Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/6221
DePaRTMenT header 70 / the tasting panel / january–february 2010 f ounded in1965 by viticulturalist Dr. John Gladstone, the Marga- ret River area is growing from a sleepy corner of Australia to a major tour de force in the wine industry. There are now close to 100 cel- lar doors in the Margaret River. The area, a three-hour drive South of Perth in Western Australia, is broken up into three distinct regions. North Wilyabrup is Cabernet country; the mid zone is called the Golden Tri- angle of Chardonnay (with Leeuwin Estate, Voyager Estate and Cape Mentelle); and the Yallingup "surfer's point" lies at the tip of the region, where Sauvignon Blanc grows in abundance. Many of the winemakers are also surfers, since this happens to be one of the top three champion wave destinations in the world, known by locals as Cow Bombie. Picture a ruggedly beautiful, low-key alternative to the Barossa or Yarra Valley—and bring your longboard. The bio-diverse area, with its Mediterranean-style climate, now accounts for 20% of Australia's premium wine consumption. The food scene is also on the rise, par- ticularly with new casual wine bars like Must offering hundreds of local labels paired with regional produce and prime cuts of beef. Must's A–Z list is one of most comprehensive to be found in the entire region, from Arelwood Chardonnay to Zinful Zin- fandel. At the other end of that wide spectrum is cozy Cape Lodge, which produces its own highly touted Shi- raz that pairs beautifully alongside award-winning Chef Tony Howell's European-inspired menus. Musi- cian Sting and his entourage tried to poach Howell and take him on tour after a recent stay at the property. Aside from a surf break, or a de- gustation lunch amid the barrels, a wine tour here might include a white- knuckle four-wheel drive down re- Down under Clive Otto, winemaker at Fraser Gallop Estate. PHOTO COURTESY OF FRASER GALLOP ESTATE surf's up in Western australia piOneering Margaret river iS On the verge Of the Big time by Carole Dixon