28 October 2026 – Among Western Australia’s most surprising corners, the Margaret River region is a place where wine culture meets the power of the ocean, forests alternate with wild beaches, ancient caves preserve the earth’s secrets and the table tells the story of an entire landscape.
Here, proximity to the coast and sea breezes help create particularly favourable conditions for viticulture. The result is internationally acclaimed production, with wines expressing the region’s character at its best. This winemaking vocation received major international recognition this very month at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), where Margaret River won six trophies, the highest number awarded to a single wine region worldwide, standing out among more than six thousand competing wines. The achievement particularly highlighted three locally produced Cabernet Sauvignons, two Chardonnays and a Semillon, confirming the excellence of some of the region’s signature varieties.
With around one hundred wineries open to visitors, Margaret River invites you to discover its wine where it is made, meeting producers, exploring estates and taking part in tastings that reveal different interpretations of the same landscape.
But Margaret River’s flavours go beyond the glass. The region is also an ideal destination for those who love cooking rooted in seasonality and the quality of its ingredients: artisan cheeses, chocolate, farm produce and exceptionally fresh fish and seafood create a rich, varied culinary panorama. Restaurants, farms and wineries offer experiences celebrating local production, often paired with the area’s wines, making every stop an opportunity to become better acquainted with the South West’s community and traditions, where every season brings something special to the table.
Margaret River’s gourmet winter
Among the area’s most sought-after culinary experiences are those devoted to black truffles, a highlight of the Australian winter season. Between June and September, depending on weather conditions and the harvest, this precious ingredient is gathered in the south-west, especially around Manjimup and Pemberton, and also features in Margaret River restaurants. Its intense, earthy notes enrich risottos, meat dishes and contemporary creations, often accompanied by wines selected to enhance its aromatic profile.
For those wishing to go beyond tasting at the table, some producers organise truffle hunts with trained dogs, visits to truffle plantations and dedicated lunches. A way to follow the product from earth to plate, learn about growers’ work and discover how landscape, climate and artisanal care contribute to the quality of what reaches the table.
Winter also reveals another side of the region: vineyards wrapped in the season’s soft light, lush forests, scenic roads and a wilder-looking coast. An ideal setting for alternating tastings and culinary encounters with nature walks, visits to limestone caves and relaxing moments over a good glass of wine.
An established occasion to welcome summer: Pair’d Margaret River
For experiencing the region through its food and wine heritage, Pair’d Margaret River has become a regular fixture in the local calendar. The festival’s 2026 edition will take place from 19 to 22 November, bringing wineries, chefs, producers and artists to locations across the region. Rather than an event concentrated at a single venue, Pair’d is a dispersed journey built around wine and its possible pairings with cuisine, music and local culture. The programme combines tastings, special lunches and dinners, encounters with leading figures on the culinary scene and experiences in settings ranging from wine estates to the coast.
Highlights for 2026 include The Grand Tasting: an opportunity to sample wines from some of the region’s most representative wineries, meet producers and pair wines with dishes by chefs Matt Moran and Aaron Carr, alongside live music and wine-focused encounters. The programme also includes Nature’s Table, an iconic lunch immersed in Tanah Marah’s forest, pairing selected wines with a four-course menu inspired by local ingredients and culinary knowledge. This year, Wannang (peppermint tree) will take centre stage, with native botanicals thoughtfully incorporated into the different courses. Completing the magic, Ngilgi Reverie offers visitors a musical experience in the spectacular limestone chambers of Ngilgi Cave, where nature, Aboriginal culture and gastronomy meet.
From winery tastings to creative pairings, Pair’d offers a special way to discover Margaret River through the people, flavours and places defining its identity. An invitation to slow down, let curiosity lead the way and discover one of Western Australia’s most interesting destinations, starting with what it does best: turning local produce into memorable experiences.
More detail on the events planned during Pair’d Margaret River is available in our previous press release.
And then there is nature.
Completing the reasons to visit the region is its incredible diversity of landscapes. The South West is home to some of Western Australia’s most beautiful beaches, where long stretches of white sand meet turquoise waters and spectacular waves, attracting surfers from around the world each year and providing the setting for international competitions. Not far from the coast, forests of karri trees, among the planet’s tallest flowering trees, invite you to look up towards canopies that seem to touch the sky. Below ground, meanwhile, lies a world of limestone caves shaped by water over millennia, preserving remarkable formations, delicate ecosystems and traces of an ancient natural history. From the ocean to the forests and the depths of the earth, Margaret River reveals a region to explore with all the senses.
For further information about Western Australia, visit www.westernaustralia.com.
Tourism Western Australia
Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) is responsible for promoting Western Australia (WA) and positioning it as an ideal destination for holidays and events. We work with a range of public- and private-sector organisations to develop and promote WA’s most iconic tourism experiences, attract major events to the state and help the tourism industry thrive.
Sources and images: Tourism Western Australia / Tourism Hub press release. Complete editorial text in English translation; photographs supplied with the release.
