Truffle hunting at The Wine & Truffle Co in Western Australia (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
The Margaret River valley is one of the best wine-growing regions in Australia. The wine-tasting trail is an amazing romp through rolling green hills that stretch along the coastline of Western Australia all the way to its southernmost cape, where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean collide.
Wine-wise, the area is best known for Chardonnays and for Semillon-tempered Sauvignon Blancs. The Cabernets are great, too. What a lot of people might not realize is that this region also produces some of the world’s best black truffles. They’re the exact same species as the famed black truffles from Perigord, France—and they’re just as good (harvested in Australia’s winter, our summer), as chefs such as L.A.’s Josiah Citrin will attest. (Actually, he thinks Australia’s truffles are more consistent than France’s.) The region also boasts a burgeoning beer industry. Here are 10 essential stops along Margaret River’s wine and truffle trail.
