MADE IN MARGARET RIVER

SIMON CLAYS travelled to Australia with Lexus to get a taste of food, drink, and life on the western coast of the country. He was not di sappointed.

- SIMON CLAYS

PERTH, ON THE WESTERN coast of Australia, isn’t quite as well known as its eastcoast siblings, Sydney and Melbourne, but that’s no reason to strike it off your list of Aussie vacation spots. For starters, it’s a good five hours of flight-timeless than the east-coast options— Delhi to Changi and Changi to Perth is around 10 hours with a short layover using Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com). Then, there’s the countryside and coast that surrounds Perth. The area is quite simply stunning and offers some of the cleanest waters and best surfing in Australia. The third reason, and arguably the deal clincher for Australia’s west coast, is the region’s cuisine and wine. With temperatures and rainfall comparable to the Bordeaux region of France, the area produces some of the country’s finest boutique vintages. It’s also a gourmet’s heaven, with those same Mediterranean climes and coastal breezes making the area rich pickings for local produce. Put simply, if you’re a gourmand with a hankering for the grape, this could be your heaven.

I’m here with Lexus to celebrate their Escape to Amazing campaign, and as a guest at the annual Margaret River Western Australia Gourmet Escape event (gourmetescape.com.au). It’s a weekend-long gathering held on the beautiful grounds of the Leeuwin Estate winery that showcases over 100 local producers of food, drink, and artisan produce. It also attracts the eye of some of the world’s greatest chefs, with Marco Pierre White, Colin Fassnidge, Pierre Koffmann, and Danny Bowien all making appearances.

Where the Vine is Fine