THE MARGARET RIVER WINE REGION
Renowned for its idyllic lifestyle, pristine environment, famed surf and world class wines – the Margaret River region is heaven on earth.
The land that extends across this South West corner is millions of years old, the soils mainly made up of decomposed granite, are typically a gravelly loam, although some areas are sandier than others.
When it comes to vineyards the gravel in the soil allows for good drainage, while loam retains the nutrients and moisture the vines need.
Beneath these top soils lies a clay base which holds the winter rains. The vines can tap into this water later in the growing season as the top soils dry out.
Surrounded by ocean on three sides, Margaret River enjoys a maritime climate, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, ideal for grape growing.
Here you'll find Willyabrup Estate est. 1995, in Wilyabrup, the heart of the famous Margaret River wine region.
The pocket of Wilyabrup crafts some of the world’s greatest Chardonnays and Cabernets.
Named after the meandering brook that flows through many vineyards in the area, wineries of the small township wind seamlessly along the northern parts of Caves Road between Capes Naturaliste and Leeuwin in the Margaret River wine region.
The Six Seasons
The first inhabitants of Australia’s South West were the Noongar people, who have had a connection with the land for over 50,000 years. Conservationists by nature, they were semi-nomadic hunter- gatherers who followed a six season calendar, still used by Noongar people today.
There are six Noongar seasons in Western Australia’s South West region, which are indicated by changes in local plants, animals and weather patterns. Learn more about the change of seasons and connect with the South West with this local knowledge.
Noongar people hunt and gather food according to the seasons, being guided by the signs in nature as to which animal and plant resources are plentiful during those times.
The six seasons – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang – represent the seasonal changes we see across the South West annually.
It is important to recognise that while we have contextualised the seasons by matching them to the corresponding months in the contemporary calendar, they do not necessarily always match perfectly.
The changes in seasons are recognised by Noongar people by signals in the landscape, whether it is the changes in the direction of prevailing winds, the flowering of a particular plant species, or a particular time in the breeding cycles of insects, animals and birds.
Noongar Language Acknowledgement
Jillyara acknowledges the Noongar nation of the southwest of Western Australia. We understand the diversity of each clan group and the many individual language dialects. We respect the many ways to spell Noongar words and the way they are spoken in different communities. We have endeavoured to use the most widely accepted, consistent spelling and pronunciation of traditional names and words.