Calling all oenophiles: There’s a new wine experience platform in town, and it gives you a chance to discover WA’s wine regions like never before.

Created by Margaret River local and freelance wine and travel writer Cassandra Charlick, Earn Your Vino encourages people to slow down and build a connection with the place and people, while learning more about wine and winemaking.  

“As a wine and travel writer, I spend a huge amount of time on the road in different wine regions; visiting cellar doors, hanging out at wineries and tasting wine,” says Charlick.

“I launched Earn Your Vino to help share the magic of wine further and really encourage people to dive deeper and slow down when they travel in wine regions. There is so much more to experience than simply hopping from cellar door to cellar door all day.”

The experiences also allow travellers to work up a bit of a sweat by hiking or biking through the landscape before indulging in the region’s gourmet delights.

Related story: Why bikepacking and site-running holidays are perfect for food lovers

“You get a real sense of place by hiking or biking over the landscape. Wine regions don’t pop up by accident – they have the perfect conditions for growing grapes and you’ll really understand the terroir by spending time out in nature,” says Charlick.

As any exercise devotee can attest, there’s another benefit to working up a sweat before a feast. “The wine and food tastes so much better when you’ve got the endorphins pumping and have balanced the calories in and out.”

The first experience is a fully hosted 5 day trip to Margaret River in February.

Pick n’ Sip: Experience Margaret River like a Winemaker is an itinerary that directly supports one of the businesses affected by the recent Margaret River fires. So, as well as feeling good about taking the time to experience the wine region in a more meaningful way, you can also feel good about supporting local businesses who really need it.

Down the track, Earn Your Vino will eventually provide self-guided itineraries and trips for people that can’t make the dates for the hosted experiences and those who prefer the freedom of taking in the itineraries in their own timeframe and car. 

For more info and to book, head to earnyourvino.com/pick-n-sip/

Related story: One of the Margaret River’s biggest wineries is turning organic