Margaret River, located in the far south-west corner of Western Australia, is one of the most geographically isolated wine regions in the world. It has the most marked maritime climate of any region in Australia in terms of rainfall.
The GI is 2,137 km2 in size and has a total of 5,725 hectares of vineyards. The main varieties grown in the region are Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, and Chardonnay.
Margaret River Regional Snapshot 2023-24
Regional Snapshots are one-page profiles updated annually of individual Australian wine regions. They provide at-a-glance summary statistics on: climatic characteristics, viticulture data, winegrape production, and winegrape price and export sales data for wine, compared against the same statistics for the whole of Australia.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
This is the hero variety for many in Margaret River. Often blended with Merlot, the wines are medium to full-bodied with earthy, gravelly characters and ripe cassis and violet aromas.
Chardonnay
The Mendoza or Gin Gin clone of Chardonnay rules the roost in the region, producing wines that combine intense and complex flavours with a wonderful backbone of lime-like acidity.
Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc
Lives in the shadow of the more celebrated Cabernet and Chardonnay but these crisp, lively and juicy blends deserve more time in the spotlight. Winemakers get the chance to shine with these blends with varying proportions, oak treatment and ripeness levels all playing a part in a diverse range of styles made in Margaret River.
- Overall Margaret River climate is similar to Bordeaux in a dry year
- Has the most marked maritime climate of any region in Australia in terms of rainfall
- Low diurnal temperature range leads to very even heat accumulation
- The ridge from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin is predominantly gravelly loam on granite and gneiss
- Overall water holding capacity is low