Wise Winery & Meelup Farmhouse, Margaret River: Is it worth detouring to Eagle Bay?

The Wise Winery is at the far north of the Margaret River wine region in Eagle Bay near Dunsborough. It’s worth a look for the Wise Eagle Bay and Meelup Farmhouse restaurants, plus good value wines.

The Margaret River wine region in Western Australia spreads out surprisingly far. And Eagle Bay near Dunsborough is about as far north as it gets*.

The Wise Winery in Eagle Bay looks out over the forest of the Meelup Regional Park, close to Meelup Beach and Geographe Bay. It’s never really going to fit into a Margaret River wine tour, but it’s an excellent bet if you’re staying around Dunsborough for a few days. It’s something to do while you’re waiting for a Geographe Bay whale-watching tour.

9 Margaret River experiences worth booking

1. Wine tours. 2. Wine & chocolate tasting. 3. Whale-watching. 4. River canoeing. 5. Cave tours to Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, Jewel Cave and Mammoth Caves. 6. Nature and culture tour. 7. Surfing lesson. 8. Stand-up paddleboarding. 9. Coffee discovery experience.

Aerial view of the Wise Winery in Eagle Bay, Western Australia. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

Wise Winery cellar door

The Wise Winery cellar door is open from 11am to 5pm daily, and anyone’s welcome to drop by for a tasting. The Wise wines are by no means the finest in the Margaret River region, but neither do they pretend to be. They do, however, offer excellent value for money as several bottles cost $20 or less. The Wise Winery Sea Urchin range has the biggest bargains, with several varietals to choose from. These include a rosé, a sparkling brut and a cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend. The Leaf Series, with a shiraz, malbec, pinot grigio and fiano, is a bit pricier.

There are also some interesting sparkling wines for sale, including the NV Bead sparkling shiraz.

Wise Eagle Bay and the Meelup Farmhouse

The Wise Winery was originally two separate properties. Hence it has two separate restaurants.

Wise Eagle Bay is the more traditional winery restaurant, open for breakfast and lunch. It’s also open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s a rotating seasonal menu, focusing on local produce.

Dishes on offer might include confit duck with beetroot purée, labneh and crimson potato, or pork belly with pearl barley.

Obviously, it’s possible to drink wines from the Wise Winery with your meal, but this is an open-minded kind of joint. If you want a beer instead, Wise Eagle Bay also serves craft beers from local breweries such as the Beer Farm, Bootleg Brewery, Colonial Brewery and Eagle Bay Brewery.

The Meelup Farmhouse is more relaxed, and you can say hi to the alpacas and highland cow while you’re there. The brunch is a strong choice, although the Meelup Farmhouse is also open at weekends. Mains include salmon and avocado poke bowls, and duck curry with black rice.

*OK, so the Pullman Bunker Bay Resort at Bunker Bay and Cape Naturaliste are a bit further north.