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Given the Margaret River produces 20% of Australia’s premium wine from just 2% of its grape production, you’d think Margaret River wine has a long history. But the truth is more accidental than by design. Perhaps the history of the Margaret River wine region is best captured in the name of its founding winery – Vasse Felix, established in 1967. The name Vasse comes from the French sailor Thomas Timothee Vasse who was lost overboard, presumed drowned, in the Indian Ocean before washing up on the Margaret River coast in 1801. Felix, of course, comes from the Latin meaning ‘happy’...

It’s not just us wine lovers who ask: ‘is wine good for your gut health?’ Nearly every major physician in history seems to have positive things to say about wine and our health. Take the French scientist Louis Pasteur. He said: “Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.” Pasteur is best remembered for the ‘pasteurisation’ process of preventing contamination in milk and cheeses by heating them up first. But Pasteur actually first discovered the process while fighting diseases that caused wine to spoil (of course it was wine). His study on micro-organisms in wine then led to...

What is a wine terroir? The Harvard Business Review tells us there is one key question you’ll be asked first during a job interview. That question is: “Tell me about yourself.” You could come prepared with as many qualifications, awards and references as you like – it’s who you are that most captures your employers’ interest. It’s the same with wine. The word 'terroir' comes from the French, and while it sounds like plain old 'terrain' it's developed into meaning 'a sense of place'.  So how can we understand a wine terroir? And how does that wine terroir affect the taste of wine...

Join Col at the vineyard to taste through our celebratory festive mix six specially curated for you.      2019 UMAMU Sparkling MacAnn  - Made in the traditional method with fifteen months on lees. We name this MacAnn after our founders Mac & Ann who discovered Margaret River in the early 80s and fell in love with our vineyard in 1997.  Made with Sémillon and a touch of Sauvignon Blanc, the wine is utter perfection, with delicious layers on the pallet of freshly harvested snow pea, crisp green apple and finishing with toasted cashew notes at the end of the palate.  Perfect for anytime...

You don’t need to train your palate to enjoy a wine tasting – at UMAMU Estate, we believe it’s about opening yourself up to a conversation with the elements. Here are 5 tips to start having a deeper conversation with your wine. We also share an interview with Alex Haslam, wine club School of Psychology, University of Queensland.  Cheers,UMAMU Estate principal, Charmaine Saw The conversation starts as soon as you open the bottle I love starting a conversation and tasting the wine as soon as a bottle is opened. I do this especially with first growths.  I taste it and...

When it’s well past 5 o-clock, do you care if the bouquet’s got snowpea or snowdrop? Wine tasting reviews paint a gorgeous picture but can’t guarantee it’s what we want right now. With Chinese New Year last month we had fun pairing wines to our Chinese zodiac signs – this month we’re going further into some of the Chinese elements of UMAMU! That is, the 5 elements of traditional Chinese philosophy. The elements interact like this: Water feeds Wood Wood starts a Fire Fire creates Earth Earth holds Metal Metal carries Water   Source.  So how does that help me...