's best known and most highly regarded wines regions, Margaret River is an infant by world standards.
In 1965 a study by world renowned agricultural researcher, Dr John Gladstones, recognised the region's great viticultural potential. The first Margaret River vineyards were then established in the 1970s.
Western Australia is a vast state, so Margaret River being a three-hour drive from Perth is no hindrance to most Australians visiting this amazing region.
Whilst the majority of wineries are grouped in a relatively compact area, Margaret River is actually one of Australia's larger wine regions. It is in fact a rectangular cape stretching some 120 kilometres north to south and 40 kilometres east to west, dwarfing both the Barossa and Coonawarra. The region encapsulates six sub-regions, one being Wilyabrup, the home of Brookland Valley.
The water that surrounds the cape on three sides used to primarily attract surfers. Today winemakers are finding the allure of the maritime-moderated climate irresistible. The influence of the merging Southern and Indian Oceans means that temperatures never reach the extremes experienced in continental regions.