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

Feed an emu, sip Margaret River wine, repeat. This seven-hour outing mixes three boutique wineries with farms, chocolate, coffee, olive oil, lunch, and a short coastal stop, so you get a broad taste of the region rather than a day spent only in tasting rooms. I like the small maximum of 11 people, and I like the way the tour supports family-run producers and smaller wineries. The main consideration is pace: there are many stops and a generous amount of wine, so anyone wanting a slow, wine-focused afternoon may find the day quite full.

I also like the personal feel created by guides such as Dani and Ziggy, who are praised for local stories, good timing, and keeping the group comfortable. The farm visit gives the morning a friendly start, while lunch at Olio Bello provides a proper break. The chocolate stop is brief, and the Gracetown visit lasts only about 15 minutes, so neither should be treated as a major sightseeing stop.

Key points at a glance

• Farm morning tea with animals: Feed alpacas and emus before enjoying scones, jam, cream, and locally roasted coffee or tea.
• Three boutique wineries: Visit Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines, with tastings that show different Margaret River wine styles.
• A generous tasting day: Some departures include more than 20 wines, and one account described tasting around 30.
• Lunch among olive groves: Olio Bello combines olive oil sampling with a farm-to-plate meal.
• Small-group transport: Pickup and drop-off are offered at Margaret River in-town locations, with no more than 11 people.
• More than wine: Chocolate, coffee, wildlife, local food, and a coastal lookout make this a good choice for mixed interests.

Why this tour works for a first day in Margaret River

Margaret River is often reduced to one thing: wine. The wine is excellent, but the region makes more sense when you connect the vineyards with the farms, food makers, coast, and people who work here.

That is the useful idea behind this tour. You spend time with wine producers, but you also feed animals, taste olive products, sample chocolate, look out over the Indian Ocean, and sit down to lunch. It gives you a quick education in the local produce scene without asking you to organize a car, plan a route, or appoint a driver.

The small group matters. A maximum of 11 people is much easier to manage than a large coach party. You can hear the guide, ask questions, and get a more relaxed introduction at each producer. The guides are a major part of the experience. Dani is described as friendly, entertaining, and well informed about the area, while Ziggy is praised for creating an easy atmosphere from pickup onward.

The day starts at 9:00 am and finishes back at the meeting point. Pickup is available from Margaret River in-town locations, which makes the arrangement simple if you are staying nearby. The vehicle is air-conditioned, an important comfort on a full day with several drives between stops.

9:00 am: farm animals, scones, and local coffee

The first stop is Margaret River Hideaway & Farmstay. You begin with a private-farm visit, hand-feeding alpacas and emus before settling in for morning tea.

This is more than a quick photo stop. It gives the group time to meet one another and gives the guide a chance to set the tone for the day. Fresh scones with jam and cream, along with locally roasted coffee or tea, make a pleasant start. The animal encounter also gives the tour something that a standard winery route cannot offer.

Allow about 55 minutes here. The alpacas may be calm and curious, while the emus have their own ideas about how the visit should go. That unpredictability is part of the fun.

Families should note that children under seven must use a child seat. The tour is open to most people, and service animals are allowed, but it is still a full day with several vehicle journeys and tasting stops. Young children may enjoy the farm more than the wine portions.

Temper Temper: a short stop for chocolate and coffee

Next comes Temper Temper Fine Chocolate, where you sample fine chocolate and look at the work of a coffee roaster.

The stop is listed at about 25 minutes, but the actual chocolate tasting may be quite short. Think of this as a pleasant browse and tasting rather than a full workshop. If you like specialty chocolate or coffee, you may want extra time to look at the products, but the schedule does not allow for a long visit.

This is one of the tour’s lighter stops. That is not necessarily a problem. After the farm visit, it adds variety without taking too much time from the wineries and lunch. Still, you should not book the tour expecting a detailed lesson in chocolate making.

Ashbrook Estate begins the wine part of the day

Ashbrook Estate is the first of three boutique winery visits. Each winery is intended to show a different side of Margaret River wine, and the smaller scale can make the tastings feel more personal than a large commercial cellar door.

At the wineries, you are not simply handed a glass and left alone. The tour is designed to help you understand more about the region’s wines, producers, and styles. The exact pours can change, but the day usually includes a large number of tastes. One account described more than 20 wines overall, while another put the figure closer to 30.

That is a lot of wine, especially before lunch and the final two wineries. Pace yourself. You do not need to finish every pour, and water is important. The tour includes wine tastings, but drinks other than water during lunch are not included.

Ashbrook Estate is also a good point to notice the tour’s focus on smaller producers. You are not being taken only to the biggest or most famous names. The appeal is meeting people connected closely to their vineyards and wines.

Gracetown gives the day a coastal pause

The stop at Gracetown lasts about 15 minutes. It is a short break beside the coast, with views over the Indian Ocean and a chance to look for dolphins near the surfers. During whale migration periods, you might also see whales, though sightings are never guaranteed.

The stop is brief, so keep your expectations sensible. It is not a beach day or a coastal walk. It is a chance to step out of the vehicle, take in the view, and hear some local context about the area, including the story connected with Grace.

This pause helps break up the tasting schedule. Even a short look at the sea can make the day feel less like a series of cellar doors. Bring comfortable shoes and a light layer, since coastal weather can differ from conditions inland.

Olio Bello combines olive oil and lunch

Lunch at Olio Bello is one of the strongest parts of the day. The farm is known for olive oils and olive-based products, and you taste a selection before eating at the café among the olive trees.

The meal is described as farm-to-plate, using fresh ingredients. It is included in the tour price, which makes this more than a quick sandwich stop. The food has received especially warm praise, and several accounts describe lunch as a highlight or as better than expected.

Olio Bello works well in the middle of the itinerary. You have already had morning tea, chocolate, and wine, so a proper meal gives you time to sit down and reset. The olive oil tasting adds a useful local-food angle, and you can buy products if something catches your interest.

Drinks other than water at lunch are not included. Gifts and purchases throughout the day are also extra, so bring a payment method if you want to take home wine, chocolate, olive products, or other goods.

Brown Hill Estate offers another boutique perspective

After lunch, the route continues to Brown Hill Estate. This is the second winery of the day and another chance to compare production styles, wine ranges, and the way each cellar door presents its work.

The tour’s value comes from comparison. Three boutique wineries give you more context than one tasting room can. You can notice differences in the wines, the people hosting the tastings, and the feel of each property.

By this stage, the number of tastings can become demanding. If you are not used to wine, you may want to taste selectively and use the provided opportunities to learn rather than treating each pour as a drink to finish. This is a wine tour, but it is also a full day of food and regional sightseeing.

Redgate Wines closes with a personal finish

The last winery is Redgate Wines. The final visit can be a good time for questions because you have already seen two other producers and have a basis for comparison.

Redgate is also associated with Ray, an owner and winemaker who has hosted the group. Meeting people who follow their grapes from vineyard to bottle gives the winery visits a human side. You are not only sampling finished wine. You are hearing about the work and decisions behind it.

The last tasting is a strong finish for wine lovers, although it may feel like a lot if you have already sampled heavily. The vehicle returns to the Margaret River meeting point afterward, so you do not need to arrange a separate transfer.

What the $136.28 price includes

At $136.28 per person, the price is fair for the amount packed into the day. You receive transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, pickup and drop-off at Margaret River in-town locations, morning tea, lunch, wine tastings, and visits to several local producers.

A self-drive day could cost less if you only visited one or two wineries, but then someone in your group must avoid drinking. You would also need to plan the route, reserve cellar doors if required, organize lunch, and decide which smaller businesses are worth visiting.

The included lunch and morning tea add real value. So does the small group. The tour is not simply a vehicle transfer between three wineries. You are paying for the route, the local connections, the guide, and the variety of stops.

The price is less attractive if you are mainly interested in one specific wine style or one famous estate. The itinerary is built around range and discovery. It suits you best if you want a broad introduction to Margaret River rather than a specialist tasting day.

Who should book this experience

I would choose this tour for a first visit to Margaret River, especially if you have only one full day in the area. It is also a good match for couples, small groups, solo visitors, and families with older children who want more than wine.

The variety helps people with different interests. One person can focus on wine, another on food, another on the farm, and another on the coast. The relaxed guide-led format also removes the awkwardness of deciding who will drive.

You should think twice if you dislike packed schedules, have very limited interest in wine, or want long walks and extended time at each place. The farm, chocolate stop, and coast are short compared with the winery visits.

The tour also works best for people comfortable with a full seven-hour day. It is not physically strenuous, but it has an early start, several stops, and plenty of tasting. Comfortable clothes, water, and a light jacket are sensible choices.

Practical details before you book

Confirmation is provided at booking. The tour starts at 9:00 am from 1 Tunbridge Street, Margaret River, Western Australia, and ends at the same meeting point. Pickup can be arranged from Margaret River in-town locations.

The maximum group size is 11 people. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. Children under seven must sit in a child seat.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that period are not accepted for a refund. The tour requires suitable weather and a minimum number of participants. If the operator cancels for either reason, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book this Margaret River day tour?

Book it if you want a complete regional introduction rather than a narrow winery crawl. The farm animals, scones, chocolate, coffee, olive oil, coastal view, lunch, and three boutique wineries create a full picture of Margaret River’s food and wine culture.

The best reasons to go are the small group, the personable guides, the strong lunch stop, and the chance to visit smaller producers. The main warning is simple: the day contains a lot of tasting and a lot of stops. Go slowly, drink water, and treat the schedule as a sampler of the region.

For a first Margaret River visit, the balance is very good. You get wine, but you also get the people, produce, and places that make the region worth visiting.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately seven hours.

What time does the tour begin?

It begins at 9:00 am.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at 1 Tunbridge Street, Margaret River, Western Australia, and ends back at the meeting point.

Is pickup available?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are offered at in-town locations in Margaret River.

How many wineries does the tour visit?

The tour visits three boutique wineries: Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at Olio Bello is included in the tour price.

Is morning tea included?

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

Are drinks included with lunch?

Water is included, but other drinks during lunch are not included.

What is the maximum group size?

The tour has a maximum of 11 participants.

Can children join the tour?

Most people can participate, and children can join. Children under seven must sit in a child seat.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.