The stunning Geographe wine region stretches along the West Australian coast, 120km south of Perth. It is a small region, extending inland from the crescent shaped Geographe Bay to meet the Darling Range. The region is well known for producing premium wine styles. Shiraz is widely planted and shows distinctive minty notes, while cabernet sauvignon is elegant with fine, powdery tannins. Cabernet merlot blends are also found. Whites include chardonnay that comes in a range of style, as well as tangy semillon and sauvignon blanc.
The Geographe region can be divided into four main grape growing districts: Harvey, Ferguson Valley, Donnybrook and Capel. Between them, there is a total of over 1,200 ha under vine. The terroir of each district varies with soil profile and exposure to the coast. The western flank of the region is known as tuart country after deep, sandy soil and underlying limestone that stretch along the coast. It is also home to towering tuart forests and karri eucalyptus trees. Further inland, the terrain tends towards richer soils, gravelly and sandy loams. Some alluvial deposits also lie on the banks of the Harvey, Capel, Collie, Ferguson and Brunswick rivers. The region benefits from a warm, Mediterranean climate with a strong maritime influence. A cool breeze from the Indian Ocean rolls in over Geographe Bay in the afternoons.
The Geographe region incorporates the townships of Bunbury in the centre and Busselton to the south. It is named after Le Geographe, the ship of French explorer Nicholas Baudin. Baudin set out from Le Havre in 1800 to chart Australia’s southern coast. It was to be his last great expedition.
Geographe bay is a shallow body of water, sheltered by Cape Naturaliste. The 2km long Busselton Jetty is the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere.
