Gavin: Hello everyone, and a very warm welcome to the “What Is...?” podcast, presented by Winexel. I’m Gavin Jones, founder of Winexel. After forty years in the wine industry, I’m on a mission to help people

understand and enjoy wine in a fun, relaxed way, completely free of intimidation and snobbery. We’re here to educate and entertain. Today we’re covering one of my favourite regions, Margaret River in Western

Australia. It’s a place I’ve been fortunate enough to visit dozens of times, and it’s very close to my heart. We’ll cover where it is and its climate, go through some of the history, and look at the key grapes, the wines

they make and some tremendous food pairings. Then we’ll share some fun facts and myth-busters, and suggest some classic examples that should be readily available around the world.

Gavin: Joining me today is my good friend Chris Page. Chris is also based in Hong Kong, a former lawyer and now a highly respected wine communicator and educator at one of the top wine schools in the city. So,

Chris, where is Margaret River?

Chris: Well, it’s in a stunningly beautiful part of the world, in the south-west corner of Australia, about 300 kilometres south of Perth. It runs for about 110 kilometres, from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape

Leeuwin in the south, and extends about 25 kilometres inland. It’s surrounded by ocean on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the north and west, and the Southern Ocean to the south. That’s important, because it

creates unique climatic conditions for growing vines.

Chris: It’s small, but it has an enormous reputation, with about 6,000 hectares of vines. By comparison, Napa is about three times the size, and Bordeaux about 17 times. So think of it as one of Australia’s

boutique fine-wine areas, rather than one of its wine factories.

Gavin: Indeed, a real gem. Let’s talk about the climate in Margaret River.

Chris: Well, it has a Mediterranean climate with a powerful maritime influence, as you’d expect from being surrounded on three sides by ocean. The oceans create strong winds, which help cool the vineyards.

Gavin: Chris, we’ve now covered several wine regions around the world, and we normally talk about their ancient histories. Margaret River is somewhat different.

Chris: Yes, it was developed relatively recently, and not by accident. In the 1960s, Dr John Gladstones studied the area’s climate, rainfall, soils and temperature patterns, and concluded that Margaret River would

be ideal for premium grapes, especially the Bordeaux varieties.

Gavin: And back then, Margaret River was a playground for adventurous Perth families, about a five-hour drive away in those days. Otherwise it was cattle, dairy, timber and, of course, surfing.

Chris: Yes, absolutely. The first vineyards were planted in 1967, as a result of that research. The early pioneers were Vasse Felix, Moss Wood, Cullen, Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle, names that are synonymous with the region today.

Gavin: Right. And we’ll mention Leeuwin Estate several times, because it really is an outstanding story. The Horgan family established Leeuwin Estate in the early 1970s, with Robert Mondavi, the icon of Napa,

involved. He visited and said, “Yes, this is it,” referring to how good the land was for premium grapes. That gave the whole region the confidence to invest and develop the industry from there. Okay, Chris, let’s talk

about the grapes grown in Margaret River.

Chris: Cabernet Sauvignon...