Wine country: the Margaret River varieties to know

There is no denying destructive weather patterns across the country have affected farming. Winemakers are not immune to the impacts of climate change and have adopted methods to combat this, from changing which grapes are planted where, to planting more resilient varieties and adopting agricultural practices to withstand the rougher seasons.

She describes how this history is woven through Cullen’s biodynamic agricultural practices. “Mum found Hungarian shipmast locust trees and planted them as possible replacements for chopping down jarrah trees for vineyard posts,” she says. “[We have] endless examples of living for and with the environment and connecting to country as the Wadandi say. It was inevitable that this started and continues with minimal chemical inputs. We are organic, biodynamic and carbon positive. We concentrate on emissions reduction and offset emissions through carbon sequestration.”

“The vineyards handle the climate changes better because of these sustainable organic practices. It works better in Margaret River because of the maritime climate. The vineyards that sit higher with a northern aspect combined with these sustainable practices are the ones that flourish through the tougher seasons.”

Perry’s winery was certified organic in 2017. “Sustainability and organics have always been of interest – everyone’s eating and drinking better and being more conscious,” she says.

But it’s not just family-owned and -operated or small-scale wineries adopting organic or biodynamic viticultural techniques. Voyager Estate, which processes 500 tonnes of fruit a season (or 30,000 cases of wine) from its 335-hectare estate, will emerge from organic conversion into certification in 2023, with most blocks from the original 1978 vines already converted to organic practices.

Glen Ryan, vineyard manager for Voyager, explains that it was a positive shift starting in 2017 to convert to organic farming practices. “It’s a company choice, you either do it or not but you need to believe in it,” he says. And it’s starting to reap rewards. Voyager’s wettest November was 2020. Thanks to the organic preparations and conversions, the vineyard was in fantastic shape coming into the 2021 vintage.

Cullen and Perry agree that the wines benefit from these practices. “The wines are complex with a pure line of taste to the land. No additions except sulphur dioxide and some bentonite; all adding texture and interest to the wine.”