Geographe wine region

The Geographe Wine Region faces Geographe Bay in the Indian Ocean of the south-west coast of Western Australia. The major commercial centre is the City of Bunbury, with other major towns being the Busselton, Capel, Collie and Donnybrook. 

Mark Cumbers at Vineyard 28

Under Australia's Geographic Indications system Geographe is an officially endorsed wine region of the South West Australia Zone.

To the north is the Peel Wine Region, to the south west is Margaret River, and to the south east, over the Darling Range is the Blackwood Valley wine region.

The unusual name for the Geographe region is worth a comment. The region takes its name from Geographe Bay which in turn is named after Le Geographe, a French ship which was a part of a scientific and geographic expedition in the early years of the 19th Century.

The climate is obviously influenced by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The main geographic feature of the region is the Darling Range which runs parallel to the coast and is dissected by a number of river valleys. This topography gives rise to a considerable number of soil types and microclimates, hence quite a variation in terroir.

The oldest and best known winery is Capel Vale which was established in the mid 1970s. Over the next few years other vineyards in the region were established, quite a few by larger WA wine producers who took the grapes for vinification elsewhere. Several of the grapegrowers in the region started keeping some fruit to make their own wine and thus new wineries were established. There are now over thirty wineries in the region.

Vines at Mandalay Road in the Geographe Region

Tempranillo grapes at Mazza Vineyard

Alternative varieties in the Geographe wine Region

Chenin blanc is a common variety throughout Western Australia and the variety is well represented in Geographe.  

Tempranillo, Barbera and Zinfandel are the most popular of the alternative red varieties.

Among the Rare Ozzies varieties in this region are Bastardo, Monduese, Pignoletto, Planta Fina, Pinotage and Verdejo.

• Aylesbury Estate Arneis, Gamay, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Bakkheia Graciano, Malbec, Tempranillo
• Barrecas Barbera, Malbec, Nebbiolo, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Zinfandel
• Capel Vale Chenin Blanc, Malbec, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Coughlan Estate Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel
• Ferguson Falls Winery Tempranillo, Nebbiolo
• Fifth Estate Tempranillo
• Green Door Wines Fiano, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo
• Hackersley Mondeuse, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo
• Harvey River Estate Barbera, Montepulciano
• Ironcloud Malbec, Touriga
• Kellivale Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tempranillo
• Mandalay Road Durif, Moscato, Zinfandel
• Mazza Bastardo, Graciano, Planta Fina, Souzao, Tempranillo, Tinto Cao, Touriga
• Moojelup Farm Barbera, Nero d'Avola, Vermentino
• Oakway Estate Malbec, Moscato, Nero d'Avola, Scheurebe, Vermentino
• Saint Aiden Wines Fiano, Tempranillo
• Smallwater Estate Zinfandel
• Talisman Wines Malbec, Zinfandel
• Thomson Brook Wines Barbera
• Vineyard 28 Arneis, Fiano, Brachetto, Dolcetto, Montepulciano, Moscato, Nebbiolo, Pignoletto
• Whicher Ridge Malbec, Petit Verdot
• Willow Bridge Estate Chenin Blanc, Tempranillo

Pictures from WA WIneries

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The entrance to Capel Vale Winery Cellar Door and Restaurant.

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