Hidden Gems: Boutique Full-Day Wine, Farm & Lunch Tour

Margaret River’s best surprise may be how much you can fit into one relaxed day without spending it all in a tasting room. This small-group outing combines a farm visit, scones, chocolate, coffee, an ocean stop, olive oil, lunch, and three boutique wineries. Dani and Ziggy are the guides most often named for their warm hosting and local knowledge.

I like the opening farm visit, where you hand-feed alpacas and emus before morning tea. I also like the farm-to-plate lunch at Olio Bello, which gives the wine tasting a proper regional setting rather than treating food as an afterthought.

The main consideration is the pace. Seven hours is a full day, and the chocolate stop is brief, while the three winery visits involve a substantial amount of tasting. This suits curious adults who want variety, but it may feel busy if you prefer lingering at one estate.

Key points at a glance

• Feed alpacas and emus first: The day begins with a private farm visit, scones, jam, cream, and local coffee or tea.
• Three boutique wineries: Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines provide the main wine focus.
• A proper olive-farm lunch: Olio Bello serves a fresh lunch among its olive groves, with oil and olive-based products to taste.
• More than wine: Chocolate, coffee, tea, wildlife, and a coastal stop keep the day varied.
• Small group format: The vehicle carries no more than 11 people, helping the guide keep the mood friendly and personal.
• Useful local pickup: Pickup and drop-off are available at Margaret River in-town locations.

Why this is more than a standard Margaret River wine tour

Many wine outings follow a simple pattern: winery, winery, lunch, winery. This one takes a broader view of Margaret River’s food and farming culture. You begin with animals and morning tea, move through chocolate and coffee, stop beside the Indian Ocean, eat at an olive farm, then spend the afternoon tasting wines.

That mix is the tour’s central strength. You get a sense of the area through its producers, not only through bottles. The visits are also aimed at smaller, family-run businesses, where you may have more direct contact with the people behind the products.

The maximum group size is 11. That matters here. At a small winery, a huge coach group can make a tasting feel mechanical. A smaller vehicle is better suited to asking questions, hearing the guide’s stories, and getting a more relaxed introduction to each producer.

The guides make a noticeable difference. Dani is praised for being friendly, entertaining, and well informed about the region. Ziggy is described as a strong host who builds an easy atmosphere from the first pickup. The experience is not just a driver dropping you at cellar doors. The guide helps connect the stops and keeps the day moving.

9:00 am: Start with animals, scones, and coffee

Pickup is offered from Margaret River in-town locations, with the listed meeting point at 1 Tunbridge Street. The tour starts at 9:00 am and finishes back at the meeting point after about seven hours.

Your first stop is Margaret River Hideaway and Farmstay. The visit lasts about 55 minutes and includes hand-feeding alpacas and emus. This is a genuine farm visit, not simply an animal display, so the appeal is the close contact and the change of pace from the usual wine route.

Morning tea includes scones with jam and cream, along with locally roasted coffee or tea. It is a smart opening. You have something to eat before the tastings begin, and the farm setting gives you an immediate feel for the region’s rural side.

The animal encounter also makes the day more suitable for mixed groups. If one person in your party is less interested in wine, this opening offers something different. Families should note that children under seven must use the provided child seat.

Temper Temper brings a short chocolate and coffee stop

The next stop is Temper Temper Fine Chocolate, for about 25 minutes. It is described as a three-in-one visit involving fine chocolate tasting, coffee roasting, and tea.

This is a compact stop rather than a long workshop. You should expect a taste and a look around, not an extended chocolate class. That brevity helps keep the whole day on schedule, though anyone hoping to spend serious time browsing may find it too short.

Still, the stop adds useful variety. Chocolate gives you a break from wine, and the coffee roasting element keeps the focus on local food producers. It is also a practical place to pick up something edible if you want a souvenir, though purchases are not included in the tour price.

Ashbrook Estate begins the winery program

Ashbrook Estate is the first of the three boutique wineries. The tasting lasts about an hour, and the aim is to show the range of Margaret River wine rather than repeat the same experience three times.

The tour is built around learning as well as drinking. You can expect the guide and winery hosts to explain more about the local styles and the producers themselves. At smaller estates, the setting often feels more personal than a large commercial cellar door, and that is a major reason to choose this outing.

The exact wines can change, so do not book expecting a fixed list of bottles. The useful point is the structure: three separate estates, each offering a different perspective. If you are new to Margaret River wine, this gives you a broad first look. If you already know the region, the smaller producers may offer something less familiar.

One practical warning: tastings can add up. A past tour group reported sampling more than 20 wines across the day, with another account estimating around 30. You do not need to taste every pour. Use the spit bucket, drink water, and pace yourself so the later stops remain enjoyable.

Gracetown adds a short Indian Ocean pause

The 15-minute stop at Gracetown is brief, but it breaks up the drive and the cellar-door visits. You can look across the Indian Ocean, take in the green coastal colors, and watch the surf.

The stop may also offer wildlife sightings. Dolphins can sometimes be seen riding the waves with surfers, and migrating whales may appear on suitable days. These are possibilities, not guarantees, so treat the stop as a scenic pause rather than a dedicated wildlife cruise.

The guide may also share the story connected with Grace, which gives the coastal visit a local human angle. With only 15 minutes, you will not have time for a long walk. Bring a jacket if the coast is breezy, and keep your expectations focused on a quick view and a breath of sea air.

Olio Bello is the day’s best food stop

Lunch at Olio Bello is scheduled for about an hour and 15 minutes. The farm is known for its olive oils and olive-based products, which you taste before sitting down to a fresh farm-to-plate lunch at the café among the olive groves.

This is one of the strongest parts of the experience. Lunch is included, and the setting gives the meal a clear connection to the land around you. The food is not an anonymous stop between wineries. It is part of the same local-producer theme as the farm, chocolate, coffee, and wine.

The meal has also earned especially strong praise for its quality and generous feel. You should still note that drinks other than water at lunch are not included. If you want something additional to drink with your meal, budget for that separately.

The olive oil tasting is worthwhile even if you are not an oil expert. You can compare the oils and sample olive-based condiments before lunch, which makes the stop more engaging than simply eating at a café. Purchases are optional and are not part of the tour price.

Brown Hill Estate keeps the focus on small producers

After lunch, the tour returns to wine at Brown Hill Estate for about an hour. The estate is one of the handpicked boutique stops, selected to show another side of Margaret River’s production.

This is where the day’s format begins to make sense. You have already tasted local products and seen farms at work. Now the wine is easier to place in context. The guide can help explain how the region’s different producers approach their craft, and the smaller scale may allow more direct conversation.

The afternoon tasting can also be the point where fatigue sets in. You have been out since 9:00 am, and you may already have tasted wine at Ashbrook. Eat at lunch, keep drinking water, and remember that declining a pour is perfectly reasonable.

Redgate Wines finishes with a personal touch

The final winery is Redgate Wines, also for about an hour. The stop has a particularly personal feel because Ray, an owner and winemaker, may welcome the group. Meeting someone who follows the process from vineyard to bottle gives the last tasting more substance.

That direct connection is valuable for anyone who wants to understand how a small wine business operates. You are not only comparing flavors. You are hearing from people who are closely tied to their vineyards and products.

Redgate is also a fitting final stop because it lets you finish with a producer-led experience rather than simply ending after a standard tasting counter. Afterward, the vehicle returns to the Margaret River meeting point.

Is the $136.28 price good value?

At the quoted price of $136.28 per person, the tour offers a strong amount of included content. You receive transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, pickup and drop-off in Margaret River, morning tea, lunch, wine tastings, and the full itinerary of farms, food producers, coast, and wineries.

The value is especially clear if you do not have your own car. Margaret River’s producers are spread across the area, and driving between them while tasting wine is not a sensible plan. The tour removes that problem and gives you a designated driver for the entire day.

You are also paying for access to a carefully connected set of small producers, not just transport to three cellar doors. The olive farm lunch and farm visit would cost time and planning to arrange independently, and the guide adds local context throughout the day.

The price does not cover gifts, wine, chocolate, olive products, or extra lunch drinks. That is normal for this kind of outing, but you should allow room in your budget if you expect to buy bottles or food products. If you taste around 20 or more wines, purchases can become tempting.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

I would choose this for a first visit to Margaret River, especially if you want a broad introduction rather than a serious wine-study day. It suits couples, small groups, solo visitors, and families with older children who can appreciate a day built around food, farms, scenery, and wine.

It is also a good match for people who prefer independent producers to large commercial operations. The family-run character of the wineries and olive farm is central to the experience.

You may want a different tour if your main goal is to spend half a day at one estate, tour vineyards in depth, or avoid alcohol altogether. The itinerary includes plenty beyond wine, but wine remains the main event, and the tastings occupy three separate hours.

The 11-person maximum keeps the group small, but it does not make the outing private. You will be sharing the vehicle and stops with other people, which is part of the social appeal. The atmosphere can become friendly quickly, but you should be comfortable with a group setting.

Practical details before you book

The tour lasts approximately seven hours and begins at 9:00 am. Pickup is available from Margaret River in-town locations, and the activity ends back at the listed meeting point.

A mobile ticket is offered, and confirmation is provided at booking. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. The experience requires good weather, and it may also be canceled if minimum numbers are not reached. In either case, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the farm and winery visits. A light layer is sensible for the Gracetown stop, where the ocean weather may differ from conditions inland. Bring a phone or camera, but keep some attention on the people and places rather than trying to record every tasting.

Should you book Hidden Gems?

Book it if you want Margaret River in broad, tasty strokes: farm animals and scones in the morning, chocolate and coffee, a coastal view, olive oil and lunch, then three boutique wineries. The mix is unusually good for families and mixed-interest groups, and Dani or Ziggy can make the long day feel relaxed and social.

Skip it if you want a slow, highly focused wine education or a private itinerary. For most visitors seeking a practical first look at Margaret River’s local food and wine culture, the included lunch, transport, small group, and wide range of stops make the $136.28 price a fair buy.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately seven hours.

What time does the tour start?

It starts at 9:00 am.

Where does the tour start and finish?

The listed meeting point is 1 Tunbridge Street, Margaret River, Western Australia. The tour finishes back at the meeting point.

Is pickup available?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are offered at in-town locations in Margaret River.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 11 travelers.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at Olio Bello is included. Drinks other than water during lunch are not included.

What food is included in the morning?

Morning tea includes scones with jam and cream, plus locally roasted coffee or tea.

Which wineries are visited?

The listed wineries are Ashbrook Estate, Brown Hill Estate, and Redgate Wines. The exact tasting selections may vary.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.