Capel Vale
Capel Vale was established in 1974 by Sydney radiologist Dr Peter Pratten and his wife Elizabeth when they purchased land on the Capel River between Bunbury and Busselton in Western Australia’s South-West.
The site was originally a stone fruit orchard and its rich red alluvial loam soils over limestone made it a perfect viticultural site. It is also the location for the winery, cellar door and award winning restaurant.
After several vintages, it became apparent to Peter Pratten that the soils of the Capel area (now recognised as the Geographe region) were best suited to Chardonnay and Merlot. It became Peter's passion to determine the best region in South Western Australia for each premium grape variety. As a result Capel Vale has invested in prime viticultural land in Mount Barker for the production of Shiraz and Riesling, in Pemberton for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc and in Margaret River for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.