Our Favourite Wineries Near Barnwood Escape
From iconic estates to hidden cellar doors, these are the wineries we return to time and time again when spending a weekend in Margaret River.
Margaret River is Best Enjoyed Slowly
With more than 100 cellar doors scattered throughout the region, it can be tempting to squeeze five or six wineries into a single day. We've learnt that the most memorable experiences come from doing the opposite.
Choose one or two exceptional wineries. Stay for lunch. Wander through the gardens. Talk to the people pouring the wine. Buy a bottle to enjoy back at Barnwood Escape that evening.
The journey becomes just as rewarding as the destination.
These are the wineries we find ourselves returning to again and again.
Voyager Estate
If you're visiting Margaret River for the first time, this is where we'd send you.
The tree-lined driveway, Cape Dutch architecture and beautifully manicured gardens make arriving at Voyager Estate feel like stepping onto a grand country estate. Their certified organic vineyards produce elegant wines that perfectly express the region, while the award-winning restaurant is one of Australia's finest winery dining experiences.
Allow yourself plenty of time here. It's the sort of place where lunch naturally stretches into the afternoon.
Perfect for: First-time visitors, long lunches and special occasions.
Wills Domain
There are some places that simply know how to make guests feel welcome.
Wills Domain has become one of our favourite places to linger, combining exceptional hospitality with one of the most memorable vineyard dining experiences in the region. The signature tasting menu is beautifully considered, allowing local produce and estate wines to shine without feeling overly formal.
Whether you're celebrating something special or simply enjoying a weekend away, this is always a winery we happily recommend.
Perfect for: Long lunches and celebrating life's special moments.
Vasse Felix
As Margaret River's founding winery, Vasse Felix occupies an important place in the region's story.
Today it continues to produce some of Australia's most respected Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, alongside an outstanding restaurant and impressive contemporary art collection. It's a wonderful choice if you're looking to experience both the heritage and sophistication of Margaret River's wine scene.
Perfect for: Lovers of fine wine, architecture and art.
Leeuwin Estate
Few wineries are as instantly recognisable as Leeuwin Estate.
Famous for its Art Series wines, sculpture gardens and internationally renowned concerts, it's a destination that combines world-class winemaking with art and culture in a uniquely Margaret River way.
The restaurant remains one of the region's iconic dining experiences and is well worth planning a day around.
Perfect for: Chardonnay lovers, art enthusiasts and unforgettable lunches.
Our Favourite Organic & Biodynamic Wineries
One of the things we personally look for whenever we're exploring Margaret River is wineries that care as deeply for the land as they do the wine they produce.
Margaret River has become one of Australia's leading regions for organic, biodynamic and regenerative viticulture. While every winery approaches farming differently, we love discovering producers who work with nature, prioritise healthy soils and allow the vineyard to express itself with as little intervention as possible.
These are some of the cellar doors we return to most often.
Cullen Wines
For us, Cullen is essential.
A true pioneer of biodynamic farming in Australia, Cullen has been nurturing its vineyards organically for decades. Everything about the property reflects this philosophy, from the kitchen gardens to the biodynamic vineyard practices and thoughtfully curated tasting experiences.
The wines are among Australia's finest, but it's the feeling of the place that keeps drawing us back.
Don't miss: The Biodynamic Wine Room experience if you're interested in learning more about their approach.
Stormflower Vineyard
Stormflower is one of Margaret River's quiet achievers.
Certified organic and family owned, it offers an experience that's refreshingly relaxed. Tastings take place around a beautiful marri timber table, conversations are never rushed and the wines speak honestly of the vineyard.
It's one of those cellar doors that feels less like a tourist attraction and more like being welcomed into someone's home.
Perfect for: Boutique wine lovers looking to discover something a little different.
Marri Wood Park
Marri Wood Park has long been admired for its commitment to biodynamic farming and thoughtful stewardship of the land.
While the cellar door is currently closed, it's a winery we continue to follow and support because of its philosophy and contribution to Margaret River's organic wine community.
If and when it reopens to visitors, it will undoubtedly return to our list of must-visit cellar doors.
Windows Estate
Windows Estate offers one of the most peaceful tasting experiences in the region.
The estate has embraced regenerative farming and is progressing through organic certification, producing elegant wines in a setting that encourages you to slow down and stay awhile.
It's the kind of place that's easy to miss if you're only visiting the famous names—and one we're always pleased to recommend.
Beyond the Labels
Organic and biodynamic certification can be a helpful guide, but for us it's only part of the story.
Many of Margaret River's most thoughtful winemakers care deeply for their vineyards regardless of whether they pursue formal certification. Some are certified, others are in transition, while many quietly embrace regenerative farming, lower-intervention winemaking and practices that put the long-term health of the land first.
What we appreciate most is intention.
A respect for the vineyard. A commitment to quality over quantity. Hospitality that feels genuine rather than scripted.
Those are the experiences we remember long after the last glass has been poured.
If We Only Had One Day
If we were planning the perfect day exploring Margaret River's wineries, it would probably look something like this:
Morning
Begin with a relaxed tasting at Cullen or Vasse Felix.
Lunch
Enjoy a long lunch overlooking the vines at Wills Domain or Voyager Estate.
Afternoon
Visit a smaller producer such as Stormflower or Windows Estate before making your way back through the forest.
Then return to Barnwood Escape.
Open the bottle you've been saving from the day, settle around the dining table and let the conversations continue well into the evening.
After all, the best wine experiences aren't measured by how many wineries you visit.
They're measured by the moments you share along the way.
Planning Your Margaret River Escape?
One of the things we love most about staying at Barnwood Escape is that you're perfectly positioned to experience both the iconic estates and the quieter cellar doors that make Margaret River so special.
Whether your idea of the perfect day involves a celebrated winery lunch, discovering a small organic producer or simply taking the scenic route home through the forest, we hope these recommendations help you experience the region the way we do.
We look forward to welcoming you to Barnwood Escape.
From the Barnwood Journal
These recommendations reflect the places we genuinely enjoy and return to ourselves. We revisit and update this guide regularly as we continue discovering the people, produce and places that make Margaret River so special.