Less than half an hour out of Perth, the Swan Valley is Western Australia’s oldest wine region and home to wineries that go back to the 1830s! The region has gone through many iterations over such a long period of time and has enjoyed a sort of renaissance over the past couple decades. Though it sits in the deep shadow of the formidable Margaret River some hours south, we find that the Swan is producing more and more world class wines these days that rival any region. The Swan has been known for Verdehlo and Chenin Blanc, but that view is a relic of the past. Most recently, we have seen glorious Shiraz, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Durif coming from there. In addition to spectacular wines, the area retains much of that wonderful small town style of service that turns a great tasting experience into a magical one.
Following are five stops that prove the Swan can give as well as anyone! We recommend you visit them post haste. You can find all of our Swan Valley winery reviews here.
* Sittella is one of our top three stops in the Swan Valley. The place is firing on all cylinders: The cellar door is cute, the service is friendly and capable, and the wines are great. The cellar door is a beautiful villa-ish building set in and around gardens and vines, which you’ll frequently see staff carefully attending. The staff are amply capable of hospitably working with multiple groups on the go. (Angela was exceptional.) Sittella processes around 150 tonnes of grapes a year from a few wine regions. Thus, the tasting is varied and engaging, and the wines are great. In our most recent visit, we just loved the Cuvee Rosé, the 2017 Tinta Rouge (a titillating table red that’s a no-brainer at $20), and the glorious 2017 Swan Valley Reserve Shiraz. Yes, you read that right, we liked their Swan Shiraz better than its brothers from the Margaret and Frankland river regions. If you want a revelation about what Swan Valley can achieve with Shiraz, try that bottle!
* We just love John Kosovich Wines. While the wine selection is limited, the cellar door is the enchanting embodiment of living history and what wines there are are exceptional! Founded way back in 1922, the Kosovich family has been at it for a long time. The cellar door resides right in the original underground cellar dug by hand and horse way back in the 1920s. Doing a tasting in a cool underground vault where you can almost imagine winemakers sampling their wares in the same place in the 1930s is a magical experience! JK is best known for its fortified wines and is held by many to be the foremost producer of muscat in the region. Even if you are not a fan of muscats, you need to try theirs. Glorious complex and seamlessly smooth, they are for serious wine drinkers. Their small range of still wines is also excellent. Some of the better in the Swan Valley so do NOT overlook them because you think JK is a fortified wine house.
* Upper Reach Winery – With a solid range of consistently great and occasionally exceptional wines (we loved the deep, dark, and rich 2015 Reserve Shiraz as well as their French-styled 2014 sparkling), they are a local stand out. Even more incredible, their prices are better than fair, especially on their best drops! When was the last time you saw that? This is doubly surprising considering the cellar door is beautiful and the staff is always consummately professional and engaged with their patrons. Essentially, it’s a world class wine tasting offer at bargain prices. You’ll also find one of the better lunch services in the Swan Valley here. This will definitely be one of your better stops in the region.
* Faber Vineyard – Though quite small, or perhaps because they are small, Faber Vineyard is one of the best two or three winemakers in all the Swan Valley and one of our top three wine tour stops overall. Their interesting range which includes some varieties not commonly found in the Swan is captivating and the wines themselves range from great to incredible. Perhaps their own website captures them best (and an unusually accurate self-representation from a business enterprise – “Faber was established to grow regionally distinctive grapes and craft wines that are rich and flavoursome. Faber is Latin for a smith, a craftsman, an artisan; skilled, ingenious. We believe wine should be inspired – crafted with a sense of creating something distinctive and characterful.” Kudos to you Faber; you nailed it. Faber captures the best of what makes great small wineries so beautiful – true passion and commitment. Don’t leave without trying their jaw dropping Petit Verdot or shockingly deep 2018 Grenache. As for the quality of their staff – exceptional. A place couldn’t do better than their cellar door manager, Cameron. Faber’s cellar door, almost like an old hacienda farmhouse, is cute and a wonderful place to sip wine on an autumn afternoon.
* Olive Farm Wines – Olive Farm would be the last of our top three first-half 2019 stops in the Swan Valley. A strikingly set bunker, far down a long dirt road hemmed by oceans of grape vines makes for a pretty cool cellar door approach at Oliver Farm Wines. It calls to mind the dusty farmhouses of Mendoza, set inside kilometres of vines and miles of dusty road. Inside, the experience is great and the staff are lovely. To our great surprise, despite having such an extensive wine list, they produce a lot of really, really good wine! This is a very unusual win-win for wine enthusiasts. Their Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Durif are all amazing, and the Great 8 red field blend is exceptional. We had such a wonderful time at Olive Farm and we’re certain you will too!
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