From Australia's hottest new "wine-first" festival to Margaret River's first truffle tour and wine immersed 20 metres below the Southern Ocean, Australia's South West has a raft of indulgent new food and beverage offerings.

Pair’d Margaret River Region (Across the Region)
Pair’d Margaret River Region has marked a new approach to Australian wine festivals— a world-class celebration of wine, food, and culture on Wardandi Country. Pair’d is a “wine-first” event that brings the Margaret River region to life through the eyes of a sommelier, blending Australia’s premium wines with unforgettable experiences. From beachside beats and street parties to canapé cruises and exclusive tastings, this is where adventure meets indulgence. The event launched with an indulgent bang in November 2024, with 2025 dates still to be announced.

Taste Great Southern (Across the Region)
Western Australia’s longest-running culinary event has a new lease on life under the custodianship of Australia’s South West. A new four-day format will feature a curated lineup of event experiences under the guise of regional event specialists AHOY Management, also responsible for spearheading Pair’d Margaret River Region. The 1 – 4 May 2025 festival has been rebranded to embody the wild spirit of the Great Southern Region while celebrating the region’s local talent, unique cultural heritage, premium produce, and rugged beauty.

Forage Safaris (Margaret River Region)
Forage Safaris has launched the first ever truffle tours in the Margaret River Region! These unforgettable winter truffle hunts operate in a picturesque orchard, with trained dogs Alby and Taz digging for prized Perigord truffles – often referred to as ‘black gold’. A standard 45-minute or premium 2-hour option is available, with the latter including the opportunity to dig for your own truffle and a light truffle-infused lunch.

Forage Safaris has also launched a Sunset Wine Experience featuring private tastings, vineyard food pairings, and a guided winery tour. End the evening with a gourmet picnic at sunset overlooking the Indian Ocean. This exclusive, seasonal tour blends local flavour, stunning scenery, and unforgettable luxury from afternoon to dusk.

Alkoomi Wines (Albany and Frankland River, Great Southern Region)
In 2023, Alkoomi Wines introduced immersive wine tours at their Frankland River vineyard. Guests can explore the estate's rich history and picturesque landscapes during guided tastings of their acclaimed wines. The experiences include museum masterclasses, a laze + graze picnic and progressive tasting through the farm. In nearby Albany, a new cellar door experience also brings the estate’s wine range and other regional tasting experiences like chocolate and olive oil to those who cannot make it to the farm. 

Plantagenet Wines (Mount Barker, Great Southern Region)
In 2023, Mount Barker’s Plantagenet Wines introduced immersive wine experiences, offering guided tastings of their esteemed Wyjup Collection and rare museum releases. Visitors can explore the winery's rich heritage and enjoy regional tasting platters, all set against the picturesque backdrop of Western Australia's Great Southern region.

Wayfinder Wines (Dunsborough, Margaret River Region)
Wayfinder Wines has opened a unique cellar door tasting concept and restaurant experience in the town centre of Dunsborough. Wayfinder Cellar Door & Restaurant offers the opportunity to taste Wayfinder wines from a dedicated wine-tasting bar. The rest of the venue is dedicated to casual dining, with a farm-to-table offering that features fresh, seasonal produce sourced straight from the Wayfinder vineyard and farm, alongside locally sourced meat and seafood. The extended wine list features Wayfinder wines as well as a select number of European imports.

Ferngrove Wines (Frankland River, Great Southern Region)
In March 2024, sustainable vineyard Ferngrove Wines unveiled three new tasting experiences at their cellar door. Located in Frankland River, visitors can enjoy guided tastings of their cool-climate wines, complemented by a seasonal charcuterie board or barbecue picnic. 90 kilometres inland from the coastline, the valleys and slopes of the Frankland River region are untouched and the perfect place to cultivate vines, meeting the cooling embrace of the Southern and Indian Oceans.

Subsea Estate and Ocean Pantry (Augusta, Margaret River Region)
Visitors to Augusta in the Margaret River Region can get an insight into the growing and harvesting of one of the world's rarest foods – wild greenlip abalone. Rare Foods Australia is the only wild enhanced fishery in the world using certified sustainable practices to produce this ocean delicacy. On the new Rare Foods Ocean Pantry Tour visitors take a behind-the-scenes look at the facility to discover the history and world-class innovation in growing and harvesting abalone. During the tour, guests will view the live tanks, processing facility and divers' office - where a team of expert divers work to ensure successful and high-quality harvests. Guests then delve into Rare Food Australia's innovation ‒ ocean-cellared wine by Subsea Estate. At 20-metres deep and with the swell and tides, the ocean can mature wine perfectly. The tour concludes at the Ocean Pantry café to sample freshly cooked abalone and the ocean-cellared wine. 

Margaret River Wine Academy (Margaret River Region)
The Margaret River Wine Academy has recently launched in the  Margaret River Region in a first of its kind for Australia’s South West, offering small group wine education courses. Specialising in teaching people about the unique attributes of the region and its world-class wines, each course runs for two to three hours, finishing with a tasting of various regional wines. There are a range of wine enthusiast courses on offer that focus on varietals including chardonnay, cabernet and sparkling, as well as a wine basics course. Run by Leah Clearwater, who has lived in the region for 20 years, the courses are hosted at wineries throughout the region and can also be privately run at visitors' accommodation. 

Wild Lot Distillery (Karridale, Margaret River Region)
Wild Lot Distillery is a family-owned establishment which has opened in the heart of the Margaret River Region. Led by a passionate female distiller, Wild Lot Distillery offers guided tastings and curated cheese boards in a picturesque, family-friendly setting. Each gin batch is infused with local botanicals, fresh fruits and indigenous herbs, resulting in a lively product range which reflects its surroundings. The team prides itself on its thoughtful, sustainable approach at every stage of production.

Masseria Restaurant at Cherubino (Wilyabrup, Margaret River Region)
The Margaret River Region welcomed a new Italian dining experience in December 2024, with the team at Cherubino Wines re-opening the iconic Caves Road site — formerly Frui Momento. Masseria showcases casual Italian-Mediterranean cuisine in an osteria-inspired menu, with the venue itself boasting intricate stonework and views overlooking immaculate lawns, rose gardens and the iconic lake. The wine list complements the menu, with Cherubino wines featuring alongside a selection of Italian and French wines from Larry Cherubino’s import portfolio.

Ilma Beach House (Bunker Bay, Margaret River Region)
The Margaret River Region recently welcomed the opening of a stunning beach-side restaurant. Taking over the former Bunkers Beach House, Ilma Beach House is the latest venue from restaurateurs Liz and Mark Ahearn, who also own the popular nearby Meelup Farmhouse. Located right on the beach at Bunker Bay, the restaurant offers stunning ocean views and has been freshly renovated to bring a touch of relaxed luxury. The menu offers Mediterranean-inspired flavours featuring locally sourced seafood, with brunch and lunch options for relaxed and shared-style dining. There's also a Kofe Kabana for takeaway coffees and ice creams to take to the beach. 

Miss Chow’s at Edwards Wines (Cowaramup, Margaret River Region)
Perth’s renowned restaurant group Miss Chows — helmed by Jacquie Chan — opened Miss Chow’s Margaret River at Edwards Wines in November 2024. The grand new building overlooks the vines and bush setting, hosting contemporary urban dining, with modern Asian dishes paired with local wines. Locally sourced produce features prominently on the menu, with dishes such as Margaret River venison tartare; Amelia Park lamb and lemongrass dumplings; abalone from Augusta, and; truffle from the South West.

Sótão Bar (Albany, Great Southern Region)
Sótão is a charming new bar that offers a European-inspired atmosphere with a focus on seasonality and local produce. Guests can enjoy curated small plates and an extensive selection of regional wines – such as Albany Rock Oysters paired with Oranje Tractor sparkling. Sótão is centrally located opposite Anzac Peace Park, adjacent to the Albany Waterfront and historic Stirling Terrace.

Busselton Pavilion (Busselton, Margaret River Region)
A $45 million redevelopment of the Busselton Central Shopping Centre has seen a new level of shopping, entertainment and dining options for the region, including Busselton Pavilion. Opened in early 2024, under the culinary wizardry of former Vasse Felix Executive Chef Brendon Pratt, ‘The Pav’ brings a new destination dining experience with its restaurant, bar and South West Wine Store that offers tastings and special events to showcase the region’s many premium wine producers.   

INARA (Busselton, Margaret River Region)
Also in the new Busselton shopping precinct, INARA is serving up the unique flavours of Levantine cuisine, from the eastern Mediterranean. In a celebration of togetherness and sharing in Middle Eastern culture, Chef Daniel Johnson elevates forgotten ingredients and transports them to your plate. Meaning ‘Ray of Light’ in Arabic, INARA is just that for Busselton’s ever evolving culinary scene.

de’sendent (Margaret River township, Margaret River Region)
Ideally located on the main street of Margaret River town, de’sendent is a new culinary venture for the former owners of successful winery and restaurant Arimia Estate — Ann Spencer and Executive Chef Evan Hayter. With capacity for only 35 diners inside, the restaurant serves up a seasonal, refined dining experience with a darker, more intimate atmosphere. de’sendent emphasises a commitment to high-quality, local, organic produce sourced from like-minded producers with shared values. The menu features premium WA ingredients, including abalone, Wagyu beef, marron, and uni (sea urchin), and the restaurant’s interior offers an intimate open kitchen experience with the chefs delivering food to tables.

Little Ottos Big Choc Shop (Busselton, Margaret River Region)
Busselton’s famous foreshore has this week welcomed Little Otto’s Big Choc Shop. The team from Shelter Brewing Co, which also overlooks the Southern Hemisphere’s longest wooden jetty, has conjured up the exciting new concept. Keeping things simple with a streamlined range of chocolate, gelato and coffee, ‘Otto’s’ is bright and fun. The name is a nod to the famed adolescent blue whale that sadly washed ashore at the mouth of the Vasse River near Busselton in 1897, and is now suspended in Perth’s WA Museum Boola Bardip as a message to protect the State’s oceans.