Editor Pick
Harmans Ridge Estates
- May 2, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
The options for wineries and tastings in Margaret River are truly stunning. Really I suspect that many people arriving in have no idea the magnitude of vineyards there are in this condensed area, as the map of things to do from the Tourist Info Centre will soon show you.
The best thing about this is that every single vineyard or winery that I visited in my time in Margaret River was completely unique and had something very special of it's own to offer. Each one was very different from the last, in everything from setting to the taste of the wine, and this I found immensely impressive.
Harman's Ridge Estate is a good one for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it's very easy to get to. It's a very quick and simple drive north of Margaret River off the Bussell Highway. It's easy to see, as it's the first building on the corner of Bussell Highway and Harmans Mill Road. Not only does it's location then set you on a very easy path to a slew of other vineyards, but even more conveniently it is just past the Margaret River Cheese Factory that offers free samples. I'm highly of the opinion that there should be one of these next to every winery, as it's hard to top a soft and tasty cheese followed by a fantastic wine.
The grounds of Harmans Ridge are not as impressive as many of the other wineries. There are no lavish vineyards, but a small and delightful little building next to a warehouse for actually making the wine.
Inside the cellar door, though, it is a very nice place. The staff (I went more than once and was always greeted with the friendliest and most pleasant people on earth) were fantastic, offering us all the information we needed on the wines and how they were made, and not being the least bit skimpy with the tastings.
The wines themselves are some of the most interesting and brilliantly diverse wines I tasted in Margaret River (and I might add, that is heady praise given the local competition.) The Grenache is one of the most easy to drink reds I've ever come across, and their Howling Wolves range is so distinctive that we drove back twice to replace the 'souvenir' bottles we drank before our flight home.
The prices are pretty good, as cellar door prices go. We bought an incredible Shiraz for about $12 (Australian) and they offered some amazing gift sets as well that you could pick and choose wines to include in it.
All in all, a very, very pleasant wine tasting experience, and though not in the most picturesque of settings... great for the nearness of the cheese factory. I highly recommend you try to two together.
From journal From Wine to Kangaroos, Get Lost in Margaret River