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

Margaret River’s best surprise here is the mix: three boutique wineries are only part of the day. You’ll also feed alpacas and emus, eat scones at a private farm, sample chocolate and coffee, stop by the Indian Ocean, and have lunch among olive trees.

I especially like the small group, capped at 11 people, and the way the tour supports family-run producers rather than only the region’s largest cellar doors. Guides Dani, Danny, and Ziggy are known for keeping the day friendly and informative. The main drawback is that the chocolate stop is brief, and wine fans should expect a full day of tastings.

Key points at a glance

• Feed alpacas and emus before breakfast-style morning tea: The farm visit gives the day a warm, personal start, with scones, jam, cream, coffee, and tea.
• Visit three boutique wineries: Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines offer a closer look at smaller producers and different Margaret River wine styles.
• Lunch at an olive farm: Olio Bello pairs olive oil tastings with a farm-to-plate meal in a pleasant rural setting.
• Take a short Indian Ocean break: Gracetown adds sea views, local stories, and a chance to watch surfers, dolphins, or migrating whales.
• Expect a sociable small-group day: With a maximum of 11 people, it is easier to chat with the guide and fellow passengers.
• Good value at $136.28: Lunch, tastings, morning tea, transport, and pickup in Margaret River are included.

A full day built around local producers

This is not a wine tour with a few filler stops added around it. It is a food, farm, coast, and wine day that uses wine as its main thread.

You start at 9:00 a.m. and finish back at the meeting point after roughly seven hours. Pickup is offered from Margaret River in-town locations, which is useful if you do not want to arrange a designated driver or navigate between scattered cellar doors.

The group limit matters. A day of wine tasting can feel impersonal in a large bus, but a group of up to 11 allows more direct conversation. You can ask questions, hear the guide’s local context, and meet the people behind the products without shouting across a crowded room.

Guides including Dani and Ziggy receive especially strong praise for their humour, timing, and local knowledge. Dani is also described as a capable driver and communicator, while Ziggy is credited with creating a relaxed mood from the first pickup. That matters on a long day. You are spending hours together, and a good guide can make the drive between stops feel like part of the experience rather than dead time.

Morning tea with alpacas and emus

The opening visit to Margaret River Hideaway and Farmstay gives this day its character. Instead of beginning at a cellar door, you meet alpacas and emus and hand-feed them at a private farm.

The animal encounter is not presented as a formal zoo visit. It is a working farm experience, which makes it feel more personal and less staged. You might find the alpacas have their own plans, and emus are not always interested in following a timetable. That unpredictability is part of the charm.

Morning tea includes scones with jam and cream, plus locally roasted coffee or tea. This is a light breakfast-style stop rather than a full meal, so it is sensible to arrive ready for a snack but not expect lunch-level food.

I like this first stop for two reasons. It gives non-wine drinkers something substantial to enjoy, and it lets the group get comfortable before the tastings begin. Families with older children can also appreciate the farm, although children under seven must use the provided child seat when required.

Allow about 55 minutes here. That is enough time for the animals and morning tea without turning the visit into a long farm tour.

Chocolate, coffee, and a short specialty stop

Temper Temper Fine Chocolate provides a compact 3-in-1 visit involving chocolate tasting, coffee, and tea. You can sample fine chocolate and look around the coffee roaster area.

This is one of the shorter stops, at around 25 minutes. The chocolate tasting itself may take only a few minutes, so do not book this tour expecting an extended chocolate workshop or a long roasting demonstration. The value is in the variety. After animals and scones, you get a quick taste of another local product before moving on to wine.

The shop also gives you a chance to buy something for later, though purchases are not included in the tour price. If you are trying to travel light, you may prefer to treat this as a tasting stop rather than a shopping stop.

Three boutique wineries, three different views of Margaret River wine

The wine portion is the main event, spread across Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines. You spend about an hour at each winery, giving the day enough room for tastings and conversation rather than rushing through a single sample and back onto the vehicle.

The exact wines poured can vary, but the aim is to show different styles from the Margaret River region. You should expect a generous number of samples. One account described tasting more than 30 wines across the day, while another counted roughly 21 or more. The number will depend on the producers and the wines available, but this is clearly not a token tasting.

Ashbrook Estate

Ashbrook Estate is the first wine stop. Starting the cellar-door portion here works well because you have already had food and a little time to settle into the group.

The focus is not simply on drinking. The guide helps explain the local setting and the role of smaller producers, while the winery visit gives you a chance to compare styles. You may find the experience particularly useful if you know only the broad Margaret River reputation and want to understand what individual estates do differently.

Brown Hill Estate

Brown Hill Estate comes after lunch and the coastal stop, so the pace changes slightly. By this point you will have tasted wine, olive products, and chocolate, and you can focus more closely on the cellar-door experience.

A benefit of visiting smaller wineries is access to people who can talk through how the wine is made and why a particular style suits the region. The day is not built around a lecture, but you should have room to ask questions. If you are new to wine, you can keep things simple and taste for what you like. You do not need specialist knowledge to enjoy this stop.

Redgate Wines

Redgate Wines closes the winery sequence. It is also a chance to meet Ray, an owner and winemaker who has been highlighted for sharing the process from vine to bottle.

That direct contact is one of the stronger reasons to choose this tour over a generic wine bus. You are not only tasting finished bottles. You are getting a sense of the people and decisions behind them. Redgate also gives the day a natural ending, with the final tasting coming after the group has had time to settle into a friendly rhythm.

If you intend to buy wine, bring that possibility into your planning. Gifts and purchases are not included, but the range of tastings can help you choose with more confidence. One person bought a mixed case after the day, which suggests the selection may suit people who want to take home several styles rather than one expensive bottle.

A short stop at Gracetown and the Indian Ocean

The Gracetown stop lasts about 15 minutes, so keep your expectations realistic. This is a quick coastal and nature break, not a beach visit with time for swimming or a long walk.

You can look out over the green tones of the Indian Ocean and watch the surf. Dolphins may be visible riding the waves with surfers, and migrating whales can sometimes be seen, depending on the season and luck. None of this is guaranteed, but the stop gives your eyes a break from cellar doors and farmland.

There is also a local story connected with Grace, which adds a little context to the view. The short pause works best as a change of pace. If the weather is grey, the coast can still be worthwhile, though the tour requires suitable weather and may be rescheduled or refunded if conditions are poor.

Olive oil, lunch, and time among the trees

Olio Bello is one of the day’s strongest stops. The visit combines olive oil tasting, olive-based products, and lunch at the farm cafe among the olive groves.

You can taste several oils and condiments before sitting down to eat. This helps you understand how the products are used, rather than treating olive oil as a quick sample beside the cash register.

Lunch is included, and it is served as a farm-to-plate meal made with fresh ingredients. The food has been singled out as a highlight, with portions and quality exceeding expectations. Drinks beyond water are not included, so budget separately if you want wine, soft drinks, or another beverage with lunch.

The one-hour-15-minute stop gives you time to eat without racing to the next tasting. That is important on a seven-hour tour. A rushed lunch would make the day feel like a checklist, but Olio Bello provides a proper pause in the middle.

This is also a good stop for people who enjoy food more than wine. The tour still has a strong wine focus, but the olive oil tasting and cafe meal make it broader than a standard cellar-door circuit.

How much value do you get for $136.28?

At $136.28 per person, the price is reasonable for a full day that includes transport, lunch, wine tastings, morning tea, and multiple producer visits.

The value improves if you are staying in Margaret River without a car. You avoid arranging a driver, paying for fuel, and trying to connect distant wineries. You also gain access to three small wineries plus food producers that would be difficult to combine independently in one day.

It is harder to justify the price if you want an extended tasting at each stop or a quiet, luxury wine retreat. The day covers a lot of ground. The chocolate visit is short, the coast stop is brief, and three winery visits mean the schedule has structure.

Still, the variety is exactly the point. You are paying for a full regional snapshot, not only for the liquid in your glass. The included lunch and morning tea also help keep extra spending under control. You will only need to budget for drinks at lunch, purchases, and any wine or food you take home.

Who should book this Margaret River day tour?

I would choose this tour if you want a first look at the region and do not want the day limited to wine. It suits couples, solo visitors, small groups, and families with older children who would enjoy animals, chocolate, the coast, and lunch as much as the tastings.

It is also a good fit for people who value local contact. The smaller wineries and family-run producers give the day a personal angle, and the guides help connect the stops into a story about Margaret River food and wine.

You may want another option if you dislike group tours, do not drink wine, or want to spend most of the day at one or two premium estates. The tour includes a lot of tastings, so it is wise to eat the morning tea, take your time, and use the water provided.

Pickup is available from Margaret River in-town locations, and the activity returns to the meeting point. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. Confirmation is provided at booking, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 9:00 a.m. start. Late cancellations are not refunded.

Should you book it?

Yes, if you want a varied, small-group introduction to Margaret River rather than a narrow wine-only outing. The farm visit, olive-farm lunch, three boutique wineries, and coastal pause make the seven hours feel full without relying on one type of stop.

Book it especially if you are staying in town and want pickup, or if you prefer meeting local producers to visiting only famous large estates. Skip it if you want a slow luxury tasting day or a long chocolate experience. For most visitors seeking good value and a broad taste of the region, this is a well-balanced choice.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately seven hours. It begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends back at the meeting point.

Where does the tour start?

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

What food is included?

Morning tea includes scones with jam and cream, plus locally roasted coffee or tea. Lunch at Olio Bello is included. Drinks other than water during lunch are not included.

How many wineries will I visit?

You will visit three boutique wineries: Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines. Wine tastings are included.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 11 travelers, making it a small-group experience.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours beforehand are not accepted for a refund. If poor weather or insufficient bookings cause the operator to cancel, you will be offered another date or a full refund.