NOW EXPERIENCING:Cullen Wines cellar door
Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Phone
(08) 9755 5277
Website
cullenwines.com.au
Instagram
@cullenwines

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 12 Jun 2023

By
Max Veenhuyzen


The rustic home of one of Margaret River’s first families of wine welcomes guests with standout biodynamic wines and thoughtful dishes made with estate-grown ingredients.

Why you goThe Cullens are Margaret River royalty. One of the region’s first families of wine, the Cullens helped rally early interest in establishing a local grape-growing industry before planting their first vineyard in 1971. Those vines are still there, alongside marri and peppermint trees, only they’re now joined by a charming stone and timber cellar door that epitomises Cullen’s earthy spirit. The estate doesn’t just look green, but also acts green, too: the property operates on solar and wind power, the entire operation is certified carbon-positive, and the vines are tended according to biodynamic principles, a farming approach based on moon cycles and organic preparations.
Fine dine at Cullen Wines
Why you stayFamily is integral to the Cullen story. Portraits of Kevin and Diana Cullen – the winery’s founders and parents of current managing director and senior winemaker Vanya Cullen – welcome guests into the family’s spiritual home. And this rustic, lived-in space really does feel like home. Widescreen windows in the restaurant offer views of the vineyard and nature. Bright-eyed staff dressed in smart forest-green shirts populate the tasting bench and offer valuable insights during relaxed tastings ($15 tasting fee, waived on wine purchase). The crew here not only know their stuff, but also when to keep things casual and when to offer a winemaking titbit to especially engaged guests.
What drink to orderPerhaps predictably, Cullen’s range is made up largely of classic Margaret River styles, which gives experienced wine drinkers a chance to taste the difference biodynamic grape-growing and winemaking produces. Having said that, the last decade has seen Cullen introduce natural sparkling and skin-contact wines to its winemaking output. Cullen’s various semillon and sauvignon blanc blends are a compelling argument that these two workhorse grape varieties needn’t be predictable, while the red wines are made predominantly with cabernet sauvignon, malbec and other classic Bordeaux varieties. Named after the winery’s founders, the flagship Diana Madeline (cabernet) and Kevin John (chardonnay) exemplify Cullen’s softly-softly approach and are widely regarded as Australian benchmarks.
What to pair it withCullen’s biodynamic thinking doesn’t stop at the grapes – the vegetables and herbs in the kitchen garden are also grown without chemicals. This sees vibrant ingredients for the restaurant (open Friday to Tuesday) showcased in four-course menus that might feature choices such as seared scallops with vividly flavoured tomatoes, handmade cavatelli pasta with a deeply flavoured smoked-vegetable ragù, and Cullen’s legendary mousse made with estate honey. You’re welcome to order wines by the glass, but the wine-match option is an excellent way to taste reserve and hard-to-find wines.
Food and drinks at Cullen Wines
Why we love itMaybe it’s all those glasses of super-affordable wine talking – how many modern-day cellar doors offer glasses of biodynamically made wine from $7 a pour? – but it’s hard not to get swept up in Cullen’s infectious positivity. While there are some who have branded Cullen’s earthy philosophy as “hippy”, this grounded, down-to-earth cellar door continues to offer one of the region’s best “old Margaret River” experiences. Fun fact: Cullen was the region’s first cellar door to offer vineyard platters to guests who dropped in to taste and buy wines.
Who to takeWhile Cullen is by no means buttoned-up, it’s not really the sort of cellar door that screams party time (if you’ve been tasked with organising a fancy-dress winery crawl, maybe don’t bring the party bus here). Instead, the sort of person who fits the description of a Cullen cellar-door guest is probably someone who finds joy in being surrounded by nature, doesn’t have to be pressed to eat their vegetables, and actively works towards softening their footprint every day. Who says caring for the planet can’t be fun?