Wine, weddings, parties, anything in Western Australia

Take an American and a South African. Drop them in Western Australia and watch them build a thriving wine business and cellar door, a spirits brand and luxury accommodation.

Ampersand Estates, co-owned by friends and business partners Melissa Bell and Corrie Scheepers, offers wine and events in the Pemberton region of south-west Western Australia.

It is home to three spacious luxury accommodation options surrounded by vineyards, native forest and wild kangaroos.

The Homestead sits on the Donnelly River and has five king-sized bedrooms, each with en suites. The Vintner’s Residence is on a hilltop, overlooking the vineyards and surrounding forest – it also boasts five king-sized bedrooms with en suite bathrooms.

The Settler’s Cottage is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom configuration, adjacent to the lakeside cellar door.

A private in-house chef is available to cater for gourmets and in-house guests also have a weather guarantee.

From July through September, guests staying at Ampersand Estates will enjoy bottomless Ampersand wine - every time it rains.

There is also a Winter Escape package where guests stay three nights and pay for two.



Bell and Scheepers have reinvigorated the former Donnelly River Winery, the oldest winery in the region.

Ampersand is promoted as a "harmonious convergence of premium wines, luxury accommodation, gourmet culinary delights, unique spirits, and the breath-taking natural beauty of Western Australia". 

The property hosts events and weddings, as well as wine lovers.

The wine range includes chardonnay, syrah, rosé, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc - exported to Singapore - while the Rainfall Distillery produces a range of spirits, specialising in gins and vodkas.

Pemberton is 3.5 hours’ drive south of Perth and 40 minutes east of Margaret River region.

Part of the Southern Forests wine region, the Pemberton region boasts six cellar doors and is the Southern Hemisphere’s black Perigord truffle epicentre - producing up to 85% of the annual harvest.

I haven't tried the wines or the spirits yet - but I will report back.  

See www.ampersandestates.com.au