You’ll find Jilyara nestled in the heart of Margaret River’s wine-growing region, in Wilyabrup.
Surrounded by ocean on three sides, the maritime climate of the region is ideal for grape growing. So close that the rolling waves of the Indian Ocean can be heard from the vine rows.
The neighbouring nature reserve provides protection from ocean winds and connects the property to the native ecosystems. Jilyara’s award winning wines reflect the land surrounding them and their connection to it.
Owned and run by the Cotterell-Bergstrom family, Jilyara is also home to Craig, Maria and their four children. Craig’s management approach is very hands-on with the majority of work done by the family.
Fostering healthy ecosystems and minimising the environmental impact is very important for the Cotterell-Bergstrom family. Craig and Maria dedicate their time to the vines during the growing season to create a healthy microclimate which reduces the use of fungicidal sprays. Beautiful, clean fruit is produced which does not need to be refined with egg or milk. Not only is their wine environmentally sustainable but it is vegan friendly too!
The vines were first planted by the Cotterell family in 1995. For many years they sold the fruit to some of the top wineries in the Margaret River region. It was Craig and Maria’s dream to produce wine of their own, and in 2018 that became a reality with the help of winemaker Kate Morgan. A passionate winemaker, Kate crafted high-quality wines with Fraser Gallop Estate in the Wilyabrup region for close to 10 years before joining Jilyara.
In total, nine hectares of vines are grown across two properties. The main varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Inspired by the abundance of bees in the vineyard, the name Jilyara derives from Djilyaro meaning bees in the local Noongar language. You’ll notice the distinctive bee drawing on a few of the Jilyara wine labels, along with the name Honeycomb Corner which represents the four beehives on the property.
With no cellar door on the property, Origins Market provides an opportunity to taste these beautifully crafted wines. Come and visit Maria at the market, learn more about Jilyara and taste the outstanding wine.
