Wine regions – Swan District

Swan District   Western Australia

Subregions:  
Swan Valley   

The flat plains of the Swan River produce highly drinkable wines. Chenin Blanc and Verdelho display both rich and fresh characters and locally produced Rosé is the perfect summer drink.

The Swan District region is an extensive area north of Perth. It runs along the coast just south of Guilderton and it north west boundary extends up to the town of Wannamal . Wineries are found around the towns of Gingin and Yanchep. However, the main concentration of wineries and vineyards are in a narrow band along the Avon River just north of Midland and the head of the Swan River around Guildford. This area is now designated the Swan Valley sub-region.

Swan Valley Sub-region

The alluvial soils of the Swan Valley and its proximity to Perth saw early horticultural development. Vines were planted in the 1800s for both wine and fruit and production became quite substantial by the 1860s. Well known amongst these were Houghtons and Sandalford who are now household names. The Valley maintained its economic equilibrium through tough times by supplying the rush of gold diggers to the state who in turn invested in horticulture when their time on the gold fields came to an end. As a number of the estate names attest, the region was also settled by a significant number of southern Europeans who came after the First World War.

Growth since World War II has been steady with peaks in the 1970s at the time when consumption of table wine really took off.

The region is of great historical significance to the development of the Australian wine industry. The Swan Valley is the oldest wine region in Western Australia and it was here at Houghtons Winery that the legendary winemaker Jack Mann produced fifty vintages. Mann was one of the pioneers of white table wines at a time when fortifieds and red wines were popular with consumers. His most famous white wine was Houghton’s White Burgundy made from Chenin Blanc grapes. Mann influenced generations of winemakers who took his wisdom about low yielding grape vines and the use of new technology and established modern winemaking practices in regions such as the Margaret River, Great Southern as well as the wine regions of the east coast.

The main towns are Guildford, Caversham, Baskerville, Middle Swan, Herne Hill and Upper Swan. Guilford was established as a river port. It has retained many of its hertitage buildings, giving visitors an insight into the Valley’s colonial past. At Caversham, also on the river, is Sandalford Wines’s historic Caversham Estate. Travelling north along the Great Northern Highway to Middle Swan you find some of the Swan Valley’s largest wineries such as Jane Brook Estate and BRL’s Houghton Wines and Moondah Brook. The highway takes you to Upper Swan which marks the Valley’s northern boundary. The sub-region also boasts many fine boutique wineries amongst them Ambrook Estate, Talijancich Wine and Westfield Wines.

The climate is Mediterranean tempered by Indian Ocean breezes. The main table wine varieties are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Semillon Verdelho Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The climate is excellent for growing Muscat Gordo Blanco and Muscadelle producing the region’s highly regarded fortified wines.

The Swan Valley is a mere 20 minutes by road from Perth making it a haven for food and wine loving day trippers or weekend stayers. The Swan Valley is also connected to Perth by the blue meandering Swan River. Wineries stretch right along the river. There is jetty access at Waters Edge Winery and RiverBank Estate or take Sandalford Estate’s luxury cruiser from Perth.

The Swan Valley is one of the best wine regions for experiencing restaurant dining at wineries. The list is extensive so please refer to the right hand menu for listings. With great local food produce and fine wines and lovely views, dining in the Swan Valley is a one of the great pleasures the Valley has to offer.

The Valley has wine, food and arts events throughout the year. The big events of the calendar year are the Taste of the Valley Festival over four weekends in April. The festival is a great mix of performing and visual arts coupled with wine tastings and ‘meet the producers’ events. In July there is the Shiraz and Seafood Weekend followed by the public tastings at the Swan Valley Wine Show in September. The Spring Festival is on in October and enjoy the fun of summer with the Midsummer Feast in February.

Harvest time: mid February to early March

Swan Valley Wine Show 2008 Results

The Swan Valley & Regional Winemakers Association (SVRWA) hosted the Annual Swan Valley Wine Show awards dinner and there was plenty of praise for this year’s entrants.

Major trophy winners from the Swan Valley region included Heafod Glen, Oakover, and John Kosovich.

Heaford Glen won 3 awards for their Verdelho this year, taking home the awards for Best Verdelho, Best Swan Valley GI Table Winer and Best Dry White Table Wine.

Liam Clarke, the Winemaker at Heafod Glen said “As a small and relatively new winery we are very happy to have been awarded three trophies at the 2008 Swan Valley Wine Show.” The event was an excellent showcase for what the Swan Valley region has to offer in terms of quality and diversity. We did not anticipate that our 2008 Verdelho would perform so well given the overall quality of wines exhibited.”

He went on to say “There was a strong class of Verdelho in the show which is a testament to the suitability of the variety to this region.” Included were several excellent examples of aged Verdelho which also demonstrate the versatility this wonderful grape. It is very satisfying to see a variety synonymous with the Swan Valley perform so well at our regional wine show.”

John Kosovich won two trophies for their Liqueur Muscat, the Best Wine of Show and the Best Fortified Wine.

The trophy for Best Value for Money Wine was awarded to the 2008 Oakover White Label Classic.

The 2008 Wine Show featured 286 entries from 38 exhibitors, with 156 entries receiving medals, comprising 28 gold, 39 silver and 75 bronze. Sixteen of the gold medals were awarded to wineries within the Swan Valley region. Amongst them were wines from Faber Vineyard, Pinelli Wines, Upper Reach, Lancaster, Lilac Hill Estate and Ledaswan Organic Wines.

Sites with more information:

• Guildford and Swan Valley Tourist Centre
• Western Australia

All photos courtesy of Tourism WA
2008 Wine Show Results courtsey Swan Valley Regional Winemakers Association