Wayfinder Winery & Farm Is Officially Open, Bringing Farm-To-Table Dining To Cowaramup
Margaret River/Wadandi Boodja is already stacked with world-class wine and bucket-list dining, but every so often a new opening comes along that genuinely shifts the dial. Enter Wayfinder Winery & Farm, the hotly anticipated Cowaramup estate bringing its full wine, dining and farm experience to life from this month.
Following its first announcement earlier this year, the completed property is now ready to welcome guests—and it’s every bit as ambitious as promised. The cellar door is already pouring, Executive Chef Brendan Pratt’s dining room opens Wednesday 16 September, The Lawn follows Friday 25 September, and a line-up of immersive winery and Market Garden experiences will begin rolling out from October.
And yes, there’s plenty here to get excited about. But the real magic of Wayfinder lies in the connection between what’s growing outside, what lands on your plate and what’s being poured alongside it.
Image credit: Wayfinder Winery & Farm | Supplied
A Farm-To-Table Experience That Goes Well Beyond The Buzzword
At the heart of the estate is a sprawling one-acre Market Garden, forming a direct line between farm, kitchen and glass. Rather than simply adding a few estate-grown garnishes to the menu, the garden will help shape the entire dining experience, with dishes shifting according to the seasons, the day’s harvest and the characteristics of Wayfinder’s wine portfolio.
Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Brendan Pratt—one of WA’s most adored culinary talents—who will serve a five-course set menu alongside à la carte dining. Expect a constantly evolving line-up that lets the produce lead, with just-picked ingredients moving from the garden to the dining room and onto the plate with minimal fuss and maximum flavour.
It’s the kind of deeply considered farm-to-table experience that gives you a real sense of place: not just Margaret River on a plate, but this particular patch of Cowaramup, captured at this exact moment in the season.
For something a little more laid-back, The Lawn will join the party from Friday 25 September, giving guests another way to settle in and soak up the estate over good food and a glass of Wayfinder wine.
Image credit: Wayfinder Winery & Farm | Supplied
Go Behind The Scenes From October
From October, Wayfinder will take that garden-to-glass connection beyond the table with a series of immersive experiences across the property.
You’ll be able to step inside the gravity-fed winery with Head Winemaker Andrew Trio, get properly acquainted with the range through guided tastings in the intimate 14-seat Blending Room, or wander through the Market Garden with Head Market Gardener Amy Dyson for a closer look at the regenerative farming practices underpinning the entire experience.
For anyone who likes knowing exactly where their food and wine comes from—not to mention what goes into producing it—this is your chance to dig much deeper than the standard cellar door tasting.
Image credit: Wayfinder Winery & Farm | Supplied
An Off-Grid Winery Designed To Disappear Into The Landscape
The architecture is every bit as thoughtful as the food and wine. Designed by the renowned Kerry Hill Architects, Wayfinder’s partially subterranean winery has been embedded into the landscape, using the earth’s natural thermal regulation to help maintain stable conditions inside.
An extensive solar array allows the estate to operate entirely off-grid, while Australian timber, natural marble, generous skylights and a collection of Australian art bring warmth and texture to the interiors. The result feels polished without being showy—a quietly beautiful space that belongs in its Margaret River surrounds rather than competing with them.
Between the hyper-local dining, regenerative Market Garden, behind-the-scenes wine experiences and seriously clever environmental design, Wayfinder is far more than another cellar door to squeeze into your next down south itinerary. It’s a fully realised farm, winery and dining destination—and one we suspect will be filling Margaret River weekend plans very quickly.
The cellar door is open now, with Brendan Pratt’s dining room opening Wednesday 16 September, The Lawn opening Friday 25 September and immersive experiences launching from October.
THE DETAILS
What: Wayfinder Winery & Farm
Where: Cowaramup, Margaret River/Wadandi Boodja
Cellar door: Open now
Dining room: Opens Wednesday 16 September
The Lawn: Opens Friday 25 September
Winery and Market Garden experiences: Launching from October
Image credit: Wayfinder Winery & Farm