In the mid-1990s, the Dewar family decided to diversify their portfolio of agricultural farmland in Western Australia. They took an interest in the wine industry and purchased a property in Geographe's Ferguson Valley in 1996, planting vines a year later. The 60 hectares of vineyards were established in 1997 and sits high on the western watershed of the Darling Ranges. The vineyard is 25km from the coast and receives the cooling afternoon sea breeze during summer. At an elevation between 230 and 280 meters, the estate is generally a few degrees cooler than the coastal plain, with ripening times similar to the cool southern parts of the neighbouring Margaret River wine region. Initial plantings of the classic French varieties of Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, have since been bolstered with small blocks of Viognier and Tempranillo. Today, Willow Bridge Estate is in the safe hands of Senior Winemaker Kim Horton and Assistant Winemaker Dougal Herd. After winning the 2016 Geographe Wine Show Trophy for Excellence in Winemaking, these two and the estate have a bright future ahead of them. Willow Bridge continues to produce a wide range of wines from primarily estate-grown fruit and is consistently noted by wine critics as being 'best value for the money', and 'superb wine at affordable prices'.
