Pemberton is fast gaining a reputation for its wine and gourmet produce. Whatever your culinary preference, there’s something to suit your palate. The region was first planted experimentally in 1977, with commercial vineyards following in 1982.
Pemberton is "karri tree country". The tall, majestic trees abound, forest upon forest, in national parks, amid creeks and rivers, wetlands and waterfalls, and on hills and dales.
Chardonnay
Not only is this the most widely planted variety; it is clearly the most successful across the entire region. At its best, it produces opulently flavoured and structured wines, with an almost creamy texture. These wines respond well to the generous use of high-quality French oak.
Merlot
Either as a varietal in its own right, or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot impresses, with good varietal character and mouthfeel.
Pinot Noir
Great faith has been placed in this variety, with substantial quantities of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used for sparkling wine, with good results in each case. Perhaps the region is too warm for the variety, but these are still early days. Some good Pinot Noir has been made but work remains to be done to see the variety fulfil its true potential in the region.
- Pemberton is cooler than neighbouring Manjimup, with fewer sunshine hours, more rainfall (except in January and February) and greater relative humidity.
- As a result of the high annual rainfall, a number of vineyards do not use irrigation, but the very pronounced winter/spring dominance can lead to stress late in the growing season if subsoil moisture diminishes.
- There are two major soil types. The first are the lateritic gravelly sands and gravelly loams overlying medium clay with moderate water retention capacity. These moderately fertile soils are found on many of the higher slopes around Pemberton.
- The second soil is the more fertile karri loam – a deep red fertile soil which was formed directly from the gneissic country rock and which, together with the abundant winter and spring rainfall, leads to vigorous growth.