Swan District Wine Region

Swan District

The Swan district is an historic wine region in close proximity to the city of Perth. With early vineyards established in 1829, it lays claim to the oldest wine producing history in Western Australia. The district has a longstanding tradition of fortified wines and continues to make boutique specialist styles from muscat gordo, muscadelle, verdelho and shiraz. Fortifieds from John Kosovich and Talijancich set a benchmark amongst the local styles. Revolutionary Houghton’s vigneron, Jack Mann pioneered modern table winemaking techniques in the west in the 1930s. He famously developed white chenin blanc table wines that remain a forte of the region. As a single varietal, Swan District chenin is a rich, full flavoured style with good longevity. It also plays a part in the fruity classic white blend alongside peachy chardonnay and tropical, honeysuckle flavoured Verdelho that are important varieties in their own right. Leading red table wines include medium to full bodied shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

The Swan District follows the coast north from Perth. Many of the region’s wineries lie within the Swan Valley sub region. The district lies on a flat, alluvial plain beside the sweeping Swan river. There are over 1,100 ha of vine in a warm, Mediterranean climate moderated by the cooling influence of the Indian Ocean and the Freemantle Doctor. Soils throughout the area are generally deep and free draining. They include fertile alluvials, coastal sands over limestone, red and gravelly loams over clay.

A luxury Swan River cruise is a wonderful way take in the region. By car, the Swan Valley food and wine trail is a scenic loop of award winning wineries, breweries, restaurants and distilleries.

Stuart MacGill uncorks the Swan Valley