With an end to the nation’s wine glut in sight, winery owners in the South West are on the front foot, developing boutique accommodation on their properties to service the region’s short-stay holiday market.
With an end to the nation's wine glut in sight, winery owners in the South West are on the front foot, developing boutique accommodation on their properties to service the region's short-stay holiday market.
Fremantle-based Australian Development Consultants is behind two developments - one at recently acquired Q Wines on Caves Road, and a second integrated viticulture and tourism project down the road.
ADC bought Q Wines late last year and immediately sought, and received, approval for its $8 million, 11-chalet Wilyabrup Gardens development on the property.
Seven chalets have already been sold for between $850,000 and $900,000.
Its second development, the $22 million Moses Rock Resort, will comprise 14 three-bedroom stratatitled chalets in a bush setting surrounded by tree plantations around several dams.
A 13-hectare vineyard with 10- year-old grapes is included on the property which, along with a wine tasting outlet and three-bedroom twobathroom home, is on the market for $2.95 million.
ADC director Greg Caird said the Moses Rock development was unlike anything else in the area, combining a natural rural setting with the attached lifestyle components.
"We're going to establish something which is unique in the South West, integrating tourism and viticulture with a strata-titled commercial component," he said.
The developers will plant 7,000 trees on the site, including willow trees and hazelnuts, and will look to introduce truffles onto the property.
Mr Caird said the development was designed to be environmentally friendly, with the creation of wetlands to attract wildlife, while the chalets had been built to maximise exposure to the northern sun.
"We've spent a lot of time trying to get the eco part of it sorted out and to be as environmentally friendly as possible," he said.
These developments join other boutique winery accommodation projects in the South West, the largest being the proposed multi-million dollar five-star Clairault Estate Spa Resort at Clairault Wines.
Clairault owners the Martin family, together with architect Jean- Mic Perrine and Jewel Hospitality's Malcolm and Pauline Tew, are working on the vino spa and tourism concept, which will take shape over the next few years in the form of about 30 eco-friendly 'perrinepods'.
Yallingup winery Wills Domain is also looking to build accommodation units on site, as well as expanding its cafe.
LJ Hooker Dunsborough principal Brian Moulton said there was growing demand for smaller, boutique shortstay options in the heart of wine country.
"Some people don't want to have short-stay accommodation in Dunsborough or other built-up places...here they're close to the surf, the wineries, and it's less distance to drive," he said.
Among other developments in the South West is the soon-to-beopened combined Duckstein Brewery, restaurant and cellar door complex at Saracen Estates in Margaret River.
Recently opened Flametree Wines, located on Caves Road in Marybrook, is also opening its new cellar door facility next month.
