Long recognised for its premium grapes, the Geographe region is now emerging as one of Australia’s most exciting new wine regions. Geographe Bay is also home to world-class food and wine.
The rapid expansion of boutique producers in the region is an extra magnet for visitors attracted by breathtaking scenery and beaches on popular tourism routes. Nearby attractions includes the Busselton Jetty, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and museum.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Whether blended with Merlot or not, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be finer and more elegant than that of either the Margaret River or the Mount Barker regions, with lingering, soft fine-grained tannins. However, the spread of plantings inland from the coast has resulted in more diverse styles.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is propagated everywhere in the region, producing wines which reflect the varying site climate. The cooler sites produce wines with intense citrus and grass characters, while the warmer sites veer through melon and guava fruits. All are great now drinking wines.
Semillon
It comes as no surprise to find that Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon tie as the second most widely planted varieties in this region, a tribute to the popularity of this crisp white. It produces a tangy wine with grassy herbal overtones; a light touch of oak is an optional extra.
- In this region, excessively warm temperatures are modified by the prevailing south-west sea breezes coming off the Indian Ocean.
- Summers are dry but rainfall is generous during winter and relative humidity is quite high.
- The coastal tuart sands have limestone as their parent material.
- A permanent water table at a depth of between three and 15 metres (10 to 49 feet) is a further aid to viticulture. However, low natural fertility means that care has to be taken to achieve the best results.
- The soils of the traditional farming and orchard land at Donnybrook are richer, being either gravelly sandy loams or heavier soils derived from the gneissic country rock in the valleys.