In the far south of the Margaret River region this family-owned farm turned vineyard, cellar door and restaurant has been winning praise over recent years for its proper paddock to plate experience. The restaurant under up-and-coming chef Jess Widmer uses meat reared on farm, as well as vegies from their own gardens or that of producers close by. On days when the intimate restaurant space isn’t in full swing, a plate of house made charcuterie and a taste through their cellar is in order. Perennial favourites include Wildlings Savagnin and the house Pet Nat.

Amato Vino is a tiny wine tasting room come bar and terrace in the village of Witchcliffe just 5 minutes south of Margaret River town. Winemaker Brad Wehr has set up home in a former general store that has been brought to life with reclaimed timber and metal work. One of the most individual tasting rooms in the region, open Thursday to Sunday, it’s a fitting home for a winemaker that is all about minimal adjustments, gentle handling, and wild ferments. (Picture: Frances Andrijich, Tourism WA.)

Established in 1967, Vasse Felix is Margaret River’s oldest commercial winemaker, and now a byword for quality in the glass and on the plate. While they’re known, like many of their contemporaries, for Chardonnay and Cabernet, do also check out the likes of their Idee Fixe traditional method Blanc de Blancs. The restaurant under chef Brendan Pratt is rightly hailed as one of WA’s best, and the perfect stop for modern Australian dining.

Mr Barval Fine Wines winemaker Rob Gherardi has worked at some of the founding wineries of the Margaret River region like Cullen Wines and Moss Wood, as well as having formative experiences in Barolo, in northern Italy’s Piedmont region. The name “Mr Barval” tells his story. “Mr” being Margaret River, “Bar” being Barolo, and “val” being for Valtellina, his family’s home region, also in northern Italy. Focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the classic varieties of the region, Gherardi’s approach is gentle handling of fruit, the use of native yeasts, and delivering wines that are unfined, unfiltered and unadjusted. (Picture: Tourism WA) Related story: Will flight prices go down? Why airfares are so expensive right now

With a cellar door by appointment the best way to experience Burnside Organic is to book a stay in their on-farm chalets. Jamie and Lara McCall own and run this small family farm and winery which has been organic and biodynamically run for over 15 years. Dry-grown, north-facing vineyards are tended by hand and the McCall’s are now seeing their young sons take more than an interest in the property, planting their own vineyard blocks. You’ll find Zinfandel here, a nod to Aussie winemaking legend David Hohnen who originally planted the varietal at Cape Mentelle back in the 1970s. (Picture: Frances Andrijich, Tourism WA.)

Over the past few decades Millbrook Winery has slowly carved out a reputation for its Shiraz and Viognier grown in the Perth Hills less than an hour from the CBD. In more recent years the restaurant under the direction of executive chef Guy Jeffreys has become a sustainable standard bearer for WA restaurants, championing a no waste kitchen approach and a serious market garden set up. Related story: The secret meanings behind the letters and numbers on your boarding pass

A boutique family-owned winery established back in 1922, the Kosovich name is now indelibly linked to West Australian winemaking, using fruit from both the Swan Valley and the Pemberton region in the South West of the state. At the John Kosovich Wines cellar door you’ll taste their noted expressions of Chardonnay and Cabernet, as well as their more traditional liqueur wines. Chenin has had a resurgence in the last few years but in the Swan Valley it’s been a staple for generations. Well worth a taste.

A winemaking icon established back in 1840, Sandalford Wines is one of the state’s oldest winemakers, and in a region that is one of the country’s oldest also. The Swan Valley is just 25 minutes from Perth’s CBD. The modern incarnation of Sandalford Wines is an experience that can include everything from a wine tasting at cellar door to lunch in the restaurant or experiences that bring in the heritage and the craft at play here. (Picture: Scott Slawinski, Source: Tourism Australia.)

There’s much to Mandoon Estate from the winery and cellar door to fine dining at Wild Swan, a picnic style menu at The Llawn, and even an onsite brewery. The boutique wine range uses low-yielding single vineyard sites in the Swan Valley and other regions within WA. Stay a night or two at The Colony, described as a “luxe basecamp” from which to discover Mandoon Estate and beyond. (Picture: Rebecca Mansell, Source: Tourism Australia.)

Close to the wild Southern Ocean coast, Rockcliffe Wines in Denmark is a great start in getting to grips with the wine of the Great Southern and the slow-ripening, cool climate fruit that shapes its reputation. Estate grown wines are crafted from varietals that lend themselves well to the region: Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. (Picture: Walter Bibikow, Source: Alamy.) Related story: What to do if your flight is cancelled, according to an airline worker