A natural beauty
Western Australia, with its pristine natural environment, Mediterranean-like climate and fertile soils, is a grape-growing paradise. The story is no different in the state’s newest wine region – and one of its most scenic. In the heart of Western Australia’s south west, Blackwood Valley is a true escape. Its gently rolling hills are carpeted with vivid green and punctuated by gatherings of towering trees. The region is only three hours’ drive from Perth but it’s filled with glimpses of times passed: unspoilt landscapes, ancient forests and quaint pubs in towns straight out of a postcard.
The wine community, however, is firmly in the now, with Blackwood Valley’s premium wines winning awards and recognition from around Australia and increasingly overseas. You’ll find red and white wines done exceedingly well, from classics like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to alternative varieties including Malbec and Tempranillo. Since the first vine plantings in 1976, the region has grown slowly but steadily, and today it’s home to around 50 vineyards and 20 wine producers, many with cellar doors.
The region shares its name with the Blackwood River that runs through it, the longest continually flowing river in Western Australia. It’s a large wine region, bigger in size than Margaret River to its west, and makes for a picturesque stop on a wine-lovers’ tour of the state. Along with Manjimup and Pemberton, Blackwood Valley is known as the food bowl of Western Australia, producing a spoil of fresh produce and artisan treats, from apples and cherries plucked from colourful orchards, to truffles, dairy products, lamb and beef.
Premium wine from premium land
The lush landscape of Blackwood Valley has been farmed for well over a century, but it wasn’t until 1976 that the first wine grapevines were stuck in the ground. Lying on the same latitude as Margaret River, it shares a similar climate, and has some of the most elevated vineyard sites in the area. This combined with its varied soils that are perfect for viticulture helps to produce extremely high-quality grapes. Much of the fruit is sold to outside wineries, but a growing amount is kept local and made into award-winning wines.
The region’s star wines are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but an array of varieties thrive here, and you’ll also find Riesling, Semillon, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Merlot and Malbec. Local wines are known for their elegance and generous flavours, and many red wines have great cellaring potential.
On one of the first sites to be farmed in the region, you’ll find Nannup Estate. Established two decades ago by Mark and Alison Blizard, it sits high on the granite ridges of the Blackwood River and produces some of the region’s top wines, including prize-winning Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Merlot, Tempranillo and Malbec. You’ll also find award-winning wines from Dickinson Estate. Owners Trevor and Mary Dickinson have been growing grapes here since 1994, and in a nod to the estate’s past as a sheep and cattle farm, they let sheep graze among the vines after harvest to cull weeds and re-fertilize the soils. Their wines include a range created in honour of their 50 years of being together.
Australia is full of beautiful wine regions and Blackwood Valley is one of our most stunning. Whether you experience it on a scenic drive or a renowned walking trail, at a restaurant or in a friendly cellar door, be sure to enjoy a glass (or two) of an elegant Blackwood Valley wine.
