Hidden Gems: Boutique Full-Day Wine, Farm & Lunch Tour

The best thing about this Margaret River day is its range. You begin by feeding alpacas and emus, then move through chocolate, coffee, olive oil, sea views, and three small wineries. It feels more like an introduction to the people and produce of the region than a simple wine bus.

I especially like the small maximum group of 11 and the way lunch at Olio Bello breaks up the tastings with a proper farm meal. I also like that guides such as Dani and Ziggy bring local stories into the drive, rather than treating the day as a string of cellar doors. The main consideration is pace: seven hours is a full day, and the wine tastings can add up quickly.

Key points at a glance

• Feed alpacas and emus at a private farm while enjoying scones, jam, cream, and local coffee or tea.
• Taste more than wine, with stops for chocolate, coffee, olive oil, and a farm-to-plate lunch.
• Visit three boutique wineries, including Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines.
• Pause at Gracetown for Indian Ocean views, surfers, dolphins, and, on fortunate days, migrating whales.
• Travel in a small group, with air-conditioned transport and pickup from Margaret River town locations.
• Expect an educational, social day, led by guides such as Dani or Ziggy, with plenty of time for conversation.

Why this seven-hour tour feels different from a standard wine day

Margaret River is famous for wine, but a day spent only at cellar doors can give you a narrow view of the region. This tour takes a broader approach. You see a farm in the morning, stop for sweets and coffee, visit the coast, eat among olive trees, and then spend time with three boutique wineries.

That mix matters. You get a sense of how local businesses connect to the area, from animals and agriculture to handmade food and small-scale winemaking. I like tours that give you several ways to understand a place, and this one does that without becoming a sightseeing checklist.

The group size helps, too. With no more than 11 people, the day should feel more personal than a large coach outing. The guide can talk with the group, answer questions, and keep the mood relaxed. Dani and Ziggy are the named guides associated with the experience, and the feedback consistently highlights their friendliness, local knowledge, communication, and sense of humor.

You should still expect a social day. You may share the vehicle with people from different countries and age groups, and the group atmosphere is part of the appeal. If you want a private, quiet wine tasting with complete control over the schedule, this is not that kind of outing.

9:00 am pickup and a farm breakfast with alpacas

The day begins at 9:00 am, with pickup available from in-town Margaret River locations. The listed meeting point is 1 Tunbridge Street, Margaret River, Western Australia, and the tour returns there at the end of the day.

The first stop is Margaret River Hideaway and Farmstay, where you spend about 55 minutes. This is not simply a quick photo stop. You can hand-feed alpacas and emus, then sit down for morning tea with scones, jam, cream, and locally roasted coffee or tea.

That opening gives the day a friendly start. You are not asked to rush straight into wine tasting before you have settled in. The animals also make this a useful choice for families or anyone who wants more variety than cellar doors alone.

The farm visit does have a practical limit. It is a short introduction rather than a full farm tour, so do not expect a long animal program or a large attraction. The appeal is the close contact, the morning food, and the chance to begin the day somewhere informal.

The scones are also more than a small snack. They provide a modest breakfast if you have not eaten much before pickup, though you may still want to start the morning with a proper meal if you need something substantial.

Temper Temper brings chocolate, coffee, and a short change of pace

The next stop is Temper Temper Fine Chocolate, with about 25 minutes set aside. The visit combines fine chocolate tasting with a look at the coffee roaster and related products.

This is a pleasant palate change after the farm. It also gives you a short break before the wine stops begin. You can expect the chocolate portion to be brief. One account describes the tasting as taking only a few minutes, so this is best viewed as a compact stop rather than a long workshop.

That is not necessarily a flaw. A short visit keeps the day moving and gives you a taste of another local product without taking time away from the wineries and lunch. If you are especially interested in chocolate or coffee production, you may wish the stop lasted longer.

Ashbrook Estate begins the boutique wine part of the day

Ashbrook Estate is the first of three handpicked boutique wineries. You spend about an hour here, tasting wines and learning about Margaret River’s different styles.

The value of a boutique winery stop is the chance to focus on people and process. The tour is designed around smaller local producers rather than a rapid run through large commercial venues. That can make the tasting feel more personal, with room to ask how the wine is made and what makes the estate’s approach different.

The tastings are included, which makes the price easier to assess. You are not paying for transport and then adding a separate tasting fee at every stop. The exact wines can vary, but the goal is to show range across three wineries.

If you are new to Margaret River wine, this is a useful structure. Instead of trying to choose several estates on your own, you get a guided sample of the area in one day. If you already have a fixed list of wineries you want to visit, the selected stops may not match your personal plan.

A fifteen-minute view of Gracetown and the Indian Ocean

After the first winery, the tour pauses at Gracetown for about 15 minutes. The stop offers views of the Indian Ocean, with its green coastal colors, surfers, and a chance to watch for dolphins. During the whale migration season, you might also see whales from the coast, though that is never guaranteed.

This is a smart addition to a wine-focused day. It gives you fresh air, a visual change, and a quick look at the coastline that helps place the vineyards in their wider setting. The stop is short, so think of it as a scenic pause rather than a beach visit.

You will want sensible footwear and clothing for the day as a whole. The tour includes a farm, coastal scenery, food, and wine, so practical comfort matters more than dressing for one particular venue.

Olio Bello combines olive oil tasting and lunch

Lunch at Olio Bello is one of the strongest parts of the experience. The stop lasts about one hour and 15 minutes, giving you time to taste olive oils and olive-based products before eating at the on-site cafe among the olive groves.

The meal is included, which adds real value to the $136.28 price. You are not simply stopping at a cafe and paying for lunch on top of a tour fee. The food is described as farm-to-plate, made with fresh ingredients, and the olive oil tasting gives the meal a clear connection to the place.

I like this stop because it slows the day down at the right moment. By lunchtime, you may already have had scones, chocolate, and one winery tasting. A proper meal creates a useful reset before the afternoon pours.

Drinks other than water are not included with lunch, so keep that small extra cost in mind. The meal is a highlight, but this is still a tasting day, not a long restaurant sitting. You should expect a well-planned lunch stop rather than unlimited time at the cafe.

Brown Hill Estate shows another side of Margaret River wine

Brown Hill Estate is the second winery, with around an hour for tasting and discussion. By this point, you have already visited a farm, sampled chocolate, seen the coast, and eaten lunch, so the wine portion feels like one part of a larger regional story.

A second winery is useful for comparison. You can begin to notice differences in style, structure, and presentation rather than judging a wine in isolation. The guides are also able to add context about the area as you travel between producers.

The tour has been praised for offering a large number of tastings across the day. One detailed account estimated more than 21 pours, while another referred to roughly 30 wines. The total can vary, but the message is clear: pace yourself.

You do not need to finish every pour. Tasting is meant to help you compare, and water is important. This is especially worth remembering because the tour also includes the final winery after Brown Hill Estate.

Redgate Wines closes the day with a third cellar door

Redgate Wines is the final winery, again with about an hour. The stop gives the day a proper finish and adds another small producer to your comparison.

Redgate is also associated with time spent with an experienced owner and winemaker, Ray. That personal contact fits the wider purpose of the tour: to meet people who are closely involved with their products, not simply to collect tasting stamps.

By the final stop, the social side of the day may be just as important as the wine. You have spent hours with the same small group, and the relaxed setup makes it easy to talk with fellow passengers. One of the pleasures of this kind of tour is that the vehicle becomes a shared space for comparing favorite wines and favorite stops.

The drawback is simple. Three wineries, plus other tastings, can feel like a lot for anyone who is not interested in wine. The farm, lunch, chocolate, and coast keep the day varied, but wine remains the main event in the afternoon.

What the $136.28 price really covers

At $136.28 per person, the tour is priced as a full-day regional experience rather than a basic winery transfer. The fee includes air-conditioned transport, pickup and drop-off at Margaret River in-town locations, morning tea, wine tastings, and lunch.

The included food and tastings are important. If you paid separately for three winery visits, lunch, morning tea, and transport, the total could rise quickly. The tour also saves you from driving between producers, which matters in a wine region. You can taste without having to plan a designated driver.

The strongest value comes from the variety. You are paying for more than cellar doors, but the quality of the day depends partly on which products and wines appeal to you. Someone focused only on premium wine may prefer a narrower tour with more time at fewer estates. Someone wanting a broad Margaret River introduction gets more for the money here.

Purchases are not included. You can buy wine, chocolate, coffee, olive oil, or other goods, but those costs are separate. The tour is a good way to discover products before deciding what you want to take home.

Who should book this Margaret River day

I would recommend this experience to you if you want a first look at Margaret River that goes beyond wine. It works particularly well for couples, small groups, solo visitors who enjoy meeting people, and families with older children or teenagers.

The mix of animals, chocolate, coast, lunch, and wine also helps if not everyone in your group is a serious wine fan. Children under seven must use a child seat, and the tour allows service animals. Most people can participate, according to the supplied details.

You should think twice if you dislike group tours, have a very limited interest in wine, or need a highly flexible schedule. The day lasts about seven hours, and the timetable has several fixed stops. It is relaxed in tone, but it is still a full program.

The tour also requires good weather. If poor weather cancels the experience, you are offered another date or a full refund. Cancellation more than 24 hours before the start time also qualifies for a full refund, while changes or cancellations inside 24 hours are not refunded.

The final call: book it for variety, not just wine

I would book this tour if I wanted an easy, well-rounded introduction to Margaret River. The combination of alpacas and emus, fresh scones, chocolate, olive oil, a coastal pause, lunch, and three boutique wineries gives you a clear sense of the region in one day.

The biggest strengths are the small group, the warm guides such as Dani and Ziggy, the generous tasting schedule, and the excellent lunch setting at Olio Bello. The main cautions are the full-day length, the short chocolate and coastal stops, and the amount of wine served.

Book it when you want local producers, useful regional context, and a relaxed day without driving. Skip it only if you want a private wine specialist, a slow lunch, or a tightly focused list of particular wineries.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts about seven hours and begins at 9:00 am.

Where does the tour start?

The listed meeting point is 1 Tunbridge Street, Margaret River, Western Australia 6285. Pickup is also offered from any in-town Margaret River location.

Where does the tour finish?

The tour returns to the meeting point at the end of the day.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at Olio Bello is included, along with olive oil and olive-based product tastings. Drinks other than water during lunch are not included.

Is morning tea included?

Yes. Morning tea includes scones with jam and cream, plus locally roasted coffee or tea.

How many wineries do you visit?

You visit three boutique wineries: Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines.

Are wine tastings included?

Yes. Wine tastings are included in the tour price.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 11 travelers.

Can children join?

Yes. Children can participate, and children under seven must sit in a child seat.

What happens if the tour is canceled because of bad weather?

You will be offered a different date or a full refund. The experience requires good weather and also requires a minimum number of participants.