Reviews of A Guide to Touring the Wine Regions of Western Australia

A Guide to Touring the Wine Regions of Western Australia

Reviews

Tom Cannavan (UK)

Some books give an immediate sense that the author is driven by a genuine passion and zeal for their subject, rather than more mundane motives. And so it is with this beautifully presented book, dedicated to guiding the wine-loving tourist through what, by all accounts, is one of the world's most stunning wine regions. Independently produced and lovingly researched, the authors settled in Western Australia having toured and lived in the world's best wine regions, and the inspiration for the book was their own experience of trying to get the best out of this huge area from the maps, guides and local knowledge that was available at the time. They have produced one of the finest wine country guide I have seen, with meticullous attention to detail, vivid descriptions, and exhaustive resource sections of maps, data and addresses. There is a lavish use of colour photography throughout, and all 247 winery cellar doors of the region are profiled, with knowledgeable introductions to their wines. City destinations are covered too, majoring on Perth and surrounding districts, but restaurants, hotels, shops and attractions form an integral part of this touring guide. All budgets are catered for, from grand hotels to self-catering cottages. Its nice to see that web and email addresses for the hundreds of destinations are included, as well as address and telephone numbers. Conclusions: Unfortunately I haven't yet made it to Western Australia, but I would confidently predict that this book would be indespensible for visitors, and actually makes a very nice general introduction to one of Australia's fastest-developing wine regions.
www.wine-pages.com/books.htm#west

Bill Nesto MW (USA)

This is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to get to know the wineries and environment of Western Australia. It covers an area that extends from Perth to Albany in the southwestern corner of Australia, an area larger than the landmass of Western Europe. The wine region in Western Australia that we are most likely to already know is Margaret River, but a lot more is happening there. This touring guide is one of the most detailed I have ever seen. It outlines not only profiles and the visiting policies of many wineries, but also includes detailed information about restaurants, accommodations, and other types of interesting sites worth a visit. The authors even include pricing information and the names of winemakers, restaurant owners, retail wine shop owners, and sommeliers. There are excellent road maps and attractive photos. At the end of the book there are suggested itineraries. I recommend this book highly to anyone in the wine trade planning a visit to Western Australia.
www.beveragebusiness.com/art98/nesto1002.html

Rose Murray Brown MW (Sunday Business, UK)

This large paperback travelogue to some of the world's most stunning countryside, beautiful wines and tourist-friendly wineries caters for day trips from Perth to Esperance and Geraldton, which both look like they rival the Marlborough Plains as wonders of the wine travel world. Restaurants, hotels and child-friendly recommendations are included. It made me want to book my flight to Perth.

Rob Ingram (AGT Wine, Australia)

Western Australia may be the most rewarding of all Australian states for wine tourism. When visiting an extraordinary number of wineries, visitors find themselves chatting with owners and winemakers who are always keen to discuss their product. But as regions - official and unofficial - continue to emerge, there has been a pressing need for an up-to-date touring guide. A Guide to Touring the Wine Regions of Western Australia bills itself as the only comprehensive independent guide to visiting Western Australia's cellar doors, and thoughtfully concedes that accommodation and food are also important to the cellar door pilgrim. The guide provides good maps and suggested itineraries, cellar door data including addresses, phone numbers, emails, websites and opening times, along with wine notes and recommendations.

Heather Britton (Winestate, Australia)

A user-friendly guide to the wineries of the west - 247 cellar doors at the time of the book's publication, and the authors profess to have visited nearly every one. A snippet of background information is offered, as well as the obligatory opening hours and contact details of each winery, but there's a wealth of other visitor information too. There are detailed maps and suggested itineraries, major regional attractions (including entry fees at time of publication), a variety of restaurants and accommodation suggestions, and plenty of colour photgraphs to whet your appetite.

Last updated 25th March 2003