Where to go.
Denmark’s Forest Hill is among the region’s pioneers, and it’s worth timing a tasting with lunch at its restaurant, Pepper & Salt – a regional favourite. Winemaker Guy Lyons also has his own label, Lowboi, which is worth seeking out. At Singlefile in Denmark, it’s easy to settle in at the cellar door with a bottle of wine and a cheeseboard. The winery is a former Dark Horse of the Year in the Halliday Wine Companion Awards, and also won this year’s chardonnay category for its 2015 The Vivienne.
Freehand Wine’s cellar door in Denmark provides tastings of their distinctive wines (expect a skin-contact white called Cloudy Sav), platters and also live music at times.
Choose dishes off a chalkboard menu at wine bar and restaurant Stomp’d in Denmark, and sample a few of the local wines on offer for a taste of the wider region.
If you need a break from wine, head to Great Southern Distilling Co in Albany and sample their flagship brand, Limeburners Whisky, which has won many international awards.
Albany’s Liberte inside the London Hotel is a must-visit. Chef and owner Amy Hamilton has forged a reputation for her French-Vietnamese influenced menu, with a drinks program celebrating local growers and makers. If you need a break from wine, head to Great Southern Distilling Co in Albany and sample their flagship brand, Limeburners Whisky, which has won many international awards.
Head to Frankland River and get to know
Ferngrove’s wines at the cellar door. Follow a tasting with a wander around the manicured gardens and take in the surrounding vineyards.
Make the drive to Frankland Estate to appreciate its stunning setting and Isolation Ridge Vineyard.
Don’t miss their benchmark examples of riesling.
See where the 2019 Wine of the Year was grown at Duke’s Vineyard in Porongurup – it’s home to the 2017 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling. The views of the Porongurup and Stirling Ranges here are well worth the trip.