WA’s South-West is gearing up to celebrate another fantastic vintage with its annual festival showcasing the best of the region’s wares — and there are a few new faces keen to show off their talents.
Knee Deep Wines manager Liz Buttimore said staff were excited to be taking part in the Margaret River Wine Region Festival for the first time since the winery was established by Perth surgeon Phil Childs in 2000.
She said head chef Bradley Hornby had come up with creative solutions for pairing food with wines. “We thought: If we’ve been drinking wine all day, what would we want to eat — and three scallops with cauliflower puree did not come up,” she said. “We love fine food but once we’ve had a few drinks, well . . .”
The event kicks off with a Vintage Vibe Street Fiesta tomorrow, with wine barrel races, stalls and wine tastings. A Cabernet Cabaret, featuring a Kylie tribute show, will be held at Saracen Estates on Friday.
A record 47 wineries, 20 food producers, one brewery and artists will take part in the Vintage Festival on Saturday at the Leeuwin Estate amphitheatre, where more than 200 wines will be available for tasting. A concert at Leeuwin Estate on Sunday features singer Deni Hines and jazz virtuoso James Morrison, backed by an eight-piece band.
Margaret River Wine Industry Association president Leah Clearwater said the festival was expected to boost the region’s coffers by more than $3 million.
From FLIP PRIOR at The West Australian
About Margaret River Discovery Tours
Sean Blocksidge is the owner operator of the Margaret River Discovery Company, an avid photographer, blogger and South West WA ambassador. In 2010 he won Western Australian Guide of the Year and his tours have been rated the #1 thing to do in Australia on the Tripadvisor website for the past two years.
