The Geographic Location
The region is in the southwestern corner of Western Australia at latitude 3,40 south.
It comprises the rolling hills of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90km north south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. To the west the Indian Ocean is the boundary and the eastern edge is generally judged to be the Whicher Range.
Officially, in recent times, there has been a definition of the area as that which exists west of 115 18' on the Leeuwin Peninsula, covering a total of 50,573 square km, much of it existing as woodlands. This is generally referred to as the Gladestone Line. This line designates the official Geographical Indication Zone ( GI ) of Margaret River. In real terms the majority of vineyards have been established in undulating country surrounding the major watercourses. Many vineyards are within 3 to 7km of the coast at elevations between 150 and 200 metres, although more recent plantings have extended to the eastern boundaries of the region.
In 1995 there were just a few more than a thousand hectares under vine in the entire Margaret River region. It is currently estimated that 2,600 hectares are under vine following an expansion over the past few years of some 25%.