Margaret River Wine Region ‘Unearthed’ Through New Podcast Series

Tuesday, 13 August 2019

Wine Unearthed is a brand new podcast series launching this week, which explores the lauded Margaret River region. It gets beneath the region’s skin and helps listeners understand why Lonely Planet named this special part of Western Australia as its top destination in the Asia Pacific for 2019.

The free-to-listen series reveals how wine connects to Aboriginal custodians, big wave surfers and mountain bikers, shares local love stories that have led to surprising collaborations, investigates family dynamics, celebrity interactions and the human instinct to succeed, and looks at the pivotal role the area’s extraordinary natural environment plays. Led by food and wine journalist, Fleur Bainger, and joined by wine connoisseur and author, Peter Forrestal, the stories focus on the locals who live and breathe winemaking every day in the much-loved South-West region of Australia. 

Ms. Bainger says story telling with audio moves listeners in a way print, television and online can’t. “By purely listening, you sense a person’s feelings – be it passion or pain, laughter or tears – you hear their characterful personalities, and even detect their physical movements. To me, it’s so powerful.”

“The sounds of Margaret River itself create really rich mind pictures. The crash of waves, the snap of vines, the wind rushing through tall, native trees and the glug of wine being poured are all incredibly evocative. If I close my eyes, I’m right back there, capturing them all with a microphone in hand” Ms Bainger says.

In the podcasts, listeners learn that wine isn’t just about flavours, varietals, and food-pairing. It’s about the blood, sweat and tears that go into every vintage season, and the broader landscape surrounding that perfect drop. The factors making Margaret River a unique location for growing grapes is also explored.

Peter Forrestal said the podcasts are a 'revelation' and unleash so much information about Margaret River, most of which is unknown and fascinating. "This is Margaret River upclose and unearthed: it as though the surface about what we know about the region has been scraped away to uncover unexpected depths. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you know about the region, these podcasts will hold your attention. And be a cause of delight"

Ms Bainger says the listening experience reflects the fun she had making the series. “I genuinely loved recording these podcasts. Watching Virginia Wilcock’s eyes well with tears as she remembered Tom Cullity; chewing on native bush foods along the Cape to Cape Track with Gene Hardy; laughing about an incessantly vocal rooster pushing itself into the interviews at Glenarty Road; and posing pop quiz questions to barflies at Settler’s Tavern are all favourite moments – and ones I reckon podcast listeners will find similarly entertaining.”

ABOUT

This podcast is supported by the Australian Government's International Wine Tourism Grant administered by Wine Australia, Margaret River Wine Association, Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, South West Development Commission and Australia’s South West. It has been scripted, recorded, and presented by Fleur Bainger of White Noise Media, with sound design by Tom Allum and produced by Sophie Mathewson.

We acknowledge the Wadandi (Saltwater and Forest) people as the traditional owners of the Margaret River region and remind you to walk softly on Country.

For inspiration planning your trip to this beautiful part of the world, visit margaretriver.com 

Further information 

Amanda Carmichael

Marketing & Communications Manager
Amanda.carmichael@margaretriver.com
08 9780 5914

About the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association 

The Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA) is a not-for-profit organisation, with more than 700 members and 150 staff across the Margaret River region.

The MRBTA operates four caves, two lighthouses, an adventure ropes course, and manages airport ground handling.

The funds generated by MRBTA allows it enhance sustainable tourism by marketing the region to visitors, undertaking visitor servicing, providing high quality attractions, and investing in the conservation and preservation of its natural and heritage assets, with a resulting contribution to the economy of the region.