Manjimup

The Manjimup wine region is part of the largest shire in Western Australia, and the town of Manjimup is just over 300 km, or a three and half hour drive, south of Perth.

As with most place names in the south-western corner of Western Australia, the name ‘Manjimup’ is Noongar Aboriginal and means ‘manjin’ – an edible reed -  and ‘up’ – a meeting place. First settled in 1856 by a timber cutter named Thomas Muir, it was not until after the First World War that Manjimup expanded significantly. This was because it became part of the Group Settlement Scheme that for a while was a West Australian government effort to populate the state, mainly with British immigrants. ‘Group’ because groups of 12 to 14 families would be sent out to one location. Despite subsidies and free land, relatively few of the participants were able to make a go of farming on land so different from their place of origin (many were not even farmers!), though some did manage to become dairy farmers.

For most of Manjimup’s history timber has been a major industry, but as with the Geographe region, apples have also played a significant role. The Pink Lady apple was created in Manjimup and is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Lady Williams. Lady Williams apples, which provides the ‘pink’ in Pink Lady, are also from Australia, originating as a chance discovery in the 1930s.

Timber has also been the cause of much controversy in the Manjimup region with its karri forests coming under threat in the 1970s. Woodchipping schemes were hotly opposed and workers sought to defend their livelihoods. Government intervention eventually preserved the karri, though secure national parks were not finally established until the 1990s.

As with many of West Australia’s wine regions, it was as a result of investigations and experiments by the Department of Agriculture that Manjimup’s suitability for vine planting was discovered. As part of efforts to replacing declining income from dairy and tobacco, government policy in the mid-1970’s encouraged trial plantings that established Manjimup region’s potential as a grape growing area. But it was not until the 1990’s that significant vineyards were established and vintages produced.

The Manjimup region is heavily forested with much water available for irrigation. Its climate is modified by ocean influences and the cold winters are followed by plenty of rainfall in the spring. Generally dry summers and autumns provide excellent conditions for grapes.

Manjimup wine region has specialised in Verdelho and Merlot, with some Cabernet as well. One of the most significant producers of wine in the Manjimup region is the Peos Estate, owned and operated by Vic Peos whose grandfather, P. Y. Peos, arrived in 1926 from Macedonia. Family history has it that grandfather Peos grew vines back on the family plot in Macedonia. The Peos family produced many crops on the farm they had established by 1951, including tobacco, dairy and beef cattle. Nowadays it is Shiraz that is being produced, with award winning vintages such as Peos Estate Four Aces Shiraz. A more unusual grape grown here is the Carnelian, used to make a pink wine named Chameleon Rosé.

More recent arrivals to the Manjimup region, but just as dedicated to producing great wines are John Healy and Darelle Sinclair who established Sinclair Wines in 1994. Darelle studied to be a viticulturist at Charles Sturt University in NSW, including the important end of the business, Wine Marketing. There are many unique characteristics of the Sinclair Wines, one of which is they have deified the wisdom of the ages and planted their vines on a south-facing slope, finding that here these actually ripen ahead of north-facing ones.

Sinclair Wines is on 34 hectares, with five hectares planted in vines, at 300m, and is located on the edge of a spectacular karri forest. Main varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with some Cabernet Franc and Shiraz also. The Sinclair’s minimize the use of chemicals, preferring to rely on good ventilation and regular inspection to reduce mold and other diseases.

Most of Manjimup’s attractions are natural rather than man-made and include the Diamond Tree lookout – 51m above the ground; the Four Aces - four 75 metre-tall karri trees; One Tree Bridge - a bridge made of a single karri tree; and the King Jarrah Heritage Trail. There is also a timber museum called Manjimup Timber Park.

The four magnificent trees known as the Four Aces are estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old. It is also estimated that these four trees contain enough timber to build six family homes. They are less than two kilometres past One Tree Bridge on the Graphite Road; the One Tree Bridge having been felled across the river in 1904. The King Jarrah Heritage Trail contains a huge tree, thought to be around 600 years old. In 1910 the King Jarrah was nearly cut down for fence posts and sleepers but by 1921 was officially declared unique. It is 47 metres high and has a diameter of 2.69 metres.

As in other West Australian wine regions, Manjimup region produces much excellent Chardonnay of an elegant and light style. Verdelho is one wine of the Manjimup region that stands out for its freshness. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot take up a fair share of the Manjimup regions plantings and result in many excellent and elegant Cabernet Merlot blends.