Swan Valley Magazine 2021 by Vanguard Publishing Perth

SWAN VALLE Y M A G A Z I N E

I S S U E

2 0 2 1

VINE YARDS SINCE

PACK YOUR BAGS

From farm stays to luxury suites, there’s something for every type of staycation

FAMILY FUN

Your guide to the cafes, pubs and wineries where kids are top of mind

1829

WORLD OF WINE

Raise a glass to the pioneers of WA’s oldest wine region and the new guard ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 1

DPS Riverbank Estate

2 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

DPS Riverbank Estate

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 3

4 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

CONTENTS SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE

ISSUE 1 2021

10 16

20 6 Introduction to the region

8 Visit us in the Valley ... Any Time of the Year EAT // DRINK 10 Doing it for the Kids 14

Dog Days & Afternoons

First among Brunches

20 Views for Miles

OUT // ABOUT

24 Grazing, Valley Style 28 History on Tap

50 Making Trails

32 World of Wine in the Valley

54 Add to your Skill Set

36 Living History 40 The New Guard

56 Animal Magic

60 Adventure in the Valley 64 Show a Little Local Love

43 From Bean to Brew

66 Vacationing in the Valley

46 Eat Like a Local

70 Tie the Knot

48 Tea Time

76 Directory

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 5

WELCOME TO THE SWAN VALLEY

THE SWAN VALLEY welcome is as warm as the sun that ripens the grapes. Visitors are embraced as if old friends; drawn in by tempting produce and talented producers, they keep coming back. Rising from the rich earth and crowned by endless blue skies, the rustic Swan Valley landscape is different from any other in Western Australia. It’s a place where schedules aren’t needed, and clocks shouldn’t be watched. In fact, we encourage people to slow down, take time to relax, or run the risk of missing one of life’s greatest adventures. It doesn’t take long for visitors to adapt to our slower pace of life, to take advantage of the chance to spend time with those closest to them, to giving families and friends the chance to reconnect over food, wine and conversation. Our passion comes through in everything we do; our food, our wine, our art, our landscape. We boast the ultimate collection of artisans just waiting to fire up your sense of beauty, taste and fun. Understated but not underrated, the Swan Valley is a popular must-visit destination known as a food-lover’s haven, a wine-connoisseur’s delight and a naturalist’s dream. Come for the afternoon, the day or make a weekend of it; you won’t be disappointed.

SWAN VALLE Y VINE YARDS SINCE

1829

MAGAZINE

Editors Gabi Mills and Sue Yeap Designer Cally Browning Sales and Advertising Natalie du Preez – (nataile@premiumpublishers.com.au) Printed by Vanguard Press Contributors Dianne Bortoletto, Danielle Costley, Monique Ceccato, Tom de Souza, Fergal Gleeson, Tori Wilson Photography Kate Johnson, Frances Andrijich (cover image) Published by Premium Publishers for City of Swan

ELLENBROOK

THE VINES

M i l l h o u s e Rd

rona Wy

Aveley Shopping Centre

BELHUS

Leake St

d eR us Cr

Nolan Ave

BRIGADOON Ca

W es

Railway Pde

Cres

MIDDLE SWAN

Yukich Cl

S WA N

Cranleigh St

RIV

Rd West Sw an

WEST SWAN

Dalgety Rd

Dale Rd

Wilson Rd

Roe Hwy

Reid Hwy

CAVERSHAM

Reid Hwy

Yu le

Jam

Middle Swan Reserve

Victoria Rd

vio

Harris Rd o To

Suffolk St Path Bike

Caversham Village Shopping Centre

Too

thu

Waldeck Rd

Gidgegannup 26km Toodyay 62km

Albert St

Swan Rd

Arthur St

Coast Road

Perth 18km d

Gugeri Rd

Oakover Rd

Marshall Rd

Mortimer New Rd

Port Rd

Railway Pde

Great Northern Hwy

Isoodon St

G eorge

Lennard St

Campersic Rd

Lennard St

Vine St

Harrow St

Drumpellier Dr

Lennard St

t ard S

Lefroy Ave

Edw

Stock Rd

Barrett St

Wh item an Drive East

Ave

HERNE HILL

Argyle St

Maali Bridge Park

Lenn ard S t

Padbury

William St

Lefroy Ave

Bik eP ath

ina ar su ot

Railway Pd

Rd em McDonald St

Douglas Rd

llc

Loton Rd

Robinson Rd

Railway

Murray St

Rd Dean Youle

W oo

Padbury Ave

Ir wi n St

Forest Rd

Woollcott St

Cheltenham St

River Rd

Mussel Pool

Eveline Rd

well

De Burgh Rd

Lloyd St

M ax

Benara Rd

Hw y

Caversham Ave

hern

G re

Swan

ste t Ea

rn H

V ic

Morrison Rd The Crescent

to r i

Midland Bus & Train Terminal

a St

Centrepoint Shopping Centre

Midland Gate Shopping Centre

G reat

HOSPITAL St John of God

Clay

Meadow St

GUILDFORD

MIDLAND

Cale St

First Ave

Lilac Hill Park Information Bay

Third Ave

Police Station

Water St

ton

Easter

Roe Hwy

ey Rd

G re

Hamersl

at N

or t

West Swan

Woodward Rd

Lloyd St

Bennett St

Campersic Rd

eff

MILLENDON Logue Rd

HENLEY BROOK

James St

rgu

Hardwick Rd

Bisdee Rd

Moore Rd

RIVER

Padbury Ave

Perth - 13km

Haddrill Rd

Olive Rd

k Ave Henle

y Broo

Drumpellier Dr

Robert St

Park St

Guildford ldford Gui ion Train Station n Stat Trai

BASKERVILLE

Beryl Ave

Henley St

Brooklands Dr

Patricia St

l Av

John St

dra

ria

Henry St Sw

Memori al A

Gnangara Rd

th e

Egerton Dv

VINE YARDS SINCE 1829

Bells Rapids (1km)

UPPER SWAN

Bromley Rd

Pro m

Copley Rd

El l e n b r o o k D r

n Hwy

Farrell Rd

The

16km 43km 107km 202km 407km

Great Northern Hwy

SWAN VALLE Y

Bullsbrook Chittering New Norcia Cervantes Geraldton

Mundaring Northam York Wave Rock Kalgoorlie

Airport T1 and T2 - 12km Airport T3 and T4 - 6km

18km 82km 87km 342km 577km

Swan Valley Visitor Centre

www.swanvalley.com.au

SWAN VALLE Y VINE YARDS SINCE

1829

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 7

VISIT US IN THE VALLEY ... Any time of the year THE SWAN VALLEY is a great place to visit all year round for a daycation, celebration or to stock up on fresh produce. In summer the Valley is blessed with some of the best, crunchiest table grapes in Australia; people drive from all over Perth to buy them. Also look out for juicy melons, fresh corn and ripe figs. It’s also the start of the all-important harvest time for our winemakers. As autumn’s cool days descend, seek out late season Autumn Crisp grapes, pomegranates and pumpkins. Easter is also a great time to celebrate in the Swan Valley with chocolatiers working overtime crafting eggs and bunnies. Winter means red wines and open fires as well as the arrival of the Swan Valley’s citrus fruits. It’s a perfect time to visit the natural beauty of Bells Rapids – a popular and busy spot to watch August’s annual Avon Descent. Spring in the Swan Valley means the arrival of asparagus, which has a short season but is in high demand from foodies and chefs alike. Broad beans, peas and zucchini also make an appearance at roadside stalls and on menus. Winemakers celebrate the new vintage as part of the annual Entwined in the Valley festival of food and wine in October. You will even spot wildflowers on the Darling Scarp.

8 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.’ - Aristotle

The challenge of excellence is consistency. To achieve this, we start with a fresh attitude each time so we have a chance to deliver a better result. We do this across our seven ranges of wines, in the all new Sandalford Restaurant & Bar, and in our weddings, functions, events and concert spheres.

In 2021, we ushered in a new era at our Swan Valley Estate with major redevelopments and enhancements across every facet of our multi award winning venue. Visit for lunch or dinner, graze on our new menus while the children enjoy the new playground, and reacquaint yourself with our world class wines.

We invite you – and welcome you - into our world!

Winner

3210 West Swan Road, Caversham WA 6055 | T: (08) 9374 9374 | www.sandalford.com ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 9

EAT // DRINK

DOING IT FOR THE

KIDS

A day out in the Swan Valley is as much about the kids as it is about mum and dad. By MONIQUE CECCATO & DIANNE BORTOLETTO

WHEN IT COMES to running a venue that the whole family can enjoy, nobody is doing it quite like The Henley Brook. For this bustling pub on West Swan Road, being family-friendly wasn’t just about whacking in a playground and calling it a day. Creating a pub that had a fully-realised approach to family fun was something that

10 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

the owners, father-daughter duo Graham Bond and Hayley Saunders, and their business partner Justin Rogan, wanted from day dot. Justin met Graham when he was working at Clancy’s Fish Pub in Fremantle. Graham had a 10-acre rural property in Henley Brook he wanted to build a pub on, and

FUN AND GAMES There’s plenty to keep the youngsters amused at Whiteman Park, The Henley Brook and Maison Saint-Honore.

Justin had the hospitality expertise to help bring it to life. But, it was Hayley and her family that had the most profound impact on what the venue was to look like. “Hayley’s children were quite a bit younger at the time, and we built the pub around the kind of venue that Hayley would like to go to with her kids and her family,”

Justin said. The result was a venue that was equally focused on providing for children and parents. “It’s really a big commitment providing for the whole family and not just the kids,” says Justin. “It takes more than a playground. I feel like it definitely has to be bigger than just that, it’s a full commitment

to the whole experience.” To strike that perfect balance, Justin, Hayley, and Graham employ some of the Swan Valley’s more child-centric businesses to help engage the little ones in an otherwise adult setting. On alternate Sundays (and free of charge), the kids can pet geese and alpacas brought to the venue by Cuddly Animal Farm or burn some energy playing laser tag. “We also have giant waterslides that come in and we get Messy Moments in too, which is basically like toddler play. There are these clamshells full of colourful, edible things that toddlers can jump in and cover themselves in and eat,” explains Justin. “We don’t have a structured playground; we have trees with rope swings and we have tee pees. We have dirt and things to climb on. Then you add in things like the live music and the Mr Whippy and we’ve really got it all; it’s a ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 11

EAT // DRINK

Fast Facts

FAMILIES-R-US

For more family-friendly stops in the Swan Valley, try: BAILEY BREWING CO Across the road from The Henley Brook, this new brewery has a huge nature playground featuring vintage trucks repurposed into play equipment, plenty of space to let the kids run around, and a kids menu the little ones will devour. For the parents, there are nine different brews on tap, a comprehensive menu, and a big outdoor screen for game day. MAISON SAINT-HONORE Come for their delightful French pastries and macarons; stay on a little longer so the kids can have some fun outside in the cubbyhouse and sandpit. THE MARGARET RIVER CHOCOLATE COMPANY This popular spot has been a Swan Valley favourite for more than 20 years, delighting young and old alike with hundreds of mouth-watering chocolate products, free tastings, viewing windows to see the chocolate being made and a family friendly atmosphere. The Chocolate Cafe serves amazing sundaes, cakes, good value meals and house-made ice-cream. Expansive lawns, an outdoor deck, sculptural installations and the company’s signature children’s teepee all lend to the family friendly vibe. OAKOVER GROUNDS Spend the day dining on dishes packed full of regional produce (washed down with Oakover wines or a FiORi coffee), gently paddling an aqua trike or fishing on the lake, playing giant Connect Four or tackling the nature hunt game sheet. SANDALFORD WINES Their new playground created around a wine-barrel inspired cubby is just begging for the kids to give it a run. A first for the winery, the kids can entertain themselves while mum and dad relax with a glass or two of wine. SWAN VALLEY STATION Grab a coffee (and a real-fruit blended, homemade ice cream for the kids) and have a wander through the venue’s boutique nursery. Kids can run amok in the big, shaded playground. SWAN VALLEY WAGON TOURS Explore the Swan Valley food and wine region a little differently and at a leisurely pace. Book the only horsedrawn wagon tour in Perth for a different family day out.

12 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

COOKING UP A STORM Sandalford Wines, Bailey Brewing Co and Oakover Grounds. Opposite, kids’ cooking classes at Pasta in the Valley, and a tee pee at Margaret River Chocolate Company.

The kids love the cooking classes, it gives them something different to do, a bit of fun.”

one-stop shop with great food, awesome, local beers, and just beautiful amenities for the whole family to enjoy.” A more recent arrival that has proved a big hit with families is Pasta in the Valley. Nestled alongside grape vines in Caversham, the 300-seat restaurant feels Italian with stereotypical red and white check tablecloths, and like Italians, family dining is at the heart of everything.

There’s a big, shaded children’s playground and sand pit, and pasta making classes for kids that cost just $7 that includes 500 grams of pasta to take home and a photo shoot of your Mini Pasta Chef. Takeaway sauces are available, which makes feeding the family easy and a lovely way for kids to feel proud to have made dinner. Best of all, you don’t need to book in advance. “The kids love the cooking classes, it gives them something different to do, a bit of fun,” owner Gino Menchetti said. WA is the only state in Australia without a manufacturing plant to make pasta. It wasn’t always the case. WA once had a pasta maker, Napoli Pasta, that was made in a factory in Newcastle Street in Northbridge. It was sold to Leggo’s who moved operations to Melbourne in the 1970s. Gino is the original founder of Napoli Pasta, and it is this second-generation Italian’s long-held dream to create a pastabased tourism attraction and restaurant from which Pasta in the Valley was born. “My father is from Lucca in Toscana and my mother is from Calabria, in fact, one of the recipes we use is mum’s marinara sauce,” Gino explains. “Our pizzas are all handmade, of course our pasta is fresh. We add some grilled zucchini, eggplant and shredded ham to our lasagne and it’s good, it’s something a little bit different, but it works.” Pastas available include spaghetti, pappardelle, linguine and more. Gourmet pizza is also on the menu, and you can buy fresh pasta to take home, ready-made meals and Italian desserts such as gelato, cannoli and tiramisu. The venue’s 30-metre aqua-coloured pasta machine commands attention. Imported from Pescara in central Italy 16 years ago, it can produce up to six tons or 12,000 packets a day. The machine has been modified to be a show piece only but Gino hopes to open a commercial pasta plant and restart a pasta industry in WA. “It would mean that we’d need to approach farmers to grow durum wheat for us, and then we’d need a special mill to ground the wheat into flour – it would be a whole industry that would create many jobs.” SV

It’s pretty simple, really. We’re a brewery in the Swan Valley. We serve beer that we brew, local wine from our mates, and food that’s always tasty. We’ve got a big playground for the kids and peace-of-mind for the parents. All the good stuff – and just 30 minutes from the City!

Opening Hours: Tues – Friday: 11am-10pm for Lunch & Dinner. Saturday – Sunday & Public Holidays: 8am – 10pm for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

9861 West Swan Road, Henley Brook baileybrewingco.com.au @thebaileybrewingco

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 13

@baileybrewingco 6192 1830

DAY G O

EAT // DRINK

O TERN

If you’ve got a furry friend in tow, there are plenty of places to bring them along for a day trip to the Swan Valley. By TOM DE SOUZA FOR THOSE WITH four-legged friends, dogs aren’t just a pet – they are a part of the family. It can sometimes be hard trying to pick somewhere to eat, drink, or exercise where your dog can enjoy it with you, but this list will help to narrow it down for you. Here’s my top dog-friendly spots in the Swan Valley.

Somewhere for a drink FERAL BREWING CO Friendly dogs are very welcome at Feral Brewing Co, which is a place for those who take their beer very seriously. The brews here verge on the wild, and are full of character, complexity, and experimentation. Home to an experimental brewery, barrel ageing shed, market garden, restaurant, and beer garden, the Swan Valley Brewpub is the perfect place to dig in for a few hours

with your best friends (furry or not). Their restaurant offers some of the finest seasonal produce, and is an honest reflection of the Valley’s rich soils. Guests with dogs can be accommodated in the beer garden, and in quieter times, guests with dogs can also book the verandah area of the restaurant. UGLY DUCKLING WINES Ugly Duckling Wines is a small boutique vineyard and cellar door, set in a charming, rustic cottage overlooking the vines. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor dining area, where you can enjoy a delicious platter or choose from a range of gourmet pies, some of which are even made with Ugly Duckling wines. The restaurant offers fantastic views across the Swan Valley to the Perth Valleys.

14 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

There is live music every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and regular market days among the vines.

Somewhere to eat LAMONT’S WINES Lamont’s is one of the state’s premier wine and gourmet food dynasties. It began at this Swan Valley vineyard and expanded to a variety of acclaimed restaurants and cafes around Perth and the South West. Fiona Lamont and her team at the warm and friendly Swan Valley winery offer what the Lamont’s have always been famous for – relaxed, friendly dining with minimal pretension. On weekends, enjoy a complimentary tasting of Lamont’s Wines at the cellar door before experiencing a lunch of simple, wine-friendly fare. From freshly baked

baguettes with a variety of butters to duck liver parfait, triple cream brie drizzled with honey and a range of more substantial produce-driven dishes, there’s something for all tastes and budgets. Friendly dogs are, of course, always welcome. DOG’S BREAKFAST CAFE Dog’s Breakfast Cafe is the ultimate haven for dog lovers and their four-legged friends. Next to the Swan Valley Vet, it features an agility park, playgrounds, a dog pool and doggie spa, and a delicious menu of dog treats. This really is the place to pamper your pooch. Meanwhile, owners can enjoy a barista-crafted coffee or a scrumptious bite to eat.

PUPPY POWER There are plenty of places where your best friend can tag along - RiverBrook at Upper Reach, Lamont’s and Bonnie the Cavalier at Bells Rapids (below right).

Somewhere to exercise BELLS RAPIDS A stunning 4.5km loop around the upper reaches of the Swan River. This is known for being one of the best vantage points on the Swan River during the Avon Descent. The scenic trail offers views of the countryside and coastal plains. It’s also home to the beautiful Grey Kangaroo - ask the Visitor Centre for information about the best places and times to see them. You’ll find Bells Rapids a 45-minute drive from Perth. Jump on the Great Northern Highway until you reach Cathedral Avenue, and follow that until it turns into the Orlov Trail. Watch for the signs and find a space in the big gravel car park. Pack a picnic for a lovely day out with the family. SV

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 15

EAT // DRINK

FIRST AMONG BRUNCHES

Brunch is the new black – and Swan Valley has some of the best in the biz. By GAIL WILLIAMS

16 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

DROOL-WORTHY Padbury’s Cafe Restaurant has created a lemon meringue pancake masterpiece (this page), while opposite, Maison Saint-Honore is well-known for its delectable macarons and pastries.

SEINFELD FANS KNOW only too well that there is food for thought, and modern day philosophy, in everything. And no one summed it up better than Jerry’s new girlfriend who mused in the popular TV series over the term “brunch” on their first date. “So what’s the deal with brunch? If it’s a combination of breakfast and lunch how come there’s no lupper or linner?” she asked. Jerry thought he had died and gone to heaven having found a girl who nailed, so adequately, the sublime marriage of breakfast and lunch, a coupling which doesn’t quite work for other mixed meals. Brunch, though, is the seductive reward for those who can roll out of bed on a weekend and zhoush themselves up to head to a cafe to clear the cobwebs. Such effort deserves something way more than Fruit Loops and orange juice. Chuck in a strawberry waffle, banana bread smothered in butter or a full-on huevos rancheros and well … now that’s a brunch! Pour some bottomless bubbles and then bite into a smoked salmon bagel

or … what the heck? a chargrilled scotch fillet with caramelised onion and even the lionhearted are satisfied. That’s what’s on offer for the early and a few late-rising birds at Padbury’s Cafe Restaurant, an old heritage-listed building in Guildford, which is the optimum launching point for cruising the Swan Valley’s top brunch spots. The COVID-19 close down inspired owner, Helena Tran, to combine her breakfast and lunch menu which means punters can now dine on scotch fillet from 7am till 2pm every day of the week. A meaty start with a glass of red might not work for everyone, but Padbury’s supervisor Ethan Wang, has something for sweet tooths. Their lemon meringue pancake dish is a jawdropping vertical work of art involving lemon curd, honeycomb, torched meringue and two fluffy 2cm buttermilk pancakes, all made in-house and once tried it’s never forgotten. Padbury’s staff churn out around 40 of these beauties on any busy day often with a cheeky glass of pink Olive Farm sparkling

to add a decadent touch. No wonder it is the most popular dish on the menu. Next stop is a scenic – or scenique – 10-minute drive to a French pitstop for petit dejeuner at Maison Saint-Honore, a cafe/factory set among rolling vines evoking France’s Loire Valley. Macarons in 20 different flavours, made by the outlet’s founder, Alexandre Lui-Van-Sheng, are the icing on the gateau in this charming mecca for Francophiles. Fresh eggs come any which way you want, but it’s hard not to go past a couple poached-to-wobbly perfection crowned with a slice of top quality ham or salmon. Add a true blue Aussie serve of smashed avo, if you must. Or go for chorizo crepes with bechamel sauce and mozzarella with sauteed mushrooms. Many devotees here opt for the sweet route with crispy, flaky, buttery croissants made with butter and chocolate imported from France. Pastries, bread, ice cream and crepes are the deft handiwork of Alexandre, who hails from Reunion Island and could happily lay claim to the title of Patron Saint of Bakers, the English translation of the cafe’s name. This popular venue, which has two sister outlets in Mount Pleasant and Floreat, is reason alone to foray into the Valley. Wash it all down with a special house blend of Precision coffee – or a local wine – served with savoire fair by co-owner Laure Vallereau, the house manager. Sweet or savoury, this cafe hits the spot on any level. And don’t leave without a stash of salted caramel macarons. Who says you can’t have beer with breakfast? Well at Mandoon Estate’s Homestead Brewery, you can. Sort of. While they open for breakfast every day of the week at 7.30am, a hearty pint of Thunderbird Pale Ale is not on offer until 10am when the bar opens. But there’s plenty to keep the punters happy until then. A lot of them have tumbled out from the 32 hotel rooms on site but many day trippers cross dozens of suburbs for the relaxed and welcoming vibe. Not only are they surrounded by evidence of the brewing activity in the shiny Shulz tanks, they can smell the hops as they tuck into nasi goreng and truffled duck sausages, hot ticket items in the new menu of executive ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 17

EAT // DRINK

Guide to

Swan Valley Brunch Padbury’s Cafe Restaurant 114 Terrace Road, Guildford Phone: 9378 4484 Website: padburys.com Open for brunch: 7am-2pm daily Maison Saint-Honore 100 Benara Road, Caversham Phone: 9377 4674 Website: maisonsainthonore.com Open for brunch: 7am, Mon-Fri, 8am - 5pm Sat - Sun Mandoon Estate Homestead Brewery 10 Harris Road, Caversham Phone: 6279 0500 Website: mandoonestate.com.au Open for brunch: 7.30-9.30am every day Oakover Grounds 14 Yukich Close, Middle Swan Phone: 9374 8000 Website: oakovergrounds.com.au Open for brunch: 9am-11am, Sat-Sun The Mallard Duck 10 John Street, Henley Brook Phone: 9386 0080 Open for brunch: 8-11am, Sun Website: themallardduck.com.au

Other brunch spots: Cottage Tea Rooms 8560 West Swan Road, Henley Brook Phone: 9296 6886 Website: cottagetearooms.com.au Open for Brunch: 10am, seven days Taylors in the Valley 510 Great Northern Highway, Middle Swan Phone: 0403 628 233 Website: taylorscafe.com.au Open for Brunch: 7.30am, Tues-Sun The Chocolaate Cafe at Margaret River Chocolate Co 5123 W Swan Road, West Swan Phone: 08 9250 1588 Open: 9am every day Website: chocolatefactory.com.au

chef Michael Hartnell. There’s also perky Japanese wellness bowls brimming with sushi, rice, avocado and bok choi. Down one while overlooking rolling vines and exercising pinkie fingers raising pots of English breakfast or

18 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

Chamomile tea. That’s until the clock strikes 10am when many punters order a pint and segue out on to the lawns for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Roger Federer was one customer who, a couple of years back, enjoyed the

Mandoon Estate experience with his family. It’s not clear whether he later joined the knees up with live music on the Llawn. But the verdict was definitely love all. Then there’s the self-styled ‘cool as duck’ venue which wins all the prizes for its witty approach to feeding us. Next to a large lake, The Mallard Duck in Henley Brook works hard to create a sanctuary from the daily grind. To that end, if you’re here for brunch, you may as well succumb and give up any hope of returning to real life in any state other than satisfied. Try the This Little Bene-Pig (fried potato rosti, maple pork belly, poached eggs and hollandaise) or Shakshuka are perfectly grown-up versions of ubiquitous staples. Kids are welcome on Thursdays and Fridays but apart from that this is really a place to flock (but not at weekends), birds of a-feather, together. For the final chapter in the perfect brunch experience punters can follow their noses to Oakover Grounds, in Middle Swan. The wafting aroma of freshly roasting Fiori coffee beans, courtesy of the artisan coffeeroasting outlet on site is the warm welcome to this bustling location which boasts a fine

food marketplace, cafe, cellar door and a smokehouse. Oh, and anyone for cricket, croquet, water trikes or giant Connect Four? It’s the perfect spot to sit and contemplate the early pioneers who cleverly recognised some fertile land suited to planting vines back in 1850. Do it over the Farmhouse Big Brekky – a combo of bacon, roast tomato, field mushrooms, pork and fennel chipolatas, hash browns, grilled sourdough and poached egg – a feast which an early settler could only dream of. Sadly, brunch is only available on weekends, but snacks and lunches are available every day. The menu is simple no-nonsense fare of wholesome hard working goodness: burgers, hotcakes, sourdough with home made preserves and eggs benedict. For the littlies there’s rice bubbles. And it’s all – apart from the rice bubbles of course – sourced from local, organic, fair trade and animal friendly suppliers where possible. “It’s not only the right thing to do, it just tastes better!” says the website. And with that, Seinfeld, would certainly have to agree. And that goes for lupper and linner too. SV

Mash Brewing and Kitchen

provides a laid back, family friendly venue to enjoy their award winning handcrafted beers and ciders, with a selection of local wines, spirits and cocktails. The food is passionately prepared in an open kitchen with tasty seasonal menus. Visit today and enjoy the family friendly atmosphere. Kids eat FREE* Fri/Sat from 5pm. Open 7 days.

10250 West Swan Road Henley Brook Ph: (08) 9296 5588 www.mashbrewing.com.au BRUNCH BEATERS Oakover Grounds and Maison Saint-Honore (opposite) and Sittella have elevated brunch to new heights.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 19

EAT // DRINK

20 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

VIEWS FOR

MILES

IF YOU’RE LUCKY enough to be visiting when the lush grapevines are blanketed in delicious, ripening fruit and the afternoons are warm and inviting, then the temptation of a languid lunch at a winery is simply too much to resist. Stop at a cellar door for a tasting, replenish your wine collection and sit back and bask in the incredible vineyard views that the Swan Valley is renowned for. UPPER REACH WINERY As you arrive at Upper Reach Winery, you are met with breathtaking views of the vineyard that is situated on the upper reaches of the Swan River. Meander down the driveway, ensconced among the vines, until you reach the cellar door, where enthusiastic staff will guide you through a tasting of the wines. The estate-grown fruit is handled with care and is hand-picked, pruned and even hand-plunged to create a portfolio

Take a minute to drink in the views (and the wine) of some of the Swan Valley’s most beautiful vineyard spots. By DANIELLE COSTLEY

of wines that are fresh, vibrant and fullflavoured. Each wine is expressive of the unique vineyard site on the upper banks of the Swan River. Try the award-winning Verdelho or the Reserve Shiraz. You can also purchase a bottle of wine to savour on the deck after your tasting. Sit on the verandah overlooking the vines, sip on a glass of wine and sate your appetite with a tasting plate or vineyard

platter. Book in for a private winery tour or wine appreciation class. Open seven days a week with breakfast (from 9am) and lunch available from 11am at the adjoining RiverBrook restaurant. SITTELLA WINERY This boutique winery is nestled amongst the vines, offering sweeping views across the vineyard. Relish a glass of Sparkling Chenin or Sparkling Rosé. Relax on the outdoor deck as you ponder the restaurant’s extensive à la carte or set menu that has a delightful French twist. Try the signature dish, a confit leg of duck with orange, pumpkin, fennel, crisp peppered skin, and a sweet plum dressing. Pair this with the Coffee Rock Shiraz, which is grown from the Old Vine Shiraz vineyard. Book in advance for a seated wine tasting at the cellar door, where you can select from a wine flight to suit your individual palates. This is a popular venue ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 21

EAT // DRINK

... the temptation of a languid lunch at a winery is simply too much to resist.”

for lunches and weddings, so restaurant bookings are recommended, especially on weekends. RIVERBANK ESTATE Set on the banks of the Swan River, Riverbank Estate is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the heart of the vines with delectable food and wine. Its exquisitely manicured lawn overlooks the vineyard that sweeps gently down to the river, offering a romantic setting for weddings, fine dining and wine tasting. Relax in the restaurant and enjoy a delicious Mediterranean-influenced menu, where seafood is the dish of the day if you choose your main course from the live fish tanks. Sip on a 2017 Eric Anthony Chardonnay Pinot Noir and savour some sustainably sourced Wheatbelt yabbies, Kojonup marron, Lancelin rock lobster, or Western Australian Chilli Snow Crab. The 2019 Rebellious Vermentino is an impeccable match with seafood. Aged steaks are also a firm favourite here, where there is an enviable selection of local sirloin and rib eye (aged for 45 days), Black Onyx (aged for 90 days/Marble score +3) and Iron Gate Albany Wagyu (aged for 90 days/ Marble score 8/9). All steaks are served with fermented red bean butter on mushroom, vine ripened cherry tomatoes, royal blue potato gratin and sauce poivrade. The meats are best served with a glass of the 2018 Eric Anthony Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec.

MANDOON ESTATE & HOMESTEAD BREWERY This winery, restaurant and brewery is one of the newer additions to the Swan Valley and is always a hive of activity, especially on weekends. Whether you are seeking a fine dining experience in elegant surrounds at its Wild Swan Restaurant; or prefer to chill in the laid-back Homestead Brewery or the Llawn, all options are catered for. Experience contemporary fine dining at Wild Swan restaurant that overlooks manicured gardens and the Llawn. This innovative à la carte and tasting menu showcases Western Australia’s finest local

22 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

and seasonal produce that is expertly supported by an exceptional wine selection. Try the poached Donnybrook marron with barbequed corn, brik and pickled watermelon, alongside a glass of the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay. The brewery has an impressive craft beer selection and a menu to match, that is filled with big, bold flavours to complement the brews. Grab a table or bring a picnic rug and let the kids play as you stock up on picnic provisions and while away an afternoon by the Swan River at the Llawn. OAKOVER GROUNDS One of the most beautiful spots in the Swan Valley for a vine-based day out, Oakover Grounds has multiple venues within its site for visitors to enjoy. There’s a cafe serving artisan coffee and award-winning wine, Swan Valley Marketplace, expansive grounds with vineyards, function areas and free family activities, it’s easy to see why Oakover Grounds is a favourite haunt for couples, groups and families. During spring, summer and autumn, as long as the weather plays ball, guests can choose to eat at the Smokehouse specialising in smoked meats, rolls and gourmet pizzas. SV ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 23

EAT // DRINK

GRAZING, VALLEY STYLE

If you’re in the mood for a graze - rather than a full-on feed - Swan Valley’s restaurants have got you covered. By GAIL WILLIAMS HERE’S A DELICIOUS riddle for those who like to nibble their way to gastronomic nirvana: what do you call a 60cm long, timber board piled high with bounteous fresh produce that demands to be served with a glass of Swan Valley wine or a pint of locally brewed beer? And the answer is . . . drum roll . . . the Ultimate Grazing Platter, a Tudor feast on a plank at Rustique Swan Valley. And it’s sending punters into delirium as they while away afternoons making like Henry VIII, munching on chicken wings, grilled prawns, pork belly bites, artisan cheeses, bread and seasonal fruits often freshly plucked from the trees on site. This $72 whopper could easily feed a hungry Henry – and his six wives – if they took up an old oak barrel under the vines under trailing ivy while pet pooches wander among the fun. Dogs are most welcome. It’s that sort of place. Graham and Caroline Buck, the owners

24 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

KNOCK ON WOOD Grazing is the perfect way to feast informally with friends - and in the Swan Valley, you’ll be treated to award-winning wines and delicious local produce to match the surrounds.

here, have tapped into the perfect combo for a languid culinary sortie into the Swan Valley. One – take an achingly-pretty setting. Two – make it unpretentious and rustic with old wine barrels, whitewashed walls and plenty of timber. Three – add a grazing platter which spurns the usual suspects in favour of innovative food which is also Instagram-worthy. Credit for the food goes to 22-year-old executive chef, Chloe Needle, who has an army of followers, many of whom are attracted by the coeliac, vegetarian and gluten-free

options on her accommodating menu. Gluten-free flour is used in the crackers, breads and quesadillas. The cheeses, a variety of blue soft and hard, are sourced locally where possible. As for the wines, a short list of some popular boutique locals, including Windy Creek Estate, are some of the cheapest and best value labels around. Other grazing options are marinated chicken breast, crispy skinned barramundi and veggie patty burgers. Beer choices are plentiful and there’s

some fine spirits from next door neighbour Old Young’s Distillery. Aussies have warmed to the grazing style of eating. But we all know it started with the Italians, who make an international sport out of antipasto which, in English, means “before the food.” At Pinelli Estate you’ll find some of the finest modern Italian-style grazing in the valley. Their rammed earth restaurant is set in the vineyard and pays tribute to the owners’ heritage while making you want to channel ancient Rome and recline on a sofa ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 25

EAT // DRINK

SHARING IS CARING Sandalford Wines (right) is creating memorable dishes after a multi-million dollar investment in their new Bar and Restaurant. Opposite, soak up the wine with cheese platters from Lancaster Wines, top, Two Birds Fromagerie, left, and Twin Hill Wines.

... make it unpretentious and rustic with old wine barrels, whitewashed walls and plenty of timber.” with a bunch of grapes. Share a platter of cheese and pumpkin arancini, calamari, olives and cacciatore sausage with a range of fresh seasonal produce added on a daily basis. Chef Daniel Romato knows his way around the produce in the Valley. It’s where he grew up and his dad supplies some of the grapes which make the excellent wines. Regulars say the penne arrabiata pairs perfectly with the Grenache La Tavola which taps into one of the first grape varieties to be planted in the valley. Saluti! There are few wineries with a history as respected as Sandalford Estate. It has been garnering accolades since 1840 for the stylish way they do things here. Now, at their newly refurbished Sandalford Bar

and Restaurant there’s a quintessentially Australian take on grazing which begins with a dozen of the best briny oysters and a goldband snapper crudo. The seductive journey takes a route through zucchini blossom fritters and sesame roasted eggplant before settling on something from the char grill or pizza oven. Meatlovers should try the Kerrigan Valley striploin or Cape Grim eye fillet and vegetarians should not bypass a Manjimup fig with spiced ricotta. There’s cocktails galore to wash it all down along with the celebrated Sandalford wines and some french bubbly. One of the most sought after spots in the Valley for a spectacular graze is at RiverBrook Restaurant Cafe at Upper

26 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

Reach where handcrafted wines meet delectable produce on the banks of the river. Pack up a picnic blanket on the lawns on selected dates through the year and you can pre-order a platter of meatballs, chicken liver parfait, arancini, calamari and prawns and enjoy dinner while listening to some of Perth’s most popular live bands. The food comes courtesy of Branden Goodacre and Nicki Pinch and they’re keeping mum on the meatball recipe – a sublime mix of lamb and beef. But don’t wait for a concert to head to RiverBrook. The lunch menu is available every day from 11.30am and there’s enough sweet options to graze to a sugar high for the rest of the day. Pina Colada Panacotta with grilled pineapple anyone?

Pinelli Estate Restaurant and Winery 30 Bennett Street, Caversham Phone: 9279 6818 Website: pinelliwines.com.au Open for grazing: Lunch – Wed-Sun from 11.30am

Sandalford Wines

3210 West Swan Road, Caversham Phone: 9374 9374 Website: sandalford.com Open for grazing: Lunch – Mon-Thurs from 11.30am-4pm Lunch and dinner – Fri-Sun from 11.30am-9pm

Riverbrook Restaurant at Upper Reach

77 Memorial Avenue, Baskerville Phone: 9296 3883 Website: upperreach.com.au Open for grazing: Lunch – every day from 11.30am

Rustique Swan Valley

10581a West Swan Road, Henley Brook Phone: 0478 267 664 Website: rustiqueswanvalley.com.au Open for grazing: Wed-Thurs from 10am-4pm Fri from 9am-5pm Sat from 8.30am-5pm Sun 8.30am-5pm

Two Birds Fromagerie One of the tastiest pairings in the food world is wine and cheese, so it stands to reason that you should be able to find a decent cheese platter in the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest wine region. Cheese is the specialty at Two Birds Fromagerie in Herne Hill, where they encourage friends and family to get together over gourmet cheese boards with paired wines. There’s even a children’s cheese pack available. Two Birds only stock 100 per cent Australian artisan cheeses and many are from Western Australia. Wine and cheese go hand in hand at the famous tasting shed at Lancaster Wines in West Swan. Nibble on complimentary cheese while

sampling wine, or pick cheese, dips, pate, olives and cold meats from the fridge to have the Lancaster team assemble your own personalised board. Twin Hill Wines in Baskerville is one of the oldest wineries in the Swan Valley, the Kraljevich family having made their first vintage in 1937. The old-style cellar door is full of character, with Robyn Kraljevich behind the counter ready to offer tastings of wine, gourmet cheeses and olives grown on the estate. You can also make up your own board to enjoy. So, what are you waiting for? Get in the car and head straight to the Swan Valley. You can literally graze until the cows come home. SV

633 Great Northern Highway, Herne Hill Phone: 0493 130 845 Website: facebook.com/ twobirdsfromagerie Open for grazing: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm

Lancaster Wines 5228 West Swan Road, West Swan Phone: 9250 6461 Website: lancasterwines.com.au Open for grazing: Seven days from 10am-5pm

Twin Hill Wines 1093 Great Northern Highway, Baskerville, Phone: 0438 956 329 Website: twinhillwines.com/ Open for grazing: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm

EAT // DRINK

HISTORY ON TAP

The Swan Valley and Guildford have some of the most beautiful historic pubs in the state - make sure you drop by for a taste of days gone by, with a modern twist. By TOM DE SOUZA

28 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

GUILDFORD, THE ENTRY to the Swan Valley, is huge on pubs. There’s everything from historic old watering holes, full of character and story, to new and trendy venues. These are some of the area’s best.

The Rose and Crown, Guildford The Rose and Crown sits on Guildford’s leafy Swan Street, and has been a welcome resting place for tourists and travellers for over 150 years. It was built on two-and-ahalf acres in 1841. Thomas Jecks was the original owner of the hotel, and he built it shortly after opening a general store in Guildford. Built from local hand-made bricks laid in a Flemish bond, the headers and stretchers are laid alternately in each course. The

steep, pitched roof was made from native and English hardwoods and originally covered in timber shingles. The hotel has since been renovated, with the most recent restoration done by Mark and Tracy Weber, who have owned the pub since 2004. While it now features modern facilities such as spa baths and plasma TVs in the hotel rooms, it maintains its classic Georgian design and down-home country pub feel. The one room that remains in virtually original condition is the 1841 Dining Room. Some say that the ghosts of convicts and former publicans roam the corridors, and the pub has even featured on a number of TV shows. The ABC sent in a ‘ghost whisperer’ when filming the pub for a TV programme, and he believed he encountered a number of spirits there.

Registered with the National Trust, this is WA’s oldest operating hotel and the third oldest licensed hotel in Australia, and is a true West Australian landmark.

The Guildford, Guildford The Guildford Hotel is a heritage listed pub on James Street, and was first bought for £600 in 1880, two years after the Fremantle to Guildford railway was built. It remains just a short walk from the Guildford train station. In 2008, the hotel was razed by a fire, and has been rebuilt in the original style of exposed brick, repurposed timber, brass finishes, and recovered decor. There is a beautiful baroque facade and belvedere tower. Of course, there are a few modern twists, like the retractable roof over the courtyard,

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 29

EAT // DRINK

DIY espresso martini kits, cheeseburger spring rolls and sticky pork bao. The Guildford remains on the State Heritage register, a true gem in our state’s social history.

The Stirling Arms, Guildford The Stirlo, as it’s affectionately known, was built in the 19th century on the back of convict labour. In that era, convicts received a ticket-of-leave before their sentences expired, which freed them to seek employment, marry, and own property, and this hotel was built with ticket-of-leave labour. Built in 1852, the pub has a rich history as one of the oldest pubs in WA. Today, a classic feel blends with contemporary style, and the original heritage bars have been combined into the 1852 Lounge Bar while the sleek, modern Lot 142 Beer Garden offers al-fresco dining at the front of the building.

The Henley Brook, Swan Valley Affectionately known as ‘The Hen’, The Henley Brook is the Swan Valley’s

local roost. They work closely with local producers, brewers, and wine makers to bring you some of the freshest tasting food and drink in the region. While the venue is new, the property is steeped in history. It’s home to the heritage-listed Richard Edwards’ House, built as part of the Swan River Colony in 1837. The venue keeps with the colonial design theme, and features sweeping, rustic verandahs and an outdoor area shaded by old established trees.

30 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

There’s loads of seating both indoors and out, an extensive all-day menu, and a range of top craft beers available on tap. There are also locally made spirits and a wide range of wines. The Valley’s newest pub truly has something for everyone.

The Mallard DUCK, SWAN VALLEY The Duck draws its name from a large open lake on the beautiful grounds, which is host to all kinds of geese, ducks, coots,

kookaburras and more. The Duck’s menu boasts a balance of diverse, but familiar favourites. Think country comfort with a modern flair: share plates, first-class cocktails, and local beers and wine. The Duck is an 18+ venue on weekends, so it’s the perfect sanctuary for date nights

and get-togethers with friends. There are breathtaking views, live entertainment, and sexy, soothing saxophone tunes. The venue is suave, vibrant, and cool as a duck, and this tranquil nest lets you sit back, relax, and check-out. SV

MAKING HISTORY Opposite, The Stirling Arms has always been popular. The Mallard Duck offers a modern spin on pub favourites. Above, the historic Rose and Crown.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 31

EAT // DRINK IMAGE Keven Osborne/Fox Fotos

WORLD OF WINE IN THE VALLEY

The Swan Valley is as rich in viticultural history as it is in its fertile soils. It is almost 200 years since the first grapevines were planted in WA’s oldest and Australia’s second oldest wine growing region and that longevity is reflected in the variety of wines on offer. By DANIELLE COSTLEY

IT ALL BEGAN with an influx of southern Europeans who settled in the region and drew on their winemaking expertise to create what is now a flourishing wine region. They saw the potential of its nutrientrich soils, sun-drenched vales and warm Mediterranean climate to provide ideal growing conditions for grapevines akin to what they had planted in their own countries. While the original plantings can be traced back to South African origins, over the years, as the Swan Valley has evolved, so too has the range of varietals that are now firmly entrenched in the region’s rich soils. Today, the Swan Valley has earned an

enviable reputation for producing some of the nation’s best Chenin Blancs. In fact, it is now crushing around one-third of Australia’s Chenin Blanc production. Verdelho, Shiraz, Grenache and Muscadelle are other regional stars that are also thriving in the region’s balmy climate. CHENIN BLANC The rising popularity of Chenin Blanc is seeing wineries experimenting with it as a sparkling, dry, sweet and even a dessert style of wine. Its crisp freshness and intensity of flavour make Chenin Blanc an ideal pairing with seafood, chicken and a

fruity summer salad. One winery that is drawing national acclaim for its Chenin Blancs is John Kosovich Wines. The first grapevines at this winery were planted by Jack Kosovich, after emigrating from Croatia back in 1922. It’s still a family affair; his son John in 2020 completed his 68th vintage, making him one of the longest serving winemakers in Australia. Since taking the reins, John’s son Arch has forged a reputation for honest, quality fruit-driven wines that consistently impress. This small family-owned winery handpicks the grapes to produce a dry style of wine that allows the fine acidity

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 33

EAT // DRINK

and fruit flavours to dominate in this wine that is left to age for up to six years in a bottle. This lengthy maturation allows the wine’s fresh apple flavours to transform majestically into a deliciously toasty and limey wine that reveals itself in enticing, textural layers. While many wineries in this region are producing a similar style of Chenin Blanc, Sittella Winery is producing a Sparkling Chenin Blanc in the traditional methode champenois style. This sparkling little number also happens to be one of the state’s best-selling sparkling wines. VERDELHO While Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted white grape variety in the region, Verdelho is also well-suited to the climatic conditions experienced here. Most wineries here produce it in its traditional manner, where its high acidity, oily texture and tropical fruit notes are fully expressed. As Faber Vineyard’s flagship wine, the

WORLD-CLASS WINES John Kosovich Wines, Olive Farm Wines, Garbin Estate Wines and Riverbank Estate are all awardwinning wineries.

has been produced to be enjoyed while it’s youthful and the flavours are vibrantly crisp and fresh, with excellent acidity. At Talijancich Wines, the Verdelho is made in a full-bodied, fruity and concentrated style with fine acidity and perfect balance. Extended lees contact without oak gives the Verdelho greater texture and complexity, and, if allowed to age, the wine will develop with a rich complexity that leads into a smooth and persistent finish. The winery also produces a Liqueur Verdelho that is aged in exbrandy casks for five years, imparting distinct apricot and honey notes.

Verdelho is made from cold-fermented and freshly pressed free-run juice – and is designed to allow its flavours to develop over time. Riverbank Estate’s Verdelho displays Granny Smith apple flavours that meld harmoniously with poached pear and cut straw. This dry style Chenin Blanc can be enjoyed now or allowed to cellar for several years, where its rich, toasty characters will develop. The Garbin Estate Wines Verdelho

OTHER VARIETALS Other popular varieties in the Valley are Shiraz, Grenache, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot and fortifieds produced from Pedro Ximenes and Muscadelle grapes. Original plantings of Shiraz vines from the 1800s are still yielding exceptional fruit, yet in smaller volumes. The Portuguese and Spanish varietals used for fortified wine production are happily entrenched in this region, content to languish in the sun’s rays until the berries are semi-dried, resulting in an intense

concentration of fruit flavours. The Shirazs are rich and full-bodied with an impressive concentration of fruit flavours and a lush complexity. Winemakers have been producing the Shiraz in the traditional style as a fruit-driven red best enjoyed with rich, meaty dishes. But they have also been experimenting with the fruit to produce a Sparkling Shiraz, Sticky Shiraz and Fortified Shiraz. Faber Vineyard, Sandalford Wines, Olive Farm Wines, Windy Creek Estate and Talijancich Wines have all been producing an enviable selection of fortified wines for many decades, where the semidried fruit is expertly blended with brandy spirit during fermentation and allowed to mature in a solera style barrel for many years to create those intensely luscious, sweet characters that fortifieds are renowned for. As this region continues its exciting evolution, wineries are experimenting with traditional varieties and expressing them in exciting and unconventional new ways. Its strong southern European influence still prevails, as does its unique grapevine heritage from South Africa in colonial times. SV ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 35

LIVING HISTORY

EAT // DRINK

Some of Australia’s most famous wines have made their home in the Swan Valley, with a lineage stretching back to the earliest days of Western Australia’s colonisation. By FERGAL GLEESON

THE SWAN VALLEY is Western Australia’s oldest wine region (only the Hunter Valley in New South Wales is older in Australia). Initial plantings were by English settlers but winemaking in the region has since been enriched by the arrival of Croatian and Italian immigrants after the two world wars. I spoke to four leading family wineries where you’ll find some great drops as well as gleaning an understanding of the region’s rich wine history.

Sandalford Wines Sandalford Wine’s foundation in 1840 coincided with European settlement in the burgeoning colony of Perth. Western Australia’s first Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe, was granted 4,000 acres

36 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

of land on the riverbanks at West Swan. Sandalford, the Swan Valley’s pioneering agrarian estate was born with crops, cattle grazing, vegetables, vineyards and fruit orchards. Commercial winemaking accelerated during the 1940s after World War II, spurred on by Croatian and Italian immigrants bringing new knowledge and techniques. The estate flourished. The winemaker at Sandalford Wines from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s was Dorham Mann - son of famed wine-making pioneer Jack Mann. West Australia’s Prendiville family purchased Sandalford in 1990s and have spent several million dollars recently redeveloping the estate’s facilities aiming to produce wines of distinction as well as

RICH HISTORY Left, Nikola Estate with jacaranda trees in full bloom. This page, 1840 Sandalford Wine and display of bottles.

being an inspiring place to visit. Winemaker Hope Metcalf is excited about their new cellar door. “It is the most delightful place to experience our structured wine tastings,” she tells me. “You can linger here to really enjoy the ambience and history of the estate; it’s light-filled and has a generous long bar. We’ve just added a new private tasting room too, which can be booked for guided wine tasting and blendings.” Sandalford produces wines from the ultra premium to everyday drinkers. All the Sandalford Wines received 90+ points from Ray Jordan in his most recent wine guide. Helen is hard-pressed to pick a favourite but did offer the following insights. “Our 1840 Shiraz is packed full of

vibrancy, being well suited to the warmer climate here, with highly concentrated flavours,” she says. “Sandalford’s 1840 Chenin Blanc is another Swan Valley variety that is rather under-rated. As these wines age, that’s where the magic really happens. “Finally, our Estate Reserve Verdelho is a fabulous food wine. It’s like drinking bliss!” Visit sandalford.com

Nikola Estate Nikola Estate captures the history of Swan Valley winemaking in microcosm, but first, a little history lesson. Houghton Wines was founded by three British army officers in 1836 in the Swan. It became Western Australia’s largest and most famous winery. Over the decades Houghton changed

hands from family ownership to large wine corporations and currently to private equity. Enter the Yukichs (owners of Oakover Wines), with ‘founding father’ Nikola from Croatia, planting vineyards in the 1920s. Through purchases in 1989 and 2019 the Yukichs acquired Houghton’s Swan vineyards and then the original winery bringing the Estate back together. The vineyards boast some ancient vines, the oldest going back to the 1930s. Nikola Estate’s range offers many of Australia’s most popular varieties: Sauvignon Semillon blends, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Shiraz and Cabernet. Nikola Estate hosts weddings and events throughout the year including corporate conferences. A restaurant is opening soon. Visit nikolaestate.com.au ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 37

EAT // DRINK

Talijancich Wines James Talijancich is a third generation winemaker. In 1926 his grandfather Jim Talijancich arrived in Fremantle from Croatia to begin his new life. He headed to the south west of WA to hand-cut timber for railway sleepers. Jim and his wife Ljubica purchased the current vineyard, making fortified wine from Muscat and Shiraz for their first vintage. After the sudden passing of his grandfather, James’ father Peter left school at 13 years old to work alongside his mother in the vineyard. Peter completed over 50 vintages as winemaker. Despite the rich family history, current winemaker James had no plans to work in the industry and had a four-year scholarship lined up to play basketball in Los Angeles. The scholarship fell through and James gradually immersed himself in the family business purchasing the winery with his wife Hilda in the 1990s. Talijancich are famous and highly awarded for their vintage fortifieds but James has also developed their range of table wines to include Verdelho and Shiraz. James has also moved to biodynamics, a type of organic farming, which pays particular attention to working in harmony with nature and the importance of the vineyard and soil health. Since COVID-19, Talijancich have brought

38 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

in sit-down tasting experiences, where guests sample a set flight of six wines or a ‘Tour and Tasting’. You can also order a cheese board for sustenance. “People have really embraced this way of tasting without being rushed, or pushing through a crowded bar,” James says. He particularly recommends the Rare Tawny and the Liqueur Shiraz 1981 Solero. “Both are incredibly complex fortified wines that my father and I spent 30 years together working on.” Visit taliwine.com.au

John Kosovich Wines The John Kosovich Wines origin story is a familiar Swan Valley one. Lile (aka Jack) emigrated from Croatia, making a living cutting railway sleepers and goldmining in Kalgoorlie before buying some land in the Swan Valley and planting a vineyard for a taste of home. John, his eldest son, became a winemaker at the age of 15. With his father’s ailing health the family relied on him to support them. John has now done his 68th vintage (probably unequalled in Australia) and has received an OAM for his contribution to winemaking. John’s son Arch has now taken the role of senior winemaker, becoming the third generation winemaker. Arch’s brother Ray is the viticulturist. Arch has produced award-winning wines in his own right, including the Bottle Aged Chenin Blanc which won Best Chenin Blanc in Australia at the inaugural Australian Chenin Blanc Challenge in 2020. The Cabernet Malbec Reserve combines two varieties which grow well in the Swan Valley and the fortifieds show complex yet smooth characters. All wine is made from handpicked and pruned estate grown grapes. The winery is small and unpretentious. A grapevine trellis at the entrance to the cellar door includes one planted in 1922. Family members work at the cellar door, including Arch. The winery was awarded Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine’s Best Small Cellar Door in the Swan Valley in 2020. Cheeseboard Sundays (at $10 and $25) should be booked ahead. SV Visit johnkosovichwines.com.au

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY Opposite top, James and Hilda Talijancich, and opposite below, Arch, Ray and John Kosovich. This page, the renovated cellar door experience at Sandalford Wines.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 39

EAT // DRINK

THE NEW

GUARD

There is a new guard of winemakers in the Swan Valley shaking things up and building a reputation for the region with the next generation of wine drinkers in the hip wine bars and bottle shops of Perth and beyond. By FERGAL GLEESON

Vino Volta

Funky and fresh Vino Volta ‘owner, maker, doer’ Garth Cliff has been making wine for 20 years. The past 10 years before his own label were spent at Houghton, the Swan Valley’s most famous producer. In 2018, along with

partner Kirsten, he started Vino Volta. “We want to be part of a new wave of producers that is going to change things, focus on quality, focus on what the region is best at and build on this with new varieties,” says Garth. “Swan Valley is a bit of an underdog

40 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

wine region with lots of old vines. It has the ability to produce brilliant wines. However many of the producers are doing things like they have always done, in fact some vineyards are abandoned.” Vino Volta makes Chenin Blanc in four different styles: Nothing Wrong with Old Skool is a classic clean and crisp dry white, Funky & Fresh is whole bunch-pressed to old oak for complexity, Method Ancestrale is a Chenin Pet Nat, where the wine is bottled before fermentation is completed, creating fizz. Finally there’s Beneath the Flor made in a dry white sherry style. Vino Volta makes different interpretations of Grenache, another regional hero. The warm climate suits whites like Fiano, which is new to the region. Garth and team also make a Frontignac and Gewurztraminer blend, historic varietals but made as a skin contact wine.

FRESH DROPS Left, clockwise, Chouette Wines with winemaker Tom Daniel (image by Strange Company), and Local Weirdos Wine, made up of a collection of friends, planting old vine Grenache and Semillon. Opposite, Vina Volta.

Local Weirdos Wine

Garth sums up the style: “We are making medium bodied, interesting, textural wines. We like fruit brightness and we like texture. One of the focuses is to get Chenin truly recognised as making a wide range of tasty, age-worthy wines.” Visit vinovolta.com.au

Chouette Wine

Next gen Valley crew Chouette Wine is Tom Daniel, a secondgeneration Swan Valley winemaker. Tom grew up on a vineyard called Susannah Brook Wines, which his father planted. Like Vino Volta, there’s a focus on Chenin and Grenache from old vines. “All my Swan Valley fruit is handpicked, hand-worked and basket-pressed, while all along the journey I use traditional techniques with a view to deliciousness at the forefront. I really want to highlight

what Swan Valley fruit can be with a fresh approach to wine,” Tom says. “Sadly, heaps of heritage vineyards have been pulled out over the years, so it’s my hope that there’s a revival of the Swan Valley region. I’m keen to be a big contributing champion who will continue to halt this. The stories of the growers and the personality of the old vineyards of the Swan is a story I want to help tell through my wine.” The range includes a variety of pet nats, whites, rosés and reds. The wines are unfined and unfiltered and many have had skins contact or lees stirring for complexity. “Chouette Wines are made to be bright, textural, vibrant and moreish, using lo-fi and minimal intervention principles of production,” says Tom. “I aim to make wine that’s alive in the glass and has personality.” Visit chouettewine.com

Friends collab The local weirdos on the label are a group of friends (a doctor, a winemaker and two brothers from the Perth coffee scene) who have taken over some vineyards in the Swan Valley, planted with old vine Grenache and Semillon. They’ve also gone the extra yards and converted them to organics. Winemaker Sam Jorgensen describes Local Weirdos Wines as a combination of “basic joy and deeper complexity that exist to highlight our passion for the preservation (environmentally, culturally, historically and economically) and celebration of our unique locality. “Our wines hopefully represent to the consumer an expansion of the horizon of possibility for wines in the Swan Valley.” It sounds like a deeply personal approach to building on the Valley’s historic connection to wine. “All the wines evoke for me distinctive and powerful emotions,” Sam explains. “Memories of the methods we experimented with in the vineyard and the cellar, recollections of the joy and considerable labour in the creation of wines of which we could be truly proud.” ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 41

EAT // DRINK

Corymbia Wine

Sam’s personal favourite is the Pet Nat 2020 Turbulent Juice (pictured above). Sam describes it as a wine that “pulses with electricity and life. It rewards both those desiring something fun and joyful and the complexity of a great skin contact wine.” Visit localweirdos.wine

Wine is in their blood Corymbia wines are made by Rob and Genevieve Mann (pictured above) from vineyards they farm from dirt to bottle in the Swan Valley. They say that wine is in their blood and they may have a point. Rob’s grandfather Jack Mann was one of Australia’s most renowned winemakers having been the winemaker at Houghton for 51 vintages. Rob’s uncle Dorham Mann OAM, was highly influential in the pioneering days of Margaret River at Sandalford. Rob’s father Tony ‘Rocket’ Mann was an Australian test cricketer as well as a vigneron. Rob himself was chief winemaker at Cape Mentelle and Hardy’s Tintara. His wife Genevieve has made wine in South Africa, France, California and Howard Park Wines in Western Australia. Corymbia Wines makes just two wines, a red and a white, from their Swan Valley vineyard - a Tempranillo Malbec blend and a Chenin Blanc. The fruit is from an organically farmed, single vineyard that

42 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

is dry grown. Winemaking is traditional using techniques such as hand harvesting, gravity, oak fermentation, indigenous yeast and natural malolactic fermentation. “Our wines express the qualities of the Swan Valley that Rob’s family has become admired for in the region for over 100 years,” Genevieve tells me. “What’s old is new again,” she says. “Our family has always made wines from dry grown Swan Valley vineyards. Rob’s Grandfather Jack Mann released a dry white table wine in 1937, made from 100 per cent Chenin Blanc. “He also made dry red wines that were medium-bodied, full-flavoured, fruit-driven wines. They’re beautifully balanced with great drinkability.” The legacy is in safe hands as Rob and Genevieve continue the family’s connection with winemaking at a high level. “We continue to make wines with the same guiding principles as these are the styles that suit our climate and most importantly complement the food we love to share around the family table.” SV Visit corymbiawine.com.au

FROM BEAN TO BREW What goes into brewing the perfect cup of coffee? The short answer is ‘a lot’. By MONIQUE CECCATO

ORIGIN, FARMING CONDITIONS, roast, blend, temperature, and freshness; there’s so much more to the perfect cup of coffee than meets the eye. Beneath that pretty latte art heart is a complex beverage that, through its flavour, tells a story of its journey from farm to cup. By the time a bag of coffee beans has made its way from the source to the roaster and, finally, into the hands of your local barista, it’s come up against an infinite number of variables that all impart their characteristics on the coffee’s flavour profile. “The tricky thing about coffee is that every process has the ability to affect the final flavour,” says Alistair Ingram, general manager at Yahava

Koffeeworks in West Swan. When a bag of green beans arrives in the Yahava warehouse, there’s no improving on the raw product, he says, just preserving and showcasing their inherent quality. For Lindsay Davies, head roaster at FiORi Coffee at Oakoaver Grounds, coffee is at its best and most pure when it’s sitting ripe on the tree. According to him, the bean at that stage is the truest show of the way coffee is supposed to be. “There are all these different chains for the coffee beans to get through to get to you as a consumer, and everyone that does their job so the product can still remain

EAT // DRINK

As a barista, you have the ability to screw up the coffee, or you can really make the beans shine.” ~ LINDSAY DAVIES, Head Roaster at FiORI

as close to that 100 per cent as possible,” he explains. “You’re trying to help the coffee and present the coffee in the way that it’s supposed to be”. In the pursuit of the highest quality beans for FiORi’s roasts, Lindsay gets involved with the product from the very beginning. He’s travelled to Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, and Papua New Guinea to meet with the coffee farmers and establish mutually beneficial working relationships. “We don’t have any control over the beans

44 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

unless we can go to origin and help them,” he says. “Setting up direct lines like that and helping with the processing methods can definitely help with the quality. “Roasting wise, we obviously have a massive impact on the coffee,” says Lindsay, who currently roasts upwards of 10 different styles of coffee from nine different origins. FiORI sources the bulk of their beans from Colombia - one of the world’s most recognised coffee producing regions. Lindsay also likes to work in some more

sweet, floral beans from Ethiopia and funky Papa New Guinean beans with wild stone fruit notes to them. Yahava’s resources are plucked from even further afield, with their signature range of coffees consisting of beans from more than 10 different regions. “Each year, we would source coffee from anywhere between 12-15 different countries,” says Alistair Ingram, general manager. “Our head roaster, Ryan Munyard, and head of quality control, Gary Sawyer, spend a long time searching, tasting and discussing the merits of new coffees to bring in to Yahava.” But, Yahava don’t stop at just their 12 signature brews. “We also bring in a further 12 single origins as part of our Specialty Estate program, at least three Grand Cru coffees - the most sought-after coffees in the world - and a few more for our Regional Blend offerings.” “There are a few fundamentals with roasting that, as long as you know how to

GOOD BREWS Above, Yahava uses coffee beans from 10 different regions. Opposite, FiORI’s head roaster, Lindsay Davies knows a thing or two about the perfect cup of joe.

use everything required in the process, you can still make coffee taste good,” Lindsay says, noting that there are umpteen ways a roaster can work with the beans to enhance them. “I do think the barista has the biggest impact, though. As a barista, you have the ability to screw up the coffee, or you can really make the beans shine.”

“The biggest mistake I see across cafes and home baristas is either starting with dirty equipment - especially coffee machines - or not using fresh coffee,” says Alistair. “Coffee can ‘last’ for a really long time, but the flavour profile tends to be tastiest about five days out from roasting. People often have a bit of an awakening when they try locally roasted fresh coffee for the first time; they feel like they’re trying actual coffee for the first time ever, it’s pretty cool to watch.” The key to really showcasing the beans and making an A-grade cup, says Lindsay, is to know exactly how to use it. That means knowing when to use milk and when to go without. For baristas, knowing the flavour profiles of each coffee bean they work with is second nature. For everyday coffee drinkers, making these distinctions mightn’t be so easy. Lindsay’s suggestion is simple: just take the tasting notes of the coffee and imagine those flavours paired with dairy. “If you’ve got beans with caramel, chocolate, and nutty notes, think about pairing those flavours with dairy. They work together,” he explains. “Your Central American beans, like beans from Brazil, are heavily used in your Italian style roasts and darker roast because they’re just heavy, heavy chocolate that can cut through milk usage.” On the other hand, beans with a distinct floral and lemon flavour profile, for example, aren’t at their best when mixed with dairy. “People are increasingly particular about their coffee and the average level of coffee knowledge in the past few years has skyrocketed, so baristas, cafe owners, even home enthusiasts kind of need to stay on top of their game to continue to impress. Small mistakes can’t be concealed as easily as they once were,” explains Alistair. When all is said and done, and every measure is taken to roast and brew the highest quality cup of coffee, the ‘perfect cup’ is always going to be subjective. “We’ve always found that people’s idea of a perfect coffee tends to be really individual,” says Alastair. “So, as a business, we try to discover what the customer wants in their cup and then we’ll have a good old crack at making that for them – even if it has five sugars and a blend of different kinds of milk.” SV

SPECIALTY COFFEE STOPS WILLING COFFEE 110 Terrace Road, Guildford Tucked away in a leafy Guildford street, this very pink, very trendy cafe serves up cups of their house roast as well as featured local and international roasters. Go for the laid-back Italo-vibes, stay for their shortbread crostata. CAFE POSTE 24 Stirling Street, Guildford Part garden centre, part cafe, this green spot in Guildford is the perfect place for a peaceful morning brew. They’re pouring coffees by the Perth-based Leftfield Coffee Roasters and pairing them with their house-made treats. GUERRILLA HUB Dulwich Road, Whiteman Park First Ave, Woodbridge Preface your morning walk with a pitstop at one of Guerrilla Hub’s two takeaway kiosks. Grab a cup of locally roasted Grand Central Coffee for yourself, and grab your walking buddy one of their gourmet dog treats.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 45

EAT // DRINK

It’s the same the world over - if you want to find a good spot for a feed, make like the locals and go where they go. By TORI WILSON

EAT LIKE A LOCAL

WHETHER YOU’RE SEEKING the region’s wines paired with fine food, a wholesome meal in a relaxed environment, or a cold drink and little slice of local heritage; there’s a plethora of choice when it comes to places to eat in the Swan Valley and Guildford. To help you decide where to spend your next Swan Valley daytrip, we’ve asked four local business owner and operators to share their top spots to eat. Here’s what they have to say…

Olive Farm Wines

RiverBank Estate Winery

46 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

MARTIN MICHAEL Owner, Funk Cider, Caversham and Funk 2.0, Henley Brook RiverBank Estate Winery “Riverbank is a cosy restaurant with a great fine dining experience, lovely staff, fantastic wine and beautiful scenery to the Valley. It’s fine dining with a foot on the ground and still that Swan Valley friendly hospitality. “My favourite dish is the dry aged rib eye with the Rebellious Tempranillo.” Feral Brewing Company “Feral’s Hop Hog is the beer that converted me into craft beer, and things haven’t been the same ever since - they are the fathers of craft beer in WA and their reputation precedes them. “Feral has a nice, casual, family friendly venue with tasty food offerings. It’s casual friendly and rustic. “My usual order is the Imperial Biggie, if it’s on the menu. Otherwise, Biggie Juice or Watermelon Warhead.” Funk 2.0 “Am I allowed to recommend Funk’s own venue? (laughs). “We have put much love, funk and thought on Funk 2.0 - we are creating our fermentation playground at the venue and we have built an experience we would like everyone to remember. “It’s a craft drinker’s dream with 18 different taps featuring six ciders, six beers and six hybrids (our experimental funky projects), plus a mouth-watering sexy but approachable cider inspired menu. “I recommend trying the lamb to share with muscat cider.” Duckstein Brewery “What do I like about this place? Having a feed! Duckstein is great value for great food - I dare you be able to finish their shared dishes. Generous, delicious, traditional German food. The Schweinshaxe wheat beer is my favourite. The atmosphere is like Octoberfest!”

KIM PHILLIPS Managing Director, The House of Honey & Meadery, Herne Hill

TARA FARRELL Co-owner, Swan Valley Sisters Produce Café, Henley Brook

JAMES TALIJANCICH Owner and Winemaker, Talijancich Wines, Herne Hill

Kappy’s “My favourite restaurant is Kappy’s – a great, warm, welcoming venue owned and operated by a wonderful family who know what good old-fashioned service is all about.” Rose and Crown “My favourite pub is the Rose and Crown. I love the old rustic feel of the tastefully decorated old hotel. “I snuggle in there on cold winter days by the fire and feel the history all around me.” Olive Farm Wines “Run by fourth generation winemakers whose hearts are in the Swan Valley soil and all around the people they connect with, you can’t go past the infectious happiness that this winery offers.” Morish Nuts “Just one more is just not enough. Archie is hilarious and that booming laugh, I love this venue and all the nuts it offers.”

The Mallard Duck “Recently taken over by the owners of The Henley Brook, The Mallard Duck is one of my top spots. “It has a chilled atmosphere, tropical theme, the best cocktails and live music with 18+ sessions on weekends. “The food is outstanding. My favourite dish is the slow cooked beef brisket.” The Black Swan Winery and Restaurant “Owned by husband-and-wife team Barry and Robyn, The Black Swan Winery is beautifully set out, with views overlooking their stunning vineyard, plus indoor and outdoor dining options, and live music on weekends. “I’m a big fan of their grazing plate. Wines are sensational and the service is top notch.” Rustique Swan Valley “This is a hidden little gem on West Swan Road. It has a lovely relaxed atmosphere, a beautiful outdoor garden area and is dog friendly. Staff are very friendly and attentive. “My go-to is the Beefinator gourmet burger. Very well priced.”

Mandoon Estate “Mandoon is one of the biggest local investments by a family in the Swan Valley. “It’s an extraordinary place on many levels that sets the benchmark for the Valley.” Maison Saint Honore “Maison Saint-Honore offers something different. It has a real French flair. “It gives a similar experience to parts of France, but on a smaller scale with a local feel.” Rose and Crown “Rose and Crown for the heritage in the building and a great feel. Mark Weber and his wife have spent a lot of time and money to create a wonderful atmosphere.”

TUCK IN Locals know the best spots for a good feed or drink - including Duckstein Brewery, Funk 2.0, Mandoon Estate, RiverBank Estate Winery and Olive Farm Wines among others. Duckstein Brewery

I snuggle in there on cold winter days by the fire and feel the history all around me.” - Kim Phillips Mandoon Estate

Funk 2.0

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 47

EAT // DRINK

T I M A E E T

Cottage Tea Rooms Cottage Tea Rooms serves up a quintessential high tea experience. This quaint little home is set among the roses and doubles as a quaint gift store. Browse the artful quilts, handmade children’s clothing, and preserves from local creators, before settling down to a three-tiered brunch featuring some of the Cottage’s famed scones, traditional cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, and decadent fudge brownies. Kids can join in the fun too with their own special ‘fairy’ high tea. Price: $35 on weekdays or $45 on weekends. Kids high tea is $35

The Swans Restaurant and Function House

At The Swans Restaurant and Function House, chef Emad takes a more modern approach to his high tea offering. Think caramel-filled doughnuts, arancini, and creme brulee tarts, served to you by his wife and head waitress, Sue. Dietary requirements are well catered for with gluten-free and vegetarian options available on request. High tea is served in the restaurant on weekends, or you can call ahead to get your treats takeaway. Price: $25 with a minimum of two people per booking.

High tea is having Stewart’s Restaurant something of a moment and Located on the lush grounds of Brookleigh the Swan Valley has hopped Estate, Stewart’s Restaurant is a tranquil on this particularly delicious spot for an afternoon high tea. A selection choux pastries, arancini, and bandwagon in style. ofminiscones, sliders are delivered to the table By MONIQUE CECCATO

Prices correct at time of publication

atop a vintage floral stand that’s perfectly matched to the floral tea set. For a little something extra, order a glass of local sparkling, white, or rosé on the side. Price: $45.

48 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

Swan Valley Gourmet Farm Cafe

Dietary requirements are front of mind for the team at Swan Valley Gourmet. The owners are non-coeliac gluten-intolerant so everything included in their high teas is 100 per cent gluten-free (accredited by Coeliac Australia). All the standard high tea favourites are there - scones, cucumber and cheese sandwiches, and mouthwatering slices - but this time, they’re coeliac friendly. Price: $38 or $48 with a glass of sparkling.

Vines Resort You’ve got to be quick to catch a high tea at The Vines’ Muscats restaurant. Served between 1 to 3pm on Sundays only, seats are extremely limited and bookings are essential. Enjoy a selection of sweet and savoury treats, a pot of tea (or some sparkling if you’re that way inclined), and the views out over the gardens and golf course. You may even spot the resident kangaroos lazing about in the sun. Price: $45. Upgrade with a glass of sparkling for $50 or $58 for a glass of champagne.

Lavender Bistro Claude Dupont and Pascal Gouionnet bring a little bit of France to the Swan Valley with their lavender-focused cafe and gift store, Lavender Bistro. Sit down to one of their high teas and savour the many lavender-flavoured treats on their menu (the scones are a standout), as well as a selection of French sweets and savouries. Before leaving, don’t forget to pick up a bag of lavender tea or some lavender soaps as a memento. Price: $28 with tea or coffee, $33 with a glass of sparkling rosé, $37 with tea/ coffee and a glass of sparkling. SV

Fast Facts stewartsrestaurant.com.au cottagetearooms.com.au theswansresaturant.com swanvalleygourmet.com.au vines.com.au lavenderbistro.com.au

TEA FOR TWO (OR MORE) High tea reaches new heights at top, Swan Valley Gourmet Farm Cafe, The Vines Resort and The Swans Restaurant and Function House.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 49

OUT // ABOUT

MAKING TRAILS

Explore the very best of what the Swan Valley has to offer on one of the region’s eight official trails. By MONIQUE CECCATO

KIDS IN THE VALLEY TRAIL Bushwalks, cuddles with farm animals, and a round of super-sized Supa Golf: it’s all in a day’s visit to the Swan Valley. The region is known for being kid-friendly, and this bumper 10-stop trail is proof of that. There’s so much to do, it is suggested that families pick an adventure or attraction, a lunch stop and a treat stop to enjoy each time they tackle the trail. The kids will love getting to pat, feed and know the animals at Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm and driving an oversized golfball down the green at Oasis Supa Golf and Mini Golf. If they’re up for a more scaly encounter, the West Australian Reptile Park delivers in spades. End an actionpacked day with a treat from Oggies Ice Cream Cafe or Whistlers’ Chocolate Co and Cafe. “Something that never fails to catch the eyes of our visitors are our chocolate sculptures that are all designed and made

by our chocolatier”, says Whistler’s owner, Roseanne Sargent. “Along with that comes the experience of tasting our chocolate that always has our visitors craving more.”

BUSH TUCKER AND BEYOND TRAIL The Wadjuk Noongar people have inhabited the Swan coastal plain for more than 40,000 years. There are many culturally significant sites throughout the Swan Valley including the township of Guildford, which has always been an important meeting site for the Wadjuk people, and the Swan River. Often referred to as Derbarl Yerrigan, the Swan River is said to have been created by a giant serpent-like creature called the wagyl as it made its way down from the hills to the ocean. Visitors to the Swan Valley can uncover these stories and more on the Bush Tucker and Beyond trail. “My connection to country was always there through my Aboriginal grandmother,

50 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

but further enhanced by an elder whom I had a lot to do with in my teens. It was his idea that I start a business around Aboriginal culture,” explains Dale Tilbrook, a proud Wardandi woman, local aboriginal tour guide, and the owner of Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery. As well as running a gallery full of Aboriginal gifts, art, and native Australian herbs, spices, and preserves, Dale runs a number of educational workshops. “At Dale Tilbrook Experiences we offer four set experiences - bushtucker tastings, art and Dreamtime stories, bushtucker and wellbeing, and history and culture talks - but are always happy to tailor an experience for a group.” Trail-goers can visit some cultural points of significance with stops at Whiteman Park, Bells Rapids, Walyunga National Park, and Yagan Memorial Park included along the way.

the Maison Saint-Honore end for a croissant and macaron-filled breakfast. Late-starters can begin at the other end of the trail with lunch at Pinelli Estate Wines. FRESH SEASONAL PRODUCE TRAIL It takes just shy of 30 minutes to drive from Perth’s bustling CBD to the farms and rural landscapes of the Swan Valley. There’s, quite literally, an abundance of fresh produce on the city’s doorstep. Make the most of it, and purchase the best of it, on a self-drive tour along the Fresh, Seasonal Produce trail. Spring is all about asparagus at Edgecombe Brothers and Swan Valley Sisters Produce Cafe. In summer you can pick up big bunches of

grapes from Kato’s@3000, Rangeview Vineyards or Katich’s The Grape Place and watermelons from Baba and Dida’s or Banara Vineyard. Autumn is the time to find brightly coloured pomegranates. In winter, call past Swanville Citrus, Windarra Honey or the House of Honey for your seasonal citrus and pantry essentials. “We strive to connect our customers with Western Australia’s rural experience in the Swan Valley region, and educate them on how bees and honey are unique in Australia,” explains Kim Phillips, the managing director at the House of Honey. “We invite our visitors to taste local honey products, meet the maker, and go on a bee tour”.

GO WILD Main image, Bells Rapids. This page, Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery, macarons from Maison Saint-Honore, and spring produce from Swan Valley Sisters.

SWEET TEMPTATIONS TRAIL Sticky, handmade nougat, devilishly good cakes, and natural honey: the eight stops on the Sweet Temptations trail leave sweettooths spoilt for choice. “The trail is an excellent tasting experience,” says Archie Moroni, the owner of Morish Nuts, one of the stops along the trail. “Visitors can start the trail with either breakfast or lunch at one of the providers, and then head off to visit some wineries. There’s a lovely picnic point to rest and relax before enjoying some more sweet treats and either a coffee or dinner before heading home”. Early birds should kick-off the sweet-filled trail at ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 51

For me to make my organic gin, first I have to grow my certified organic grapes, harvest them, and turn them into wine - Duncan Harris, Harris Organic Wine and Spirits.”

CIDER AND ALE TRAIL Follow the Cider and Ale trail and you’ll soon work out that the Swan Valley is just as much about cider, stout, and pale ale as it is Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Petit Verdot. There are 10 breweries and cideries on the trail, each pumping out some of the most exciting brews in Perth. “I always tell people to try the pineapple cider. Even though its only 3% it packs an awesome flavour and it’s our best seller,” says Martin Michael, who co-owns Funk Cider and Funk 2.0 with his brother Dustin. The trail is a natural progression in craft brews, starting on something lighter at Funk, before moving onto hoppier drops. All of the venues on this trail offer onsite dining. There’s plenty of hearty German fare at Duckstein Brewing and Elmar’s in the Valley and be sure to check out Mash Brewing’s social media for kids eat free days. Woodfired pizza is popular at Fig Tree Estate and Txoko Brewing, where brews can be enjoyed with views of the vineyard and Darling Ranges.

FINE WINE TRAIL The first commercial vintage came out of the Swan Valley in 1834. Today, the region is known for its exceptional expressions of Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, and Petit Verdot. Take a tour of some of the finest vineyards in the valley on the Fine Wine trail, recently updated to include

52 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

EXPERIENCE THE VALLEY Gomboc Gallery Sculpture Park and Windy Creek Estate (opposite) and Tyler’s Vineyard on the Wine and Art, Off the Beaten Track Trail, The Cider and Ale Trail, and the Distillery Trail offer new perspectives of the Swan Valley

stops at Lamont’s Winery and Windy Creek Estate, most successful producer at the Swan Valley Wine Show 2020 and one of the few vineyards where you’re welcome to BYO picnic food. “People can expect a new and exciting experience at every stop on the trail,” says Cameron McKenzie, the wine sales and marketing manager at Faber Vineyards. “We all have our specialties and nuances that, together, paint a fantastic picture of what the Swan Valley is; from tasting world-class fortified wines from Tali’s, the country’s best Chenin Blanc from Kosovich’s, some of the finest sparkling wines from Sitella, or some powerful and age-worthy Faber Shiraz”.

WINE AND ART, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK TRAIL Leave the familiarity of West Swan Road and delve deeper into what the Valley has to offer on the Wine and Art, Off the Beaten Track trail. Navigate your way along the back roads and through some of the area’s most rustic landscapes to discover eight local galleries and small-scale, family-run vineyards. Stop in at Gomboc Gallery and Sculpture Park, one of WA’s oldest privatelyowned galleries; strike up a conversation with sculptor Antonio Battistessa at his home gallery; get a selfie with Tyler’s Vineyard’s pet goose, Gilbert; and call into Garbin Estate Wines to sample their

range of sparklings made in the traditional French way. “We believe that our methode traditionnelle is a point of difference on this trail,” says Adam Garbin, whose family own and run Garbin Estate Wines. “There have been many occasions where visitors have been left in awe and appreciation of the process that was developed centuries ago and is occurring in their backyard.”

DISTILLERY TRAIL Don’t have a palate for wine or brewed beverages? Try following the Distillery Trail for something a little more suited to your tastes. The trail is the only one of its kind in Australia where visitors can experience five distinct and very different award-winning distilleries in less than a day. Rum lovers will feel at home at the Great Northern Distilling Co, while fans of juniper-based

distillates will love sipping on a beverage at the Valley’s three dedicated gin producers - Old Young’s Distillery, Swan Valley Gin Company, and Sin Gin Distillery. A wildcard on the trail is Harris Organic Wine and Spirits. Owner Duncan Harris doesn’t distil huge quantities of gin - normally he produces wine - but what he does distil is quite rare. “I’m lucky to have the only certified organic block of land in the whole of the Perth metro area,” explains Duncan. “For me to make my organic gin, first I have to grow my certified organic grapes, harvest them, and turn them into wine. Then, I do five distillations to make a very nice, clean, spirit. I flavour it with lemon-scented gum leaves, coriander that’s grown in the garden, orange peel that’s grown in the garden, and rosemary flowers that are grown right outside the cellar door.” SV

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 53

OUT // ABOUT

ADD TO YOUR

SKILL SET Getting hands-on is a chance to learn new skills while creating lasting memories. Dianne Bortoletto has a go at some of the Swan Valley’s masterclasses.

SANDALFORD – MAKE YOUR OWN WINE Would there be a bigger brag at a dinner party than “I made this wine myself”? Or a more personal gift of a bottle of wine to mark a birth, anniversary or just for someone special? Budding vintners will be guided through the process at Sandalford Wines to blend their very own vino. For three hours, Sandalford’s expert winemakers will fast-track the wine making journey to the crucial step, the blending. Then a team of wine experts will swill, sip and judge their way through the offerings, before participants take a seat at the table to enjoy a meal with an original newly blended wine. The experience includes a behind the scenes tour.

THE CHEESE MAKER Most people would probably have all the ingredients to make ricotta cheese at home. Making cheese sounds complicated, but in fact, some cheeses are surprisingly easy to make once you’ve mastered the art. The experts at The Cheese Maker run handson classes for making different cheeses including ricotta, haloumi, camembert, Persian fetta, wash rind and farmhouse favourites. After you’ve made cheese, all from scratch, there’s a chance to sit down and sample it. More than a course, The Cheese Maker’s comprehensive take home guide is designed to start you on your own cheese making odyssey at home.

BUSH TUCKER - DALE TILBROOK EXPERIENCES It makes sense for us to eat more of the high-nutrient bush tucker that grows natively in Australia. At Dale Tilbrook Experiences, an Indigenous-based interactive experience, you’ll learn about a variety of herbs, spices, peppers and dried fruits including where they grow and how to incorporate them into your cooking. There’s a large range of bush tucker and bush-

54 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

inspired products including jams, savoury and sweet sauces, pickles, relishes and chutneys, infused olive and macadamia oils, caramelised balsamic, raspberry and fig vinegars infused with Australian flavours such as Lemon Myrtle and Bush Tomato as well as dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and peppers. It’s not just healthy but delicious too and after sampling a variety of bush foods, you’ll finish with a delectable Quondong jam tart and a bush flavoured cake.

ASPARAGUS MASTERCLASS – EDGECOMBE BROTHERS A whole masterclass on asparagus – that’s not something you’ll read every day. From approximately September to November, Edgecombe Brothers winery shares their knowledge on how to grow, harvest, prepare and cook asparagus. You’ll spend some time in the asparagus patch picking fresh green spears, which, by the way, taste incredible raw. Originally planted by the late Walter Edgecombe in the late 1990s, the winery grows about four tonnes of asparagus every year. Your fresh asparagus will be prepared for lunch and under the

flowering wisteria, you’ll enjoy a grazing plate of freshly baked bread, cheese and tapenade and other morsels, the hero of the day, asparagus topped with parmesan and for dessert, chocolate coated figs. A tutored wine tasting session is included.

cocktail and try to replicate that. After the hour-long class, you’ll have your own 200 grams pack of the soft variety to take home. Customers often return again and again wanting to create new nougat flavours.

MAKE YOUR OWN SWAN VALLEY GIN MONDO NOUGAT Nougat is an ancient sweet that is surprisingly tricky to make, but under the tutelage of Mondo Nougat, you’ll skip the tricky bit and go straight to the fun of choosing your flavours. About 20 flavour options are provided including the classic nuts pistachio, almond, macadamia and hazelnut, dried fruits such as cranberry, cherries, apricots and apple, along with

Gin lovers and those who like to create their own unique products will love the hands-on Gin Masterclass at the Swan Valley Gin Co. Firstly, pick your citrus, spicy or floral botanicals, many derived from Swan Valley fruits. After preparing those,

using artisan, copper custom-made stills imported from Portugal, you’ll be shown how to choose the best part of the spirit - the very essence of distillation. The last step is to add Darling Range spring water to finish your masterpiece before creating a custom-made label and bottling your own 500ml gin. Using Australian made tonic, you’ll enjoy a G&T on arrival, and another with your gin-infused lunch, all included in the masterclass. To learn more, go to swanvalley.com.au/ See-and-Do/Masterclasses SV

Under the tutelage of Mondo Nougat, you’ll skip the tricky bit and go straight to the fun of choosing your flavours.”

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Upskill on your next Swan Valley visit by booking a make your own nougat, cheese or gin class.

some spices such as cinnamon, cardamon and chilli and of course chocolate. You can also bring your own dried flavours to include, and if it’s a good combination, it might even end up a limited flavour release at Mondo Nougat, such as an old Egyptian nougat of turmeric and ginger that was created by a customer who wanted to relive his favourite childhood sweet. It was so good, he ordered 20 kilograms to take back to Egypt with him! If you want to create a truly unique nougat, the trick is to think about your favourite dessert or favourite ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 55

OUT // ABOUT

ANIMAL MAGIC Come face to face with friendly Australian fauna at this family-owned and run wildlife park. By MONIQUE CECCATO

SECOND-GENERATION ANIMAL handler, Debbie Morley, has been around native Australian animals all her life. As the daughter of Caversham Wildlife Park owners, David and Pat Thorne, she grew up surrounded by the park’s resident population of kangaroos, koalas, and wombats. Debbie lived every child’s wildest dreams, though she was none the wiser to her fortune until she hit adulthood. “I guess you don’t realise how unique your childhood is growing up in a wildlife park,” she says. “It really took me to become a parent myself to really realise and appreciate how wonderful my childhood was.”

56 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

“The park is 33 years in the making for our family. We’ve invested everything into it, and we’ve sacrificed a lot for it,” says Debbie, who ended up working for the family business after a short stint at university. The Thorne family purchased Caversham Wildlife Park in 1988 and, in 2003, moved it out to its current home within Whiteman Park. Their purpose-built, 20-hectare facility is home to over 2000 head of animal across 200 different native Australian species, most of which were born on site. “If a rescue animal comes our way, we will always take it,” says Morley. “But, the majority are our animals that we’re breeding ourselves or animals that have been born in another zoo in Australia.” Accredited with the Zoo and Aquarium Association (an optional accreditation within the industry), Caversham Wildlife Park’s breeding programs and animal care go above and beyond that of standard regulations. “It’s no longer okay to just have animals housed in captivity that are safe,” explains Debbie. “We need to make sure that holistically, they’re very happy as well as just being safe. So, that’s looking at their nutrition, their health, their environment, their mental well being, and their behaviour, and just making sure that we take that all into account.”

WILD AT HEART Bells Rapids (this image) and right, the team at Caversham Wildlife Park will make visitors - of all sizes -very welcome.

KICKER quistis est la nis eostiundel ea quat enduciis dis lorum ipsum dolor acton exerferia pla eat esequo expe volupt

Perth’s BIGGEST day out is just 35 minutes from the city Journey

Ride the vint

age train an

d heritage

through

istory…

th transpor

Meet a woylie

after dark...

tram…

Come and play. ALL. DAY. LONG. Entry off Drumpellier Drive (formerly Lord Street) or Beechboro Road Whiteman 6068 @whitemanpark | 08 9209 6000 | www.whitemanpark.com.au

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 57

OUT // ABOUT

Breeding their animals within the confines of the park has dual benefits. Not only do the heavily regulated programs help to protect the future populations of endangered species within Australia, but Morley says the programs are essential for raising animals that are comfortable with human interaction. “This is all our animals know. They’re very familiar and comfortable with people, and that’s why we can then offer that real hands-on experience.” “We’ve got a really wide collection of animals for people to come and meet,” she says. “We focus on interaction so, when people come to the park, they should expect to be able to get up nice and close and personal with the animals.” Visitors to the park are encouraged to pet, feed, and take photos with the resident kangaroo mob that spend their days relaxing in the sun about the park. Other animals - like the koalas, wombats, and sometimes even snakes - are introduced to visitors through daily scheduled ‘meet and greets’. It’s these friendly encounters that Caversham Wildlife Park prides itself on. “We like to think that we provide

personalised service, and that’s a big difference between what a wildlife park does and what a zoo does,” explains Debbie. “Our focus at Caversham Wildlife Park is on making sure that our visitors have a great day; it’s what we’re here for. We’re here to make sure that they have the most

58 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

memorable experience and enjoy every last second of it.”

INTO THE WILD Caversham Wildlife Park sits within Whiteman Park’s bounds, a 4,000 hectares national park in the Swan Valley. The park’s

wild bushlands are home to over 450 endemic plants and 120 different species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles, including the critically endangered woylie and quenda. Lace-up your sneakers and take a stroll through bird-filled wetlands, forests of flooded gums, and farmland on the Werillyiup, Goo Loorto, or Wununga trails. Time your visit between August and September to see the tracks awash with yellow wattle, or head out during winter or spring to hear the frog chorus rising from the banks of Bennett Brook. The park also runs evening woylie and quenda tours to see them feeding in their natural habitat. A little further to the north is Bells Rapids, a peaceful stop along the Swan River in Brigadoon. Accessible by a gravel track, the Swan Valley rapids are one of the best vantage points for the annual Avon Descent race and an excellent spot for a weekend hike. Follow along the river banks and head over the iconic bridge, keeping an eye out for grey kangaroos and little pied cormorants along the way. To see the water rushing through the rapids at full force, plan your visit for the winter months. SV

FUN TIMES Get up close and personal with native animals at Caversham Wildlife Park (below opposite) or play for hours at Pia’s Place (left) or Pedal Play (right) at Whiteman Park.

CAVERSHAM WILDLIFE PARK

Caversham Wildlife Park boasts the largest privately owned collection of native wildlife in Western Australia. This world-class attraction prides itself on offering unique interactive experiences with Australia’s most interesting animals while maintaining the laid-back Aussie touch. Visitors receive personalised service by wildlife professionals dedicated to exceptional service, ensuring their visitors receive the best opportunities for animal interaction, information and photographs.

Open 7 days, 9:30am – 4pm daily Ph: (08) 9248 1984 Whiteman Park, Whiteman www.cavershamwildlife.com.au ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 59

OUT // ABOUT

The Swan Valley isn’t all about wine tastings and gourmet food. We look into the more adventurous side of the valley if you are searching for an adrenaline rush.

ADVENTURE IN THE By BROOKE EVANS-BUTLER

VALLEY

BATTLE WITH FRIENDS If you are looking for an adrenalin rush, Prue Mroczkowski, manager of Paintball Skirmish says players can step away from reality and do something different that’s thrilling and exciting. “They get to run around on our bush fields in camouflage having a friendly game of ‘shoot em ups’ while having a great laugh,” she says. “Players can expect some awesome fun on our six different playing fields in the Swan Valley. Set on bushland, they can run and

60 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

hide among trees, barricades, cars, buses, tunnels and pits! It’s an endless session of fun operated by experienced referees. Our weekend sessions also include a sausage sizzle and we take team photos too.” Visit paintballskirmish.com.au

HIT THE BULLSEYE If you want to try something out of the ordinary, book in with the WA Archery Centre (part of Whiteman Park International Shooting Complex) and try

archery for yourself. Nick Towill, State President of Archery WA, says for those wanting to do something a bit adventurous, archery is challenging for the mind as well as the body. “We have 10 different courses for people of different distances,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or how tall you are you can get into it and have a good time. You can get the kids, you can get mum and dad, grandad and grandma all involved. Some of our archers are 75 years of age and older, so we try to make it that everyone has the ability to come and have a go. Visit archerywa.com.au

SPLASH AND SLIDE During the warm months, the water slides at Perth’s Outback Splash are sure to get the heart racing. Eli Barlow, business development manager of Funday

Entertainment Group, says if you are looking for something adventurous, it would be hard to go past the fastest waterslide in WA. “This slide will test the nerves of even the most extreme thrill seekers,” he says. “It’s just you, 100 tonnes of water per hour and the sound of your heart beating in your ears. This breathtaking, gut-wrenching slide takes riders to a speed of up to 75 kilometres per hour, before they gently slow down, adjust their clothing and race off to go again! The Wedgie is just one of the many awesome waterslides to experience at Perth’s Outback Splash along with mini golf, mazes and Australian animals up close.” Water attractions are open September through to April but the park’s year-round attractions include mini golf, mazes and close encounters with Australian animals. Visit outbacksplash.com.au

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 61

OUT // ABOUT

EXPLORE WALKING TRAILS Walk one of the trails at Bells Rapids or explore a bush walking trail in Whiteman Park. trailswa.com.au/trails/bells-rapidswalk-trail whitemanpark.com.au/wildlife/bushwalking-trails

GET A BIRD’S EYE VIEW If you think wine tours are nice but you prefer something a bit more exciting – then you have never travelled to a wine tour by helicopter. Forget the tour bus; this is a wine tour with a difference! “The Ultimate Local Winery Lunch experience is a unique way to view some of the best scenery Perth has to offer, and enjoy first class food and wine,” says Luke Wyllie, owner/director of Corsaire Aviation. “Travelling by helicopter allows the guests to depart from a central location (options include Crown Towers

TEST YOURSELF Team up for a battle at Paintball Skirmish (left), or pit your wits at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre (above). Take a private wine tour flight with Corsaire Aviation (left below).

62 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

Perth, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Fremantle or Jandakot) and overfly the iconic Rottnest Island, taking in views of the turquoise bays and white sandy beaches. Passengers will then be treated to a bird’s eye view of the Swan River and Perth CBD as the flight crosses the coast and overflies the vineyards. The first stop is a private wine and cheese tasting at trendy Lancaster Wines. Following the tasting, the helicopter will fly you over the vines to your choice of Sandalford Wines or Mandoon Estate where you will be greeted for a private wine tasting followed by a three-course à la carte lunch. There is no better way to see Perth from coastline to the heritage vines all in a day’s work.” Visit corsaireaviation.com.au

Swan Valley Adventure Centre offers day camps during the school holidays with a range of activities available for different age groups. Try the high ropes course, flying fox, commando course, canoeing and more. Some activities are also able to be booked on weekends during the school holidays. It also offers the opportunity to host children’s birthday parties. SV Visit swanvalleyadventurecentre.org

Fast facts

come for the fun THERE ARE ALSO many other things to do in the Valley if you want some fun or action: Try golfing with a difference (using golf clubs with oversized heads and an oversized ball) at Oasis Supa Golf and Mini Golf. Visit getgolfing.com.au Get on your bike and ride along the Swan Valley Cycle Trail Visit swanvalley.com.au/Seeand-Do/Drive-Cycle-or-Walk/ Cycle-around-the-Valley Or for those who want to sit down for a relaxed lunch but your kids want to burn off some energy, Bailey Brewing Co has a nature playground – complete with flying fox, Visit baileybrewingco.com.au

BIG ADVENTURES Outback Splash appeals to all ages. Right, Swan Valley Centre.

See the Swan Valley differently...

Escape for a while from the hustle of modern life to a horse drawn wagon tour where the pace is unhurried and relaxed. Sample fabulous Swan Valley produce, foods and wines. Meet our happy Draft horses and leave with some very special photos. A must do experience when visiting Perth or living local.

www.swanvalleywa.com Ph: 0412 917 496 E: wagons@swanvalleywa.com ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 63

OUT // ABOUT

SHOW A LITTLE LOCAL LOVE Thanks to its semi-rural location and the reputation of its resident makers, the Swan Valley and historic Guildford have become a hub for independent retailers. By MONIQUE CECCATO

BOUTIQUE GINS, LOCAL art, and handmade fashion; there are no bounds to the product coming out of the region. I spoke to Lauren Stuart at Swan Settlers Market, and Katherine Ferguson and Nicola Cowie at The Artists Nook, about life as retailers in the Swan Valley.

SWAN SETTLERS MARKET It’s hard to believe that the bustling, multifaceted Swan Settlers Market site was once a long-running sultana processing plant. Now barely recognisable, the old production floor is home to around 30 vendors who showcase their locally made wares every Saturday and Sunday. “The vendors are mainly food, artisan, or vintage, and there’s also Holy Mary Cellars and Sin Gin Distillery,” explains Lauren Stuart, marketing manager of the Swan Settlers Market. “Coral, the ‘Queen of Condiments’, makes chutneys, pickles, jams, oils, and relishes at Koojedda Country. She grows most of her ingredients on her property in Bakers Hill,”

64 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

says Lauren. “Then there’s Boards by Frank: when it comes to wood, there’s nothing that Frank won’t make. He’s a great person to chat to if you are looking for something unique or bespoke. There are lots of other stalls too; too many to mention. But that’s what’s great about the market - as you wander around there’s always something new to see or another friendly person to have a chat with and learn more about their products.” Swan Settlers Market’s community focus extends further than their drive to stock and support locally made. Community is at the core of what they do. As well as bringing in entertainment for the whole family to enjoy on a weekly basis, Swan Settlers Market plays a larger role in

bringing the community together for good. “The Swan Valley community is very caring and supportive of each other and local business. The Wooroloo fires showed that with so many locals donating what they could to help. The market provided people with a way to contribute and help others - we had people travelling from all over WA to show their support.” The market has revealed its new fruit and vegetable section where local growers can have a representation and sell their seasonal produce. “We’re just putting the finishing touches on it and we will be opening it soon,” says Lauren. “The concept really is to have an outdoor farmers market but indoor and airconditioned - it’s revitalising that old-fashioned country approach that the Swan Settlers Market does so well.” Visit swansettlersmarkets.com.au

THE ARTISTS NOOK Katherine Ferguson, an avid painter, and printmaker Nicola Cowie were introduced through their children, and they bonded over their mutual love of art. “We officially opened The Artists Nook in September 2017. We started by just stocking our own work, but we wanted to create a community of WA artisans. So, we slowly grew the business to represent over 60 local makers”, says Katherine. “Currently, we source all of our stock from within WA - not just from the Perth metro. Our ethos has always been about Australian made products from local makers.” Originally opened as a personal gallery space to showcase Katherine’s works, the store quickly grew to incorporate a range of art supplies, handcrafted clothing, and artisanal gifts. It’s an eclectic mix that speaks volumes of the Swan Valley and Guildford’s creative community. “We’re passionate about the arts. It’s fabulous to have other respected artists in shops around us, and we believe that similar businesses create a community rather than competition.” “For a town like Guildford, boutique-style shops are essential. It allows makers to showcase their work and gives shoppers the variety they can’t get in the larger shopping centres,” explains Nicola, who’s turned down offers to relocate numerous times. The Swan Valley and its creative community is their home. “We’ve had opportunities to move our business, but Guildford and the Swan Valley is definitely where we choose to be. We’re blessed to have a shop within a beautiful tranquil courtyard behind the hustle and bustle of James Street. Our unique vibe is suited to Guildford.” Now in their fourth year of trade, The Artists Nook is going from strength to strength. Katherine and Nicola are going back to their roots and, once again, turning their focus to their own brands. “We’re creating a space filled with our designs and working with some of our current makers as our suppliers. They’ll be supplying us with clothing, accessories, and homewares that are unique to us, allowing us to maintain our ethos of local and Australian made but developing our own brand to reflect our passions.” Visit theartistsnook.com and for more spots to shop, visit swanvalley.com.au SV

Swan Settlers Market located in the heart of the Swan Valley, is home to a wonderful range of friendly and passionate artisans, producers and restaurateurs.

There's an international food court, playgrounds and a free petting zoo, live music, wine and gin tasting, a vintage wonderland and so much more!

Come along with your family and friends this weekend and discover all the market has to offer.

Open 9am - 5pm Saturday & Sunday www.swansettlersmarket.com.au

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 65

VACATIONING IN THE

VALLEY Book a stay in the Swan Valley and dial back stress levels to zero. By MONIQUE CECCATO

LINGER LONGER The Colony boutique accommodation (above) was a natural addition to Mandoon Estate.

PICTURE THIS: WAKING up to wide open spaces, wild bushland, and endless rows of lush, green grapevines. The thought alone relaxes the shoulders and unwinds the mind. Less than 30-minutes from the Perth CBD, the rural plots of land that line the winding Swan River makes for the perfect, road-trip free weekend getaway. Whether you’re looking at an overnighter with your sweetheart or you want to bring the whole family along for the ride, there’s something to suit every kind of staycationer.

LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY Leaving the city behind for the weekend doesn’t require a pre-departure panic shop for gumboots and farm-approved garb; there are options for those of you who prefer your R&R (rural resorts) on the more luxurious side. The newest hotel on the block is Mandoon Estate’s: The Colony. It was the last piece in the puzzle for the winery and brewery, rounding off its unique offering

to the Swan Valley. “After Mandoon Estate opened in 2014, it really did feel like a natural progression to add a boutique hotel to the mix,” explains the hotel’s general manager, Travers O’Rafferty. The 32-room hotel that was built to look out over the estate’s verdelho vines opened its doors at the end of 2017. “Mandoon had pretty much everything else you could wish for, with stunning views of historic vineyards, three separate dining options, a modern function centre, a craft brewery, cellar door, and a beer garden - all on the doorstep of the Swan River.” One of the region’s most established resorts sits at the very northern reaches of the region. Built in 1989 - and beautifully refurbished in more recent years - the sprawling Vines Resort is a city-fringing stay with a country club vibe. It boasts not one, but two 18-hole golf courses, an 18-hole mini golf course, tennis and squash courts, two dining options, and a day spa; everything a staycation-ing couple or family could need. “For families, we recommend staying in one of our apartments and a buffet breakfast in Muscats Restaurant where the kids can eat as many pancakes as they want,” says the resort’s marketing manager, Carly Odgers. For couples, she suggests a night or two in a deluxe spa or executive ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 67

HOME FROM HOME Accommodation at The Vines has been given a beautiful facelift, making it the perfect base to explore the Swan Valley and historic Guildford. Below, The Colony.

suite. “Couples should spend a lazy morning pool side before indulging with a couples treatment in Keishi Spa. Then, head to the Valley for some lunch at one of the romantic venues, enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in Muscats Bar, and a romantic dinner in Muscats restaurant.”

BOUTIQUE BEAUTIES There are plenty of farm stay and bed and breakfast experiences to choose from around the Swan Valley, each offering their

68 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

own take on semi-rural living. “It’s a lot more personal than staying in a hotel,” says Yvonne Khan, one of the owners of Nivalis Bed & Breakfast in Henley Brook. “All our guests love the homely experience and the finer detail we put into everything. They enjoy the privacy and the location.” Yvonne, her husband Craig, and her daughter Georgia started Nivalis B&B three years ago, after realising there was a great opportunity for more B&Bs in the area. “We live on a 10-acre property in the

Swan Valley and have a huge 8x4 house,” says Yvonne. “Having lived and worked in the Valley for 17 years, I’m very familiar with all that we have to offer guests. We thought we would try a B&B as the location is perfect - it’s within walking distance to wineries and breweries, and a short drive to all other unique attractions that the valley has to offer”. In West Swan, wake up to the sounds of chirping birds and collect some freshly laid eggs for breakfast at Settlers Rest

Farmstay, one of the many boutique stays at the base of the Darling Scarp. Catering to couples, friend groups, and families, this refurbished, three-bedroom cottage was built at the turn of the 20th century and is one of the only original farmhouses remaining in the area. Kids can feed the resident alpacas, horses, and guinea pigs with the feed and gumboots supplied. Poplar’s Farmstay in Belhus offers a similar farm animal experience, as well as a private swimming pool and access to

the property’s fruiting mulberry, apricot, and citrus trees when in season. Larger groups should look to stay at Swan Valley Sisters in Henley Brook. It’s chalet-style accommodation with an organic and biodynamic produce store and cafe on site. They have four three-bedroom chalets all within close proximity. Where more privacy and a luxury spa experienced is desired, one of Swan Valley Retreat’s two adultsonly rooms is the perfect choice. Plan your next Swan Valley staycation at swanvalley.com.au/stays

PERFECTLY IDYLLIC Left and above, Settler’s Rest Farmstay. Above left, Swan Valley Retreat.

Budget busters

Bordering both Midland and Middle Swan, the Big4 Perth Midland Tourist Park is a hop, skip, and a jump from all the Swan Valley action. It’s kidfriendly and budget-friendly, with various accommodation options catering to families, a fully-equipped games room, and a heated outdoor pool. Bring the bikes and let the kids zoom around the park while you enjoy a locally acquired bottle of wine and nibblies on the porch.

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 69

TIE THE KNOT For your big day, the Swan Valley is a destination which has for many years welcomed brides and grooms. By TORI WILSON

70 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

SOMETHING BORROWED A wedding at Sandalford Wines is a beautiful and memorable affair - with no detail left to chance at this gorgeous, heritage Swan Valley, recently restored venue.

WHEN IT COMES to planning your day to say, ‘I do’, the Swan Valley has just about all you could envision and more. With an abundance of rustic, intimate and grand venues to select from, world class wines, food fit for a Queen’s banquet and picturesque open spaces, the Swan Valley is the place to have your cake and eat it too. Held twice yearly, the Swan Valley Twilight Wedding Expo showcases the breadth of inspiring options in the area.

If you missed January’s event, attend the next one in July to paint a picture of how your potential venue will look in the ambient light of sunset and under the twinkle of the stars. For now, read on for a taste of what the region has to offer.

Sandalford Wines It’s hard to look past Sandalford Wines when imagining weddings in the Swan Valley.

Being one of Western Australia’s oldest, largest and most distinguished producers of premium wine, a sense of heritage and romance sweeps this location. “We often retell our brides the charming story of Sandalford’s original owner, John Septimus Roe, and his wife Matilda who arrived as newlyweds from England in 1829,” says corporate tourism manager Jenny Hvalgaard. “You just can’t re-create this kind of ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 71

Sandalford reception room. “It’s a bespoke build and pillarless space, but it reflects all the heritage and grandeur of our 180-year-old estate,” she says. The Oak Room can seat up to 120 guests, while The Estate Room can seat up to 350. Another distinctive space for a striking reception is The Sandalera Room. Descend into the cellar space, seating up to 250 guests, where you can breathe in the aroma of authentic American Oak Barrels aging premium fortified, which line the room. Or, for something more intimate, the Durack Room seats up to 80 guests and exudes tranquillity, with an enclosed boardwalk overlooking the vines on one side and French doors opening onto an outdoor balcony looking down to the river edge. Explore Sandalford at sandalford.com/

Belvoir Homestead

heritage. Our couples tend to enhance the traditional setting of our estate when styling their weddings, so they meld into the timeline of the incredible history of Swan Valley,” she says. Sandalford features three ceremony sites including The White House, the newest addition to the repertoire following the completion of Sandalford’s recent $3.5 million renovations. “We’ve just added The White House to our lovely ceremony sites and, after our Wedding Showcase held earlier this year, it’s proven to be a winner because it’s got that great Hamptons vibe going on and

it’s on a hill overlooking our lakes and vineyards,” says Jenny. The range of reception spaces are equally as inviting. “Traditionally, our Oak Room has been the benchmark for brides because they love the soft ceiling drapes, the tall, free standing candelabras and the walls made of stained oak and wine barrels,” says Jenny. “It’s an impressive, atmospheric space which guests respond to really well, and aspects like the gold Tiffany chairs photograph beautifully. “Now, we have The Estate Room which is rapidly becoming the quintessential

72 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

Built to the traditional Australian Federation design, Belvoir Homestead gives a sense of heritage and would fit nicely within an historical romance novel. Choose from the Shaw or Loton Dining Rooms and inside you’ll find sweeping jarrah staircases, intricate chandeliers and full-length French windows that capture remarkable views. The Shaw Room looks out over a canopy of gum trees that descend towards the river, while the Loton Room looks out to a country garden for a splash of colour. Both seat 50 to 180 guests. Outside, you’ll find two secluded outdoor wedding ceremony areas, as well as Belvoir’s historic rustic barn, which can host both charming ceremonies and receptions for couples seeking a rustic environment. The Barn will fit up to 250 guests. Read more about Belvoir Homestead at belvoir.net.au/homestead/weddings/

Caversham House

Caversham House is one of the Valley’s most iconic wedding venues, the kind that is fit for princes and princesses. With large, lavish gardens speckled with waterfalls, gum trees, views of the Swan River and eye-catching, carved statues; Caversham offers multiple locations for a memorable ceremony. There’s no shortage of luxurious reception spaces, either.

DREAMS COME TRUE Opposite, the Estate Room at Sandalford Wines makes for a stunning backdrop. This page, Caversham House has the wow factor with stunning gardens and several different reception options.

IMAGE Ella Otranto Photography

The Caversham House Reception Room is the boldest of the bunch, with a French flair and contemporary highlights. A modern bar, hanging crystal pendants, French provincial doors, lush lounges and climbing wisteria make this space a statement. Choose the Garden House Reception for something especially intimate. Seating just 50 guests or 70 when standing, the Garden House is set on plush lawn and features large, white French doors that open completely to provide stunning views of the surrounding trees and manicured gardens. Discover more of Caversham House at cavershamhouse.com.au ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 73

Above, Bailey Brewing Co. Left, The Barn at Belvoir Homestead.

Bailey Brewing Co Nestled within the picturesque native bushland of Henley Brook, Bailey Brewing Co is the Swan Valley’s backyard and potentially your dream wedding venue. This recent addition to the Valley offers couples the option of ceremony only, reception only or ceremony and reception packages in three spots - Arbour Bell, Tower and Marquee - framed by native bushland, exuding rustic simplicity. Visit baileybrewingco.com.au/ weddings-functions

Brookleigh Estate Offering six unique locations, Brookleigh Estate is a French-inspired property that can be as charming and quaint as it can be impressive and indulgent. A grandiose and architecturally striking venue, The Chateau exemplifies Brookleigh’s connection to French heritage with its grand limestone archway and white,

... the Swan Valley has just about all you could envision and more.”

arched windows. The detail of the interior makes a statement equally as impacting. The Lakeside Gallery is a stunning fairytale location. Featuring a charming bridge and quaint wooden gazebo perched on the edge of a glistening lake, this would make a picturesque spot for a ceremony, with a terrace nearby for a long-table or cocktail-style reception. With an equestrian training centre located on the property, The Stables fits naturally among the setting. This barn-style venue showcases rustic wooden doors that lead to an intimate, moody interior lined with red brick walls and hanging globes. With a romantic ambiance The Stables is an edgy space fit for a banquet. Looking for a blank canvas to make a space entirely your own? The Lawn is the ultimate location for a dynamic dream wedding. With so much potential here to personalise your experience think glamorous pop-up tents, your favourite

74 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

funky food vans, custom drinks thanks to BYO-licensing, and essentially whatever installation your heart desires. Explore Brookleigh Estate’s entire property at brookleigh.com.au

Barrett Lane

Nestled in the heart of the Swan Valley, Barrett Lane is a relaxed venue with an abundance of charm. This A-frame barn-style venue is lined with wooden balustrades and pillars that add to the rustic atmosphere and appeal. With foliage and delicate lighting detailing the venue, this location is incredibly romantic with an individual edge. The venue can comfortably fit 130 guests for a cocktail function and 80 guests for a seated reception, while both the function hall and garden grounds are available for an intimate ceremony space. Find out more about Barrett Lane at barrettlane.com.au

IMAGE Fox and Wilding Photography IMAGE Melissa’s Photography

SAY I DO Brookleigh Estate, Caversham House and Sandalford Wines all offer beautiful wedding venues for your big day.

IMAGE Fox and Wilding Photography

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 75

Home of the $4.99 pint, Guildford's best value food & live entertainment.

thestirlingarms.com.au 117 James Street (cnr Meadow St) Guildford PH: 6142 4352 OPEN Mon - Thurs from 12pm, Fri & Sat from 11am, Sun from 10am facebook.com/thestirlingarms

@stirlingarmshotel

Maison Saint-Honore

2931 West Swan Road, Caversham Ph: 0419 741 936 E: bookings@pastainthevalley.com.au www.pastainthevalley.com.au Online ordering available via our website

76 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

“Maison” has been making macarons in Perth for the past 10 years. Now, open to the public, visitors can enjoy traditional and authentic French Food with a glass of Wine, relax in our gardens while the children play, have a sneak peek at our production and of course take home a box of our macarons. The macaron and cake factory is the sweetest place in the Valley. Monday to Friday 6.30am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm

100 Benara Road, Caversham • Ph +618 9377 4674 www.maisonsainthonore.com

FOLLOW THE SWAN Valley on social media to keep up with everything that’s happening in the Swan Valley, Guildford and beyond. From new openings and events to special offers and competitions, you’ll find it all on our channels. Want to share your day or night out? Tag #theswanvalley or @theswanvalley so we can see your posts.

/theswanvalley

@theswanvalley

Sunrise at Sandalford Wines

The House of Honey

@theswanvalley

Upper Reach Winery

Two Birds Fromagerie

Bailey Brewing Co.

Stewart’s is nestled in the magnificent Brookleigh Estate. We offer a menu based on local produce in a relaxed, friendly setting. Stewart’s also offer high tea daily from noon served with your favourite tea, on the finest china to share with your dearest people.

LUNCH, HIGH TEA, DINNER

1235 Great Northern Hwy, Upper Swan • (08) 9296 6966

www.stewartsrestaurant.com.au

ISSUE 1 / 2021 / 77

Challenge your friends and family on

Perth’s premier 18 hole mini golf course

Wedding & conference facilities also available

set at the picturesque Vines Resort. Open daily from 8am. vinesminigolf.com.au #vinesminigolf

128 John Street, Henley Brook Ph: 0424 209 730 www.cuddlyfarm.com

An all-weather venue for fun family outings. Cuddly Animal Farm offers an interactive experience with cute, friendly animals in an Aussie farm environment with fantastic photo opportunities. Bottle and bucket feeding, train rides, merry-go-round, bouncy castle, BBQ and picnic facilities. Open daily 9.30am–4pm.

Book your Swan Valley staycation now www.vines.com.au or 9297 3000

RIVERBROOK RESTAURANT IS DESIGNED TO REFLECT WA’S CASUAL LIFESTYLE AND CLIMATE AND TO PROVIDE FOOD THAT COMPLEMENTS AWARD-WINNING WINES

RAW, NATURAL, UNPROCESSED HONEY RAW, RAW, NATURAL, NATURAL, UNPROCESSED UNPROCESSED HONEY HONEY

WindarraHoney Honeyisis isaa small family-owned and Windarra Windarra Honey small family-owned family-owned and operatedcommercial commercialbeekeeping beekeepingbusiness, business, operated operated commercial beekeeping business, based the heart ofSwan the Swan Valley based based inin the theinheart heart of of the the Swan Valley Valley

www.windarrahoney.com www.windarrahoney.com www.windarrahoney.com Street 5 5George 5 George George Street Street West Swan WA 6055 West West Swan Swan WA WA 6055 6055 9274 6649 0808 08 9274 9274 6649 6649

PH 9296 3883 | 77 MEMORIAL AVE, BASKERVILLE | RIVERBROOK.COM.AU

“Bringing delight, free chocolate tastings, multi award-winning chocolates and great value sweet treats and meals to the Swan Valley for over 20 years.”

5123 West Swan Road Open 9-5 Every Day www.chocolatefactory.com.au 78 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

@windarra_honey @windarra_honey @windarrahoney @windarrahoney

The Swan Valley Visitor Centre is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the Swan Valley and Guildford

• Visitor information • Maps and brochures • Souvenirs

• Gift cards • Bookings • Personalised service and advice

You’ll find the Swan Valley Visitor Centre in the Guildford Courthouse (c. 1866) at the corner of Meadow and Swan Streets, Guildford Open 7 Days from 9am-4pm (closed Christmas Day). T: (+61 8) 9207 8899 | E: visitorcentre@swan.wa.gov.au W: swanvalley.com.au

/theswanvalley @theswanvalley @theswanvalley

S W A N V A L L E Y ISSUE 1 / 2021 VINE YARDS SINCE

1829

/ 79

FR E E TASTINGS & ENTRY!

AT?

HOW DO YOU FREE LIKE YOUR NOUGAT? TASTI NGS! CRUNCHY, SOFT, NUTTY, FRUITY, SPREADABLE, CHOCOLATE COATED OR MAYBE EVEN SPICY?

OPENI

Visit ou rw holiday s&

Join our Masterclass and create your own unique flavour.

our a ,

2019

www.mondos.com.au

Enjoy homemade cakes,

Book Now

and more! Open Tuesday to Sunday

80 / SWAN VALLEY MAGAZINE / swanvalley.com.au

640 Great Northern Hwy Herne Hill 6056 T (08) 9296 0111 www.mondos.com.au

Swan Valley Magazine 2021

Articles inside

Directory

Making Trails

Add to your Skill Set

Adventure in the Valley

Tie the Knot

Tea Time

Eat Like a Local

From Bean to Brew

Living History

The New Guard

World of Wine in the Valley

History on Tap

Grazing, Valley Style

First among Brunches

Dog Days & Afternoons

Visit us in the Valley ... Any Time of the Year