Two hours south of Perth in the Ferguson Valley sub-region of Geographe is where you’ll find Willow Bridge Estate. Jeff and Vicki Dewar bought the vineyard in 1996 and enlisted the expertise of Kim Horton and Dougal Herd to create premium wines that are exceptional value for money. In 1997 they planted 100 acres of wine grapes – and held their breath. Then another 50 acres were planted in 1998, making Willow Bridge the biggest planting in what was then a largely unknown region. The vineyard is sited high on the western watershed of the Darling Ranges, with the vines enjoying spectacular views over the coastal plain, and across the waters of Geographe Bay to Cape Naturaliste. The vineyard is 25km from the coast as the crow flies, and receives the cooling afternoon sea breeze during summer. At an elevation between 230 and 280 meters, the estate is generally two degrees or more cooler than the coastal plain, with ripening times similar to the cool southern parts of the neighbouring Margaret River wine region.
