Ben Gould, Vigneron at Blind Corner Wines in Quindalup shared about growing up in WA and his passion for winemaking.
You grew up in WA, where your dad bought a vineyard back in 1991 (which he later sold). What inspired you to go down the same path?
I started working in vineyards in 1997. Dad decided to build a winery the next year and hired a winemaker who I worked alongside during harvest. It was exciting. All of your senses are firing during vintage. I was hooked and enrolled at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga to study the art and science of winemaking.
Ben started working in vineyards in 1997. (Image: Dylan Moore)
You travelled around Europe with your wife Naomi visiting as many wine regions and surf breaks as possible. What Old-World techniques did you learn?
It all starts in the vineyard. The vines are the heroes. Keep the vines happy and the soil and surrounds healthy and diverse and the rest follows. We learned to trust in the hard work done in the vineyard and shepherd the wine to express its own sense of place instead of forcing it someplace else. We were inspired to make wines with no additions, but combined with modern knowledge and experience to create top drops that are expressive, vibrant, fault-free and long lived.
“It all starts in the vineyard. The vines are the heroes." (Image: Olive Lipscombe)
Can you put Quindalup in context for us?
We are situated in the north of the region, only four kilometres from Geographe Bay and 14 kilometres or so to the ocean in the West. We have less rainfall than Margaret River town and we have more sunshine through summer. It’s a win-win. More beach days.
What did you love about growing up on a property near Pinjarra?
It was great growing up in the bush, building cubby houses and treehouses, exploring the lake and generally being a ninja. Later, when I moved to Fremantle for high school, I enjoyed fishing off the jetty, squidding and swimming, along with holidays in Dunsborough.
“I enjoyed fishing off the jetty, squidding and swimming, along with holidays in Dunsborough."
In your opinion, what are the best things to do in WA?
After all of our travels we have not found a place that equals Margaret River for growing vines so close to amazing beaches. The area is pristine in so many ways. Forests, caves, coastline, amazing produce.
After all of our travels we have not found a place that equals Margaret River for growing vines so close to amazing beaches. (Image: Derek Mcdonald-Lee)
Do you have any favourite spots that you always take out-of-towners to?
The natural spa at Injidup is a great spot for its rugged, natural beauty. It’s a lot of fun to see how many people you can fit in a small shallow rock pool while trying to take Instagram-worthy selfies. We also like to head to Wild Hop Brewing Co. or Beerfarm brewery, Si Vintners for a glass and a yarn on the grass and to Settler’s Tavern for a pint and a burger. Bungalow Social is a favourite evening venue, with great wood-fired pizza and an ever-changing wine list featuring some local legends [like us … ha ha].
What are some quirky things to see and do in Quindalup that aren’t in the guidebooks?
Driving around the farms and seeing the hay bale art. The Bluey and Bingo ones are the best so far and they light them up at night. The Minion ones are good also.
Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.
Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.
In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.
Day 1
Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.
There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.
Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.
Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.
Day 2
After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.
Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.
Day 3
Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.
With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.
Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.
Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.
For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.
Day 4
Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.
Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.
Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.
If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.
Day 5
Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)
Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.
Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.
Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.
Day 6
Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)
After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.
Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.
Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.
Day 7
Farewell the Margaret River.
Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.
