Garbin Estate Wines – The Swan Valley’s Best Kept Bubbly Secret

In 2017 I have set out to visit all the Swan Valley wineries and blog about them. Recently Mr. Spittoon and I thought we’d do the Toodyay Road strip which consists of Garbin Estate Wines, Jane Brook Estate and finishing off at The Tap at Chapel Farm for lunch. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon!

Garbin Estate Wines has always been a favourite for me, especially if I’m in the mood for bubbles. These guys make some absolutely awesome sparkling wine and sell them for bloody good prices at the cellar door too.

Garbin Estate is a family run business. Peter and Katrina are the husband and wife team behind the wine label and their two sons Joel and Adam also lend a hand. The business was passed down to Peter from his father who started the vineyard in 1956 after migrating from Europe. Alongside their vineyard in the Swan Valley they also have a vineyard in Gingin (about 90kms from Perth). In the cellar door there is some beautiful pictures of the Gingin vineyard.

So what else do you need to know about this hidden Swan Valley treasure…?

Quick Facts

Location: 209 Toodyay Rd, Middle Swan WA 6056 (30 minutes drive from the Perth CBD or 50 minutes via public transport)
Contact Number: (08) 9274 1747
Open Times: 11am – 5:30pm 7 days per week (please double-check public holiday hours)
Wine tasting cost: Free if you purchase a bottle
Food available: You can buy cheese to take with you
Website: garbinestatewines.com.au

Cellar Door – Wine Tasting

The cellar door had a bit of a makeover in 2016 and it’s looking absolutely fabulous. It’s in a big shed which is also home to their winery with all their winemaking equipment and stock. Don’t let the word ‘shed’ fool you though – it’s one pretty tasteful shed!

It’s a large space so it easily suits small and large groups of eager wine tasters and it would definitely be a fabulous spot for a function or event. After chatting with Katrina we found out that they have had a number of events at the cellar door – some of their own and also other people hiring out the space for weddings and such.

Definitely one of the eye-catching features for me had to be the pipe lighting in the picture below – how cool is that!

As mentioned, wine tasting is free if you purchase a bottle at the end of the tasting. Which I have no doubt most people would as Garbin have an excellent selection of wines that cater to all sorts of wine lovers and palates.

I also have to mention that I love the big wooden doors you enter the cellar door through – such a beautiful rustic element. These doors are made from 600 year old jarrah from the John Forest National Park and the door jams are recycled jarrah timber from the refurbished Guildford bridge over the Swan River.

Plus as you enter the cellar door there is a wine hand pump, hand saw and parts of the original wood wine basket press from the early days of Garbin Estate.

The Wines

I really like the wine list at Garbin as there’s a number of styles and grape varietals to choose from.

On their Swan Valley property they grow Shiraz (this includes some 60-year-old vines planted by Peter’s parents), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chenin Blanc. And at their Gingin vineyard they grow Shiraz, Sangiovese, Verdelho, Chardonnay and Semillon. From these grapes they made whites, reds, roses, fortifieds and still & sparkling wines.

Bottle prices generally range from $17-$25 with an extra special bottle of gold leaf Sparkling Chardonnay at $55.

My Tasting Notes

Garbin Estate Sparkling Chardonnay NV:

We recently popped by @garbinestate Wines in the Swan Valley to re-acquaint ourselves with their wines through a cellar door tasting. This Sparkling Chardonnay was one of my favourites so I had to get a bottle to take home. It’s a golden sand colour on the eye with plentiful enticing bubbles. On the nose it’s rather creamy with hints of bread and spiced cream. It has nice up front fruitiness on the palate with lovely depth and smoothness. This bubbles takes you on a lovely journey of texture. Approximately $22 and it’s vegan friendly! If you want something extra special you can buy this one with gold leaf in for $55. All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! 

Garbin Estate Sparkling Shiraz Rose NV:

If you’ve seen my latest blog post you’ll know I recently visited the @garbinestate cellar door in the Swan Valley. Alongside the Sparkling Chardonnay my bubbly-loving-palate couldn’t get enough of this Sparkling Shiraz Rosé for $22. This is a ‘Methode Traditionelle’ sparkling wine which means it’s made in the same way as champagne from France. Peachy-orange colour on the eye with a rather leafy/earthy, raspberry infused nose. The palate is smooth and delectably dry with a nice oomph of red fruit flavour and hints of orange peel. Thoroughly enjoyable, I’ll be back for more! More about Garbin -> travellingcorkscrew.com.au/garbin-estate-wines-swan-valley All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! 

Garbin Estate 2016 Verdelho:

This is the ‘Best 2016 Verdelho’ awarded at the Swan Valley Wine Show last year. We picked up a bottle for $19 on our recent visit to the @garbinestate cellar door. Read more here -> travellingcorkscrew.com.au/garbin-estate-wines-swan-valley It’s a crisp yellow hue in the glass with whiffs of spiced fruit and flowers on the nose. It has a lovely flavoursome mouthfeel with notes of pineapple and lemon standing out for me. Great length of flavour! And it’s also vegan-friendly! All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! 

I would highly recommend popping by Garbin Estate if you get the chance. They don’t stock many bottle shops, so stocking up from the cellar door when you go out to the Swan Valley is a must! Also make sure to check these guys out on Facebook and Instagram – they pop up some great ‘behind the scene’ posts into what happens in the vineyard and winery plus what goes into making that delicious liquid in your glass!