The Margaret River Regional Wine Centre (MRRWC) has new owners.Three families, all with long time close ties to the region and owner-operators of their own vineyard and wine production operations surrounding the MRRWC, have taken the reins from Ron and Kay Macfarlane, who founded the Cowaramup icon 12 years ago.

All three families – the Olsens, Reynolds and Roberts – are well known in Western Australia’s wine industry and their direct links with the Margaret River region stretch back decades.

Stephen and Ann Marie Olsen founded Olsen Wines at Osmington in 1986, Brett and Di Roberts bought the farm that became Canebroke Estate in 1993 and Russell and Marilyn Reynolds established Cowaramup Wines in 1995.

The acquisition was brought about by the Macfarlane’s decision to retire following Kay’s serious illness, from which she is recovering.

The Macfarlanes established the MRRWC as a central wine-based point to promote the region, its produce and provide tourists with all the information needed to ensure an enjoyable stay in the region.

The magnitude of Ron’s extensive contribution to the region was recognised earlier this year, when he was inducted into the Augusta Margaret River Tourist Association Hall of Fame.

Under his guidance, the MRRWC has grown to be much more than a place to obtain wine, food, accommodation and sightseeing information, taste an extensive range of local styles, buy wine at competitive prices and have it shipped home.

It is a widely recognised font of local knowledge, with maps and all the inside info on those hidden Margaret River region gems.

Great wine, great food and excellent service that all contribute to that magic feeling that life just cannot get better. A kick-off point from which to explore one of the world’s major wine regions.

The MRRWC has also become key to the marketing and promotion of small local wineries. As such, it now transports wine to remote places all over Australia and the rest of the world, far off corners such as Anchorage in Alaska and Banff in the far north of Scotland.

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Ron Macfarlane and son Peter reflect on their
12 years as operators of the MRRWC

The new owners bought the business because of the success of the formula created by the Macfarlanes, particularly the marketing and promotional assistance it affords to small producers.

They see it as a natural progression, highlighted by their own evolution from grape growing, to winemaking and now further into retailing and promotion.

All three families established their operations from scratch. They have suffered the historic vagaries of over supply, glut, falling prices and changing market preferences.

Such times are known as the “hard yards,” the tough times along a journey that builds knowledge born of adversity that should lead to strength and success.

The result, as Ann Marie describes it, “is a fabulous knowledge pool among the new partners.”

Russell Reynolds says that, in his case, “12 years of grape growing and four years of making our own wines, has given us a pretty good insight into the industry.”

Di Roberts says that “selling wine over the last couple of years has enabled us to grasp the complexity of this side of the industry and has been the impetus for our investment in the MRRWC.

There are no major changes planned to the MRRWC formula. The legendary tastings will continue, as will the great deals through the newsletter and online, along with the special dozens – a regular selection of the top medal winners from such prestigious events as the Perth Sheraton Wine Show and the Margaret River Wine Show. A chance to sample from the winners’ table.

As Russell puts it: “Here, we all have an opportunity to build on the legacy established by Ron Macfarlane and his team, to promote and market this great region in all its aspects.’’