The year seems to be flying by and it seems like just yesterday that the vines were starting their bud burst. However, Autumn is well and truly here and as such Vintage for 2018 has now been completed. With the last grapes picked off the vine and only three parcels currently left on their skins waiting to be pressed; what better time than to reflect and to share all of our news from the winery.

With a total of 245 tonne picked across all varieties, 160 tonne was from the white varieties  and 85 tonne was from the red varieties. This tonnage was only slightly down (2% less) on last year and is a great result for the estate, proof that it has been a fantastic season of growing conditions here in the region.

We had our first fruit from our clonal Shiraz which is planted out the back behind the lake house and it is an unreal result that will gives our Chief Winemaker an even greater blending option for the estate Shiraz in years to come.

Fast facts

• First pick was our Chardonnay middle section on the 16th of February
• Last pick was the sticky Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc component on the 6th of April
• A total of 245 Tonne was picked this year - that's a lot of buckets of grapes!

Whilst looking at the red varieties it's impossible to go past the results from our premium Cabernet Sauvignon vines. With the highest yield on record from these vines and the quality outstanding, Ryan Aggiss our Chief Winemaker is thrilled:

"What a year to have lots of Cabernet, the quality is as good as I have seen and reminds me of 2004, the best Cabernet year on record!"

Turning to the white varieties, the Chardonnay and Chenin look very solid and again should provide some fantastic wines going forward. With the current release of Aravina Estate's 2015 Wildwood Ridge Chardonnay providing outstanding results including 96 point's from James Halliday, it will indeed be exciting to see this vintage develop.

Now the grapes are picked it means that things will be busy up in the winery with the next process beginning for the grapes; malolactic fermentation is well underway and so there is no rest for our busy wine making team!

Blending and stabilising the upcoming wines for our new releases will also shortly commence. We can't wait to share them with you, keep eyes peeled on our website, newsletter and social media accounts for the date of release in the following months.

Without good help it’s impossible to deliver good results, so thanks to chief winemaker Ryan Aggiss and his stellar team we look forward to seeing the wines of 2018 in bottle and barrel over the coming years.

Here at Aravina Estate, the team wishes you a wonderful Easter break filled with peace, love, family and friends. It is a time for relaxing, enjoying our beautiful Busselton-Margaret River Region and for welcoming the warm, sun-filled Autumn Season.

With the last of our award winning Cabernet grapes picked this week, Aravina will be celebrating the start of our wine making year and inviting you to sample amazing cuisine presented by Tony Howell and Ben Jacob in the Aravina Restaurant and Riviera Bar.

It is one of our busiest times of the year down south and the restaurant is almost fully booked but please sure to visit as we have plenty of exciting options to keep all the family entertained throughout the weekend.

Enjoy a relaxed share platter and a glass of wine in the Riveria Bar, the hottest new venue in town. With a bespoke cocktail list and Taj Burrow's Honest Ale for beer lovers, it is the perfect spot to spend a lazy afternoon.

Alternatively we are thrilled to have the Margaret River Burger Company return to our lawns. Enjoy a juicy buger out in the sunshine and a bottle of wine from our pop up wine bar down by the glistening lakes.

In collaboration with Barbagello Motors there is a special treat for car enthusiasts with two stunning Maseratis on display amidst the picturesque gardens. Be sure to look out for a striking black Levante and a classic black Ghibli on display for the long weekend only.

Finally be sure to check out the WA Surf Gallery. Opening in December it has had an incredible response from the public and the surfing community alike. Don't miss this retrospective following the history of Western Australia's surfing culture from early days to the present.

We are open every day except for Good Friday.

Vintage is in full swing at Aravina Estate and Chief Winemaker Ryan Aggiss has an update from the vineyard and the exciting new installation of our winery on site...

"As the sun has continued to shine and the days begin to get shorter it means one thing: vintage 2018. The season has been kind thus far (touch wood), with minimal birds in the area due to the heavy marri blossom and basically no rain to create disease pressures. We really couldn’t have hoped for a better season. 

Last week we harvested both A block and J block Semillon with around 39t in total. We hand picked our premium Chardonnay parcels, with about 11.2t picked in total. Grapes were crushed, pressed and then rolled to some great French oak and are now fermenting up in our winery - as you can see in the photos below.

  

Crushing the chardonnay and putting some to oak.

Quality was excellent and I expect the wines to look great, continuing with the calibre that that we have been producing over the past few award winning vintages.

We also picked a small 5t pick for our sparkling chenin base and the juice is vibrant and tight, perfect for our 'A' Collection Sparkling Chenin Blanc. This is being racked off it's slushy settlings and then will be tankered into Aravina for ferment later this week or early the next.

So with about 56t picked we are 20% through our picking.....

This week we will pick our Sauvignon Blanc (20t) and remaining Semillon (7t) parcels along with our Tempranillo Rose base (8t). That will only leave a small Sauvingon Blanc pick next week and our mammoth Chenin pick that week too - the estate is famed in the region for it's Chenin for good reason! We have the best quality AND quantity with over 4.6 Ha under vine.

Photo @TrueLoveStory 

Reds are likely to start in a fortnight so it will be a busy but very productive few weeks! Overall quality and yields are epic and with this great weather I'm hopeful of another brilliant Cabernet vintage."

It's almost that time of year again... the countdown is on to New Years Eve!

2016 has been an incredible year here at Aravina Estate and we would personally like to thank each and every one of you for your continuing support and enthusiasm for Aravina Estate.

As the year draws to a close its always important to reflect on the year that has been and all of the people and experiences that helped make it a year to remember.

Here at Aravina we have had a year brimming with events and functions at the estate - from sponsoring the Margaret River Surf Pro and hosting Taj Burrows farewell lunch, through to the HIA awards dinner and the Margaret River Wine Awards most recently.

We are proud to continue our reputation as the South West's number one Wedding destination and 2016 has seen countless beautiful brides walk down the aisle to their eagerly awaiting groom and start their life as husband and wife in our exquisite function room.

In the restaurant we have our brilliant Executive Chef Ben Day and his team of skilled chefs who have crafted a year of inspiring and innovative seasonal menus utilising as much produce from our market garden as possible.

July brought with it a sad farewell to our winemaker of 5 years, Jodie Opie, but we very warmly welcomed Ryan Aggiss to step into the role of Aravina's Chief Winemaker. Ryan's extensive experience and enthusiasm for the wine industry is leading to some very exciting wines ahead for Aravina and contributed to the ever increasing list of awards that grace our boutique wine list. 2017 marks the 30th year that Aravina has been producing it's stunning wines so be sure to look out for some exciting events in the coming year to celebrate!

September marked the one year anniversary of our Pop-Up space (which is open every day in Summer until February) and our delicious Aravina Cucina range. We were kept very busy in the lead up to Christmas with our corporate hampers and Aravina's Operations Manager, Sandra Newland has been vital in continuing to provide the service and experience that we are renowned for and that draws guests back to visit us each time they visit the region.

Finally a heartfelt thank you to all of the staff that make Aravina the special place that it is. From our head gardener and the estate maintenance team, our viticulturist, the restaurant supervisors and their hardworking staff, cellar door team, weddings and events team, marketing and communications manager, through to our chefs and all the staff in the kitchen.

May you welcome the new year with open arms, a full heart and with excitement for the year ahead and all of the joys it has in store.

We look forward to welcoming you at Aravina Estate in 2017 and continuing to share this incredible part of the world with you.

Happy New Year!

Steve and Hayley Tobin
Aravina Estate Owners

Introducing 'The Parisian Heart'...

Allow yourself to be swept up in a luxurious touch of French romance with the newest addition to Aravina's range, The 2016 Parisian Heart.

A delicious champagne cocktail 'non-alcoholic' mixer exhibiting flavours of summer berries and vanilla bean. This is the perfect accompaniment for creating a Champagne Cocktail for any occasion.

Now available to buy exclusively at our cellar door by the bottle, we recommend pairing this mixer with the Aravina Estate 'A' Collection Sparkling Chenin Blanc.

Perfect for ringing in the New Year with or be sure to order a glass to start your meal with when you next come in to dine at at restaurant.

Bookings essential, phone 9750 1111.

Summer Wine Special – 12 pack just $150!

Be quick before they are all gone! An end of vintage sale has just been announced for our 2013 Cabernet Merlot as a Summer special before we release our next vintage.

It exhibits classic Margaret River black fruit dominated by cassis and spicy French oak on the nose. Dry, with well integrated fruit and tannins and lovely ripe plum and boysenberry flavours that linger on the palate and the aroma is intense and powerful. Drinking well now or will age for up to five years.

The RRP is $32 per bottle so be fast to snap up a 6-pack for $90 or a case of 12 for $150.

Order Online

Aravina Estate is proud to be an affiliate partner of this years Margaret River Pro which starts on April 15 2015. 
Moreover, Taj Burrows has chosen Aravina Estate as his favourite lunch spot and will be 'filmed' having lunch on one of the 'lay days' TBC.

For more details follow the link here!

If you're planning on visiting Aravina Estate these school holidays, please call ahead to secure your reservation -

(08) 9750 1111

We are proud to be a major sponsor of the CinefestOZ festival for the past several years. One of the highlights of the festival is the Aravina Estate CinefestOZ Director’s Lunch, where participants in the festival spend the afternoon with Aussie icons in the film industry.

The CinefestOz festival is a spectacular showcase of Australian talent, and it is an honour to host this wonderful occasion.