The heritage of WA’s oldest winery, four-generations of family ownership and the ‘dream’ cellar door including a decadent cheese emporium, makes for one unmissable Swan Valley experience.
The Olive Farm property dates back to 1829 and was established by an English botanist named Thomas Waters who brought grapevine cuttings and olive trees with him when he settled in Perth. He planted the olive trees first, hence the name, but wine was soon produced, with the first vintage in 1834. (Much of which became currency for bartering with the local shopkeepers!)
In 1933, Ivan Yurisich purchased the property. He had immigrated from Yugoslavia at the turn of the century and after working in the Goldfields and outback of WA, decided to try his hand at winemaking. The property has remained in the family for four generations.
The Wines
Historically, The Olive Farm made fortified wines which were sold by the cask to the Goldfields in Western Australia. The winery become one of the first in WA to produce Traditional Method Sparkling wines back in the 1960s. These remain a core of range which is now named ‘Olivine’.
Still table wines were introduced in the 1970s and achieved great success in the local wine shows. The current range is diverse, with over 35 sweet to dry white, red, sparkling and fortified wines. There are all the Swan Valley classics, along with some other surprise varieties like Tempranillo, Traminer, Durif and Cabernet Franc.
Wine Tasting
The Yurisich family built their ‘dream’ winery and cellar door in 2007. It is set on a 24-acre property in the heart of the Swan Valley and has received significant awards for its architecture and interior design. Visitors are welcome to sample from the full range of wines, with tastings available 10am – 5pm daily. A walking tour of the vineyard and winery can be booked in advance, it begins at 10.30am.
Unique Highlights: The Cheese
Taste and graze from a selection of over 75+ different international and local benchmark cheeses at the family’s Cheese Barrel Café. Just metres from the cellar door, this architecturally-designed gem of a property is a place of wine and cheese-lovers’ dreams. The all-day menu is both flexible and generous, with cheeseboards starting from $35-$40. Free cheese tastings are available too. They are best experienced between 10am and 1pm before it gets too busy. Families, children and even dogs are welcome.
The Cheese Barrel Café is open 10am – 5pm Monday and Tuesday, and 10am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday.