Margaret River: Boutique Wine Tour w. Blind Tasting + Lunch

The most unusual part of this Margaret River wine tour comes early: a guided blind tasting that teaches you to assess wine by sight, aroma, taste, and overall profile before you know the label. It turns wine tasting from guesswork into a simple, useful skill you can take home.

I like the focus on small wineries rather than only famous cellar doors, and I like the mix of wine with pizza, chocolate, olive oil, surf views, and craft beer. The main catch is that the day can feel drink-heavy, and pickup from areas farther away may cost extra or add time.

Key points at a glance

• A blind tasting with a practical method: Break down three wines, write your own notes, then test yourself with a mystery wine.
• Three boutique wineries: The venues change from day to day, but the focus stays on smaller producers and quality tastings.
• Olio Bello lunch: Share woodfired pizzas, seasonal salads, and a glass of wine at an Italian-style meal.
• Wine with scenery: Visit a famous surf-break lookout, with possible whale sightings from June through November.
• More than cellar doors: Add chocolate, organic olive oil, skincare products, a cheeseboard, and a craft brewery.
• Small-group transport: Groups are limited to 13, with pickup and drop-off in Margaret River, Cowaramup, Gracetown, Prevelly, and nearby areas.

Why the blind tasting changes the day

Most wine tours ask you to listen at the cellar door, taste several pours, and decide which bottle you like best. This tour adds a hands-on lesson that gives the wine stops more purpose.

Your guide presents three wines and leads you through four steps: sight, aroma, taste, and profile. You make your own notes using the tour’s tasting template, then face a mystery wine without seeing its label. You are not expected to become a sommelier in an afternoon. The point is to give you a clear way to describe what you notice.

I like this approach because it takes some pressure off. You do not need a trained palate or a large wine vocabulary. You can say what you see, smell, and taste, then compare your impressions with the group. Afterward, you can use the same method at the wineries, which makes the later tastings less passive.

Guides such as Jeremy and Gerry have been praised for making this part lively and easy to follow. The experience works best if you join in rather than sit back and wait for the answers. Bring a pen if you like making notes, although the tour includes ongoing access to its tasting template.

Starting with chocolate and Margaret River coffee

The first stop is a local chocolatier, where you sample artisan chocolate. Coffee is available to buy, but it is not included, so this is a useful place to get your morning caffeine before the wine begins.

This opening stop gives the itinerary a gentler start. You are not rushed straight into a flight of wines, and the chocolate offers a good reminder that Margaret River’s food scene is broader than its vineyards. It also gives a mixed group an easy first activity, since not everyone arrives with the same level of wine interest.

Keep your expectations sensible. This is a tasting stop, not a long chocolate-making workshop. If coffee matters to you, budget for it separately.

A surf lookout with a useful wine lesson

The tour then heads to the coast for broad views over one of Margaret River’s well-known surf breaks. This is more than a quick photo stop. Your guide explains how the region’s climate, geography, and soils help shape both its waves and its wine.

That connection is one of the better features of the route. Margaret River wine does not exist in isolation from the coast. The sea, weather, and growing conditions help explain why the region has developed such a strong reputation for wine, while the surf break gives you a clear sense of the area’s coastal character.

From June through November, the lookout may also offer a chance to spot migrating whales. Sightings are not promised, and whale watching is a seasonal possibility rather than the main event. Bring a water bottle, and remember that coastal weather can feel different from the conditions at the wineries.

Three boutique wineries, with the names changing

The core of the day is a visit to three boutique wineries. The exact venues change each day, so you should treat the listed itinerary as a guide rather than a fixed promise. This can be a benefit: smaller producers often provide a more personal sense of place than a large, highly commercial cellar door.

You will taste wines at two wineries after lunch, then visit a third scenic vineyard for a glass of wine and cheeseboard. The day is designed to build from the blind tasting into real-world practice. You have already considered aroma, flavour, and structure, so the cellar-door pours have more context.

The changing venues are also the tour’s main uncertainty. If you have your heart set on one particular estate, this is not the right format. You are paying for a thoughtfully arranged day of boutique stops, not admission to a named winery.

The wine selection may lean more heavily toward reds on some days. One visitor specifically wished for more white wine, and another felt the pours came close together. That is worth noting if you prefer whites or are sensitive to a fast pace. You can pace yourself, drink water, and decline a pour if needed.

Olio Bello gives the tour a proper lunch break

Lunch at Olio Bello is built around shared Italian-style woodfired pizzas and seasonal salads, with a select choice of wine. This is not a token snack between tastings. It is the day’s main meal and gives you time to sit, eat, and talk with the group.

I like the practical design. Pizza is easy to share, salads add something fresh, and the meal suits a group with different appetites. The food is described as plentiful, though the experience is not intended as a private, customized restaurant lunch.

The shared-table setup also helps the social side of a small-group tour. You will likely meet people with different levels of wine experience, and lunch creates a natural pause before the afternoon tastings. If you want a quiet, highly private day, a shared meal may feel less suited to you.

Olive oil and skincare add local flavour

After lunch, the itinerary includes sampling organic olive oil and skincare products. This stop broadens the food focus beyond grapes and gives you a chance to taste and compare another local product.

Olive oil tasting can be surprisingly useful when it is explained well. You can pay attention to aroma, texture, pepperiness, and finish in much the same way you approached wine. The skincare products add a retail element, so you may find yourself browsing or buying, but purchases are not included in the price.

This is a good stop for anyone who wants a broader picture of Margaret River produce. It is less important if your only goal is to maximize time at wineries.

The final winery and cheeseboard

The third vineyard stop includes a glass of wine and a cheeseboard in a scenic setting. It gives the afternoon a slower finish before the brewery visit, and the food helps soften the effect of several tastings.

I particularly like the contrast between the structured blind tasting at the start and this relaxed glass later in the day. By then, you can simply enjoy the wine and setting without treating every sip as a test.

The cheeseboard is included, while extra purchases at the winery are not. As with the lunch, the exact location may vary. The important promise is the combination of a scenic vineyard, one included glass, and cheese, not a specific estate.

Ending at a Margaret River craft brewery

The final stop is a local craft brewery. Beers are not included, so plan to pay for any drinks you want there. This is a sensible ending for a wine-heavy day because it changes the subject and gives you one last local drink option.

You do not have to be a beer enthusiast to appreciate the stop. It rounds out the region’s food and drink story and gives you a chance to choose something different from wine. If you have already had enough alcohol, you can treat it as a brief visit rather than another tasting session.

The brewery also means the tour is not narrowly focused on cellar doors. You see how several local products fit together, from chocolate and olive oil to wine, cheese, and beer.

What the $112 price gets you

At $112 per person, the value depends on how much of the included food and transport you would otherwise arrange yourself. The price covers six hours, pickup and drop-off in the central service area, three winery visits, the blind tasting, lunch with pizza and salads, a glass of wine and cheeseboard, chocolate tasting, olive oil and skincare sampling, the coastal lookout, and the brewery visit.

That is a strong bundle for someone who wants a full day without driving between scattered venues. Designated driving is another practical benefit. You can focus on the tastings and scenery instead of navigating unfamiliar roads after drinking.

The price is less compelling if you are mainly interested in one winery, want to buy many bottles, or plan to skip several tastings. Extra drinks, purchases, coffee, and brewery beers cost more. Keep a little room in your budget for those optional stops.

The six-hour length feels well matched to the number of activities, but the schedule is active. You move from food to coast to blind tasting to lunch to olive oil to wineries and beer. This is not a slow single-estate visit.

Guides, group size, and the tone of the day

The group is limited to 13 people, which keeps the minibus and tasting sessions more manageable than a large coach tour. It also makes it easier to ask questions and get help with the blind tasting.

Jeremy has received especially strong praise for his enthusiasm, local knowledge, humor, and ability to make wine approachable. Gerry has also been singled out for making the blind tasting a highlight. Guides may vary, so you should not book on the assumption that one named guide is guaranteed, but the tour clearly depends on a personable host.

The tone is social and relaxed rather than formal. You will hear about Margaret River, local wine, the region’s Indigenous people, and the link between the coast and vineyards. That mix suits you if you want information with plenty of conversation. It may not suit you if you want a quiet, serious wine course.

Pickup details that can affect your day

Complimentary pickup and drop-off cover Margaret River, Cowaramup, Gracetown, Prevelly, and their immediate surrounds. Pickup is scheduled within five minutes either side of your assigned time, so be outside and ready.

You receive a message before 6pm the day before with your address and pickup time. Check it carefully. One reported pickup mix-up caused a long wait, so confirm the details and contact the operator promptly if anything looks wrong.

Pickup from farther away may be possible, but extra cost or delays can apply. One person found the return drive inconvenient because the booking system did not allow pickup at their accommodation, even though direct bookings with the company offered more options. If you are staying outside the main service area, sort this out before paying.

Smart casual clothing fits the cellar doors, and a water bottle is a good idea. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

I would choose this for a first visit to Margaret River when you want a broad introduction instead of a narrow wine lesson. It suits couples, friends, solo visitors, and small groups who enjoy meeting other people and trying several local products in one day.

It is especially good for you if:

• You want someone else to handle the driving.
• You like boutique producers more than major commercial estates.
• You want to learn a simple wine-tasting method.
• You enjoy mixing food, scenery, wine, chocolate, and beer.
• You prefer a small group to a large coach.

You may want another option if you need wheelchair access, require a guaranteed named winery, prefer mostly white wine, or dislike a full schedule of tastings. The changing venues also mean this is not the best choice for a highly specific winery-shopping plan.

Should you book the Waves of Wine day?

Book it if you want Margaret River in a compact, social package, with wine education that is actually useful and enough food to keep the day comfortable. The blind tasting is the feature that gives this tour a reason to exist beyond basic cellar-door hopping.

Go in prepared for changing winery venues, extra charges for coffee and beer, and a steady pace of alcohol. Eat the lunch, drink water, and do not feel obliged to finish every pour. With those expectations, the combination of boutique wineries, coastal views, local food, and an engaging guide offers very good value at $112 per person.

FAQ

How long is the Margaret River boutique wine tour?

The tour lasts six hours, with starting times available according to the selected date.

How many wineries are included?

You visit three boutique wineries. The actual wineries change from day to day.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at Olio Bello includes Italian-style woodfired pizzas, seasonal salads, and a select choice of wine.

Is the blind tasting included?

Yes. The guided blind tasting is included, along with ongoing access to the tour’s wine-tasting template.

Where is pickup available?

Complimentary pickup and drop-off are available in Margaret River, Cowaramup, Gracetown, Prevelly, and their immediate surrounds. Pickup farther away may involve extra cost or travel time.

Are drinks at the brewery included?

No. Beers at the final craft brewery, coffee at the chocolate stop, and additional drinks or purchases at the venues are not included.