A quintessential tour of vineyards and winemaking!
Being the oldest wine region in Western Australia (WA) and boasting a heritage of over 185 years in winemaking, Swan Valley launched its first commercial wine vintage in 1834. Continuing with its premium quality wines, the Swan Valley Wine Trail produces an array of typical wines in WA worth tasting by oenophiles.
Swan Valley’s rise to fame
A British national, Captain James Stirling, was quite impressed by Swan Vally in 1827, His account of its rich alluvial soil along the banks of the river, the beauty of the trees, brief glimpses of the Swan River with an abundance of water, and the mountainous view did much to convince the British Government to establish its first colony of free settlers in the region of WA in 1829. It was known as Swan River Colony, and Captain James Stirling became its first governor. This colony was renamed later, in 1832, to what is known as Perth today.
Initial plantings of vines were in 1829 in small vineyards, making Swan Valley the second oldest wine-growing region in Australia after Hunter Valley in New South Wales. By 1860, a considerable number of vineyards were in existence, demonstrating the ideal conditions in Swan Valley for viticulture. For the next 150 years, Swan Valley was WA’s single wine region.
The work started by the British was enhanced and perfected by Italian and Croatian migrants arriving in Swan Valley in the early 1900s. They worked with their expertise in the vineyards of Swan Valley to get the best results. In 1937, winemaker Jack Mann made history in putting Swan Valley on the winemaking map with his Chenin-Blanc-based wine named Houghton White Burgandy, which clinched the first prize at the Melbourne Wine Show, and the following year too.
At present, the vineyards of Swan Valley are managed by third- or fourth-generation winemakers, their proud history, and unique contributions to keeping the heritage alive are best experienced through some of the best wine trails. Here are some excellent trails and day trips regularly enjoyed by guests at Perth hotels that will spark an equal interest in all other wine aficionados.
Upper Reach Winery
A family-owned winery nestled on the banks of the Swan River, just a 40-minute drive from hotels such as Pan Pacific Perth, Upper Reach Winery offers spectacular views of sweeping vineyards as you indulge in a unique hand-crafted wine tasting at their cellar door like a true wine lover. One of the best wine producers in Swan Valley, Upper Reach is the recipient of numerous wine show awards and the Gourmet Traveler’s Best Small Cellar Door Award – Swan Valley for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022.
Spend a delightful afternoon with lunch and wine tasting at Cellar Door or visit their Treehouse Pizza Bar lingering over a glass of wine and enjoying the beautiful views. The vineyard trail or a tour of the working winery to discover the making of award-winning wines are also excursions visitors enjoy here.
Swan Valley’s Fortified Wine Trail
There was a growing need for fortified wines, with many nations exporting wine. The long voyages by sea, adverse weather conditions, and exposure to excess heat and cold made the wines oxidize during transportation. As a precaution, these winemakers started adding brandy, increasing the content of alcohol (about 20 pct), and offering a more palatable wine when it reached the destination.
With the conducive warm Mediterranean climate in Swan Valley, a medley of grape varieties thrives, enabling the creation of different styles of fortified wines such as Shiraz, Pedro Ximenez, Muscat, and other aged, fortified wines. Grapes used for fortified wine are allowed to ripen further than others used for table wine. The exact quantity of brandy is introduced at a specific point, making fermentation end, thus leaving a natural sweetness in the wine.
Discover the types of grapes, the process, and the combinations as you walk through the enriching Fortified Wine Trail.
Funk Brewshed
Discover a new twist to the way you taste wine, beer, and cider in this novel outfit in Swan Valley by the brothers Dustin and Martin Michael. Known as a fermentary, Funk Brewshed offers unpasteurized brews, and their creations are free of sulfur and preservatives with no added sugar. Visit this hip café with indoor and outdoor seating and a bar fitted with WA’s largest beer tap. All 18 of them serve a good rotation of ciders and beers.
Their food offer is on par with their beverages, including vegan as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options, making them a trendsetter in the domain of winning and dining in Swan Valley.
Explore the Swan Valley Distillery Trail
Have an insightful trail into Swan Valley’s dedicated distillers at work, diligently handcrafting a wide array of world-class spirits using traditional methods complemented by cutting-edge innovation. This is an ideal chance to see, touch, and smell as the distilling process proceeds and listen to the stories of experts.
This valley of winemaking has been distilling for almost a century, with grapes distilled into spirit commercially at Valencia and Houghton since the dawn of the 20th century. However, immigrants from European nations brought their traditional methods of distilling spirits with home stills, which were different from the Swan Valley practice.
At present, distillation is an art in Swan Valley, with dedicated distillers producing a wide range of vodka, limoncello, gin, rum, and brandy, as can be witnessed on the trail. It is not surprising that chefs, food lovers, and mixologists are eager to use these spirits, which carry zero carbohydrates, for their food and beverages, etc., and purchase them directly from this distillery.
Olive Farm Wines
A fourth-generation family-operated winery in Swan Valley, Olive Farms, offers over 40 wines at their award-winning cellar door. A relaxed and homely atmosphere puts visitors at ease at Olive Farm, where they can enjoy a satisfying spell of wine tasting from the range of white, red, fortified, and sparkling wines. For those who would like to take the 90-minute tour, the same can be booked in advance to see the process of award-winning winemaking and conclude with a wine tasting.
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