The only Margaret River winery with sweeping ocean views, Wise Winery & Restaurant at Eagle Bay offers premium wine tasting, a contemporary WA produce-driven menu, and a picture-perfect setting for all-day indulgence.
Monica Tindall
Fifteen years ago, I visited Wise Winery in the Margaret River region, and something about that day stuck with me. After a memorable lunch overlooking the ocean, I left with a bottle of their award-winning Shiraz and paired it that evening with a crumbly, smoked Western Australian cheese. For someone who dines out almost daily, a moment has to be truly exceptional to endure—and that pairing, simple as it was, has lingered ever since. At the time, I wrote a single paragraph and posted one slightly overexposed photo. Today, The Yum List returns with a more seasoned palate and considerably better lighting. While Wise has changed chefs and winemakers, it still delivers the kind of experience that leaves a lasting impression.
Wise Winery Eagle Bay – Family Roots and Scenic Setting
Wise Winery & Restaurant is located in Eagle Bay, part of the Margaret River wine region. It is the only winery in the area with uninterrupted ocean views. The property was established in the early 1990s by Ron and Sandra Wise. Ron is a biochemist turned successful Western Australian entrepreneur. What began as a private coastal escape has evolved into a family-run wine estate complete with a cellar door, distillery, and restaurant.
Over the last 30 years, the Wises have cultivated both vines and a philosophy centred on hospitality, quality, and location. Today, their son Tim Wise serves as Managing Director, bringing continuity and modern insight to the business. Adding to the allure, several striking art installations punctuate the drive up and dot the grounds, infusing the property with creative flair. The vineyard’s enviable coastal outlook, grassy slopes, and manicured grounds also make it a top choice for weddings and events—18 of which are already booked for this coming spring.
Margaret River Wine Tasting at Wise Winery
Our visit begins at the Wise Wines cellar door, where we are led on a guided tasting by John, who has worked with the business for nearly a decade. He’s passionate about the wine and generous with his knowledge, making the experience engaging and informative.
All winemaking happens on-site and is directed by celebrated WA winemaker Larry Cherubino, with Andrew Siddell and Jake Bacchus as part of the team. Grapes are sourced from select vineyards across Margaret River, Pemberton, and the Great Southern, highlighting the diversity of terroir across Western Australia.
Wise Wines has four main wine ranges:
- Sea Urchin – largely for wholesale and retail
- Leaf Series – everyday drinking and available at the cellar door
- Eagle Bay – the premium range made in small batches
- Dr RW Series – only produced in exceptional vintages, named after founder Ron Wise
We begin with the 2024 Frankland River Fiano (A$30), part of the Leaf Series. This Italian varietal is still relatively uncommon in Australia but is showing increasing promise in WA. Here, it offers floral aromas and notes of lemon curd, white peach, and sherbet. Stainless steel and French oak fermentation impart a rounded texture with a hint of nuttiness.
The 2023 Margaret River Reserve Chardonnay (A$39), crafted from Gingin and Dijon clones, has undergone partial malolactic fermentation and is aged in both new and used French oak. It’s fruit-forward with precise varietal character and just enough oak complexity to provide structure.
In the premium Eagle Bay range, we’re fortunate to try the 2023 Eagle Bay Chardonnay, which is nearly sold out. This wine is hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, and aged for 12 months in a combination of new and one-year-old French oak barrels. It’s a beautifully balanced expression of Margaret River Chardonnay—minimal intervention, maximum character. According to Tim Wise, it’s one of his top picks from the cellar.
Another beauty is the 2023 Eagle Bay Shiraz (A$75), produced only in strong vintages. It features hand-picked fruit, cold soaking, natural fermentation, and 15 months in French oak barriques. The result is a layered wine with dark berries, eucalyptus, cherries, and hints of Christmas spice. It’s enjoyable now or suitable for cellaring.
We finish the tasting with the 2022 Dr RW Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon (A$125). With only 100 cases made, it’s a collector’s gem. Rich in depth and complexity, it delivers notes of graphite, salted liquorice, blood plum, mulberry, Asian spice, and soft, silky tannins. Ray Jordan awarded it 96 points. It’s a wine to savour now or cellar until 2045.
Visitors are welcome to drop in for a tasting, charged at A$20 per guest, which is waived with any purchase. Guests dining for lunch get a shorter complimentary tasting, ideal for narrowing down the wine list.
Restaurant Wine List
Of course, the ideal pairing to any dish at Wise Winery & Restaurant is a glass of Wise wine. The wine list showcases a well-balanced mix of current releases, Museum Wines—cellared vintages aged to peak drinking maturity—and a compact Guest List featuring the owners’ personal favourites alongside the core Wise Wines. While not all are available by the glass, restaurant manager Robert Price says the team often opens something special for staff and guests to try.
His top recommendation? The 2020 Eagle Bay Chardonnay, Karridale (A$29 glass, A$155 bottle). From a single parcel of hand-picked Gin Gin clone, it’s whole-bunch pressed and matured for 10 months in a mix of new and one-year-old French oak barrels. “At the five-year mark, it’s smashing, coming into its glory,” says Rob. With the wine decided, now comes the pleasure of choosing something from the kitchen to match.
Wise Winery & Restaurant Menu
Helmed by Chef Matthew Wright, Wise Winery’s restaurant delivers a contemporary menu rooted in Western Australian produce. From pristine seafood to excellent meats, local vegetables and fruit, the kitchen is gifted with a pantry that most chefs would envy. “We want guests to come in, have a great experience, and leave feeling better than when they came in,” says restaurant manager Rob, summing up the team’s genuine hospitality approach.
Starters
We begin with the Chargrilled Geographe Bay Octopus (A$28), coated in a sweet-savoury kabayaki glaze and marked with deep golden grill lines. It’s plated over a walnut romesco—like the classic, but with a subtle sweetness that melds beautifully with the glaze, creating flavours reminiscent of gourmet barbecue sauce. Crisp slices of lotus root add crunch, and chorizo provides a smoky depth.
The Warm Roasted Pumpkin & Duck Fat Potato (A$26) is labelled as a salad but eats more like a comforting main. A sweet potato flan ring anchors the dish, while crispy prosciutto, pine nuts, feta, pesto, and rocket add contrast in texture and flavour. What really ties everything together is a playful sauce—Korean gochujang spice blended with cream cheese and a whisper of strawberry jam. Unexpected, and it works.
Mains
The WA Goldband Snapper (A$48) arrives pan-seared and served with steamed cauliflower and broccoli rice (a light but flavourful base), charred asparagus spears, and a white wine sauce. A crisp deep-fried enoki mushroom cluster crowns the dish—equal parts visual garnish and textural delight.
Hubby opts for the Slow-braised Amelia Park Lamb Shank (A$48) on the recommendation of managing director Tim Wise. It’s a tender, fall-off-the-bone shank with gentle flavour, set over a creamy celeriac and potato mash, enriched with ragout sauce and finished with sourdough kalamata olive pangrattato. He’s the designated driver today, but a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz from the estate would take this dish to the next level.
Dessert
For dessert, we share the Wise Sticky Date Pudding (A$14), rich with butterscotch sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There are a handful of desserts on offer, but the pudding wins us over for three reasons: it bears the Wise name, it’s winter, and I’m always chasing a version that rivals my mum’s. (Mum, yours still wins—but this one comes close.)
To finish, we enjoy coffee (vegan milk choices available) made with Yira Yarkiny, a blend by Margaret River Roasting Co., using Queensland-grown beans from Mareeba. It offers notes of cocoa, raisin, and biscotti. We love that the packaging features Aboriginal art from Queensland on one side and Margaret River on the other—a thoughtful cross-state collaboration.
Good to Know
Wise Winery & Restaurant also serves breakfast daily from 8 am. It’s a top spot for breakfast in the Dunsborough area – how can you beat those views with caffeine? You’ll find café staples like eggs and avocado toast, alongside crepes and a tempting cake selection—all paired with those ocean views and a properly made barista brew.
Weekdays (excluding public and school holidays), see the restaurant offering a three-course set lunch for A$75, a favourite with the local crowd. On Mondays and Thursdays, until 25 September, diners also enjoy a complimentary glass of wine with their meal.
And if you’re still standing after wine, lunch and dessert, you might want to explore Wise’s on-site gin and brandy distillery. We didn’t have the stamina this time (three weeks of wine writing will do that to you), but it’s certainly worth pencilling in for a future visit.
Wise Winery & Restaurant Review
Wise Winery & Restaurant in Eagle Bay offers a quintessential Margaret River experience—where wine, food and stunning sea views converge. From the cellar door to the kitchen, there’s a clear focus on quality and place, with friendly staff and thoughtful details tying it all together. Whether you’re planning a long lunch, a wedding, or a simple morning coffee overlooking the ocean, Wise delivers a compelling reason to stay a little longer.
Reasons to Visit Wise Winery & Restaurant, Eagle Bay: Award-winning Margaret River wines with ocean views; exclusive tastings of premium and small-batch vintages; seasonal contemporary dining in a scenic coastal setting; breakfast, lunch, and coffee with a view in the Dunsborough area; weekday set lunch and wine pairing specials; gin and brandy tastings from Wise Distillery; family-run winery with over 30 years of heritage.
Wise Winery & Restaurant
237 Eagle Bay Road, Eagle Bay, Cape Naturaliste, 6281 Western Australia
Link to Wise Winery & Restaurant on Google Maps
www.wisewine.com.au
@wisewine
Wise Winery & Restaurant Opening Hours
Cellar Door
Daily, 8 am – 5 pm
Restaurant
Breakfast: 8 am – 10:30 am
Lunch: 11 am – 2:30 pm
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