We spent a cruise-y Sunday afternoon at the Bickley and Carmel Harvest Festival. There were no orange and red autumn leaves falling; it was an unseasonal sunny day, but who was complaining?! We drove through the winding valley roads, past leafy vineyards and orchards. We could have easily been in Margaret River, not just 25kms east from the Perth CBD. I’m a born and bred hillbilly (now living NOR). I couldn’t believe we’d never been to any of the Bickley wineries before! We’ve been missing out!
There were a lot of venues in the valley joining in with the festival; most of the wineries had events, as did the CORE cidery, Flower Farm and Art Galleries. There was a special 3 course luncheon at the Brookside Winery’s popular Vineyard Kitchen Restaurant . Hainault had music and art to accompany tasting of their award winning wine. There was also a free bus, departing from Kalamunda, which allowed you to hop-on/hop-off.
There was a lot going on at the Myattsfield Vineyard, in Carmel. As well as tasting their wine (inc varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Semillon and Tempranillo). The stunning weather was great for picnicking, dancing to the live “Murder Mouse Blues Band” band, trying some locally made food and strolling around the craft stalls & art exhibits.
There was also a Scarecrow Competition, which added to the festivities. This was a great idea, the kids loved to look at them and it was also a charity event. A gold coin donation to Muscular Dystrophy WA gave you the chance to vote for your favourite scarecrow creation. Needless to say, we had quite a few votes!!
The seven boutique wineries, on the Bickley and Carmel valleys wine trail, are all within a few kilometres of each other. Most of them have cafes and restaurants; great for a lazy Sunday lunch or an afternoon tea. Being just 30mins from the city, these vineyards are well worth a visit.