A 2 Day Wine Journey In Denmark Western Australia
Naomi has been super busy down south and today on the blog she gives us a 2-day run down on what you can do in Denmark, Western Australia (with all activities involving wine of course!).
The picturesque town of Denmark is a haven for tourists, attracting many like myself to come and visit some of Western Australia’s best wineries and taste some bloody good wine.
During 2019, I was fortunate to spend a full week in the Great Southern, where I was based in Albany (thanks to the team at Taste Great Southern), and I choose to spend two of those days meandering through Denmark’s famous winery road – Scotsdale Road, seeking out winery after winery on my journey.
If you too are looking to catch as many wineries in the region, check out my two-day adventure below, as well as the Travelling Corkscrew’s Must Do’s in Denmark Western Australia for Wine & Food Lovers, along with notable wineries previously visited including:
- Castelli Estate
- Rockcliffe Wines
- Singlefile Wines
- The Lake House
- Rickerty Gate
- Apricus Hill
- Somerset Hill
How To Plan For Your Denmark Trip
If you have read any of my previous articles, you may have picked up that I am a bit of planner, especially when it comes to visiting what is considered some of the more remote wine regions of WA.
Firstly, while in my hotel room, I jumped online and did a quick search for wineries in Denmark where I found a couple of great resources including Wineries in Denmark, although I wasn’t sure how up to date the content of the website was, and the Official Denmark tourism website, which looked to be more up-to-date.
From here, I made a list of all of the wineries that I was interested to visit and ones that I knew that the Travelling Corkscrew hadn’t previously visited.
Next, I had to cross-check against those wineries that would be open on the two days that I would be in Denmark.
Finally, I had to plan my route including:
- How long it would take to drive from Albany to Denmark
- What time each of the wineries opened (and closed)
- Which route I would take to visit each of the wineries once in Denmark
- The time I expected to stay at each winery
- The distance and time between each winery
Let’s just say, luckily I had a notepad available as I wrote and rewrote out my itinerary a few times to get it just right!
Travelling To Denmark
Once I had worked out how long it would take to drive to Denmark from Albany (I allowed about 40 minutes), I was able to start planning which winery I would visit first based on their opening hours.
I opted to drive with a friend, so I wasn’t able to drink as I would do normally, but rather live vicariously through my friend’s tasting notes.
If you would like to enjoy a few drinks on the road, and don’t have a designated driver, there are a few wine tour operators in the region, or you could hire a limo in Albany as I did last year to tour Graze Mount Barker.
Day One On Denmark’s Scotsdale Road Wine Trail
I left Albany around 9am, to allow some time to grab a quick bite to eat in Denmark before visiting the Denmark Tourism Centre.
Here I picked up a couple of brochures, including the Wine Lovers Guide to Denmark and the Food & Wine Trail, which you can also access as an interactive map on the Trails WA website.
Most of the information I had already gathered online, however, it also gave me an opportunity to speak with a local and get a feel for the wine region. It was here that I also found out that the Scotsdale Scenic Drive is 34kms long.
1. Harewood Estate
My first stop of the day was Harewood Estate.
I made sure to arrive as the winery opened (10am) and boy was I in Riesling heaven!
If you too are a Riesling lover, then find out what I thought of Harewood Estate and their selection of wines.
Contact Details
1570 Scotsdale Road, Denmark
Opening Hours: Friday to Monday, School Holidays — 7 days, 10am to 4pm
Phone: 08 9840 9078
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
2. Bartholomews Meadery
The lovely cellar door hand at Harewood Estate recommended that I make a quick stop at Bartholomews Meadery to try something a little different.
If you like mead, or you’re not too sure what mead is, take a read of my bee’utiful experience at Bartholomews Meadery.
Contact Details
Address: 2620 South Coast Highway, William Bay
Opening Hours: 7 Days per week – 9.30am – 4.30pm; School Holidays – 7 days per week – 9am – 5pm
Phone: 08 9840 9349
Website | Facebook | Instagram
3. Moombaki
Moobaki was my last winery visit for the day and the drive to the winery did not disappoint if only for the tree-lined driveway and the treehouse-like cellar door.
I met with winery owner David who took me through their available wines which included Shiraz, a red blend, a Classic White and a Chardonnay.
Contact Details
Address: 341 Parker Rd, Kentdale (Denmark)
Opening Hours: Open 7 Days 11:00am – 5:00pm
Phone: 08 9840 8006
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Day Two On Denmark’s Scotsdale Road Wine Trail
There were a few more wineries I was ready to tick off the Denmark wine bucket list as well as an award-winning restaurant.
It was always going to be a pretty tight itinerary, but we made it!
4. Estate 807
Day two started early again (I won’t judge you if you won’t judge me when I start drinking before midday), and we made sure to be at the cellar door as it opened.
We had left our accommodation at 9:15, to arrive at Estate 807 at 10am.
Here we met with owner Ola who took us through the range of wines and to take me down memory lane when I attended the Raising Riesling event with the Travelling Corkscrew back in 2016.
Contact Details
Address: 807 Scotsdale Road, Denmark
Opening Hours: Cellar Door – Thursday-Sunday, 10-4pm and public holidays; Ajar Restaurant – Thursday – Sunday (lunch) 11:30-3pm and Saturday (dinner) 5-9pm
Phone: 08 9840 9027
Website | Facebook
5. Paul Nelson Wines
Paul Nelson is about an 18-minute drive from Estate 807, and we made sure to arrive just as the cellar door was opening at 11am.
If you’re already aware of the wineries in Denmark, then you may recognise that Paul Nelson winery in its previous life was Karriview, Denmark’s oldest winery.
We just absolutely loved this winery which is now owned by husband and wife team, Paul and Bianca.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is grown on the property, while Paul sources other uber interesting varieties from across the state.
Find out which were my top wine picks.
Contact Details
Address: 14 Roberts Road, Denmark
Opening Hours: School and public holidays or by appointment only, 11am – 5pm
Phone: 0406 495 066
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
6. Pepper and Salt & Forest Hill Winery
After arriving at the venue for our 12:30 booking (bookings are highly recommended), we were treated to foodie heaven!
I had read just before my trip to the Great Southern that Pepper and Salt had won the cellar door with the best food from Gourmet Trader for Western Australia’s Great Southern region and I just had to visit.
Underneath the restaurant is the Forest Hill Winery, where I was very excited to see a Gewurztraminer available for tasting.
Pepper & Salt Restaurant
Phone: 08 9848 3053
Restaurant Hours: Thursday to Sunday lunch and Friday night dinners
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Forest Hill Winery
Address: 1564 South Coast Hwy, Denmark WA
Phone: 08 9848 2399
Cellar Door Hours: Thursday to Sunday 10:30am-5pm
Website | Facebook | Instagram
7. Silverstream
Previously owned by Howard Park winery, Silverstream is the new owner of this grand cellar door.
We enjoyed the floor to ceiling windows as you overlook the grounds and taste some pretty special drops, including my favourite, a 2007 Reserve Merlot.
Contact Details
Address: 241 Scotsdale Rd, Denmark
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12-4pm
Phone: 0498 668 650
Website | Facebook | Instagram
8. Rising Star
Our last stop for the day was Rising Star winery, named after a small town in Texas that means a lot to their family.
Once you step foot into the winery, you will be surrounded by the famous Texas star and a number of beautiful drops of wine.
I also had a chance encounter with a family member of the previous owners who shared some very special photos with me.
Contact Details
Address: 46 Redman Rd, Denmark
Opening Hours: Friday – Monday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and open daily during the school holidays.
Phone: 08 9848 1626
Website | Facebook | Instagram
So there you have it. Two days wining and dining through Denmark’s wine region. The perfect wine weekend getaway.
Are there any other places that I missed that I should have visited on my trip, or do you have a favourite Denmark winery? Let us know in the comments.