The Grove Distillery

Where Wine Country Meets the Still

Drive along Metricup Road through Wilyabrup and you pass some of the most closely watched agricultural land in Australia. The vineyards here anchor Margaret River's reputation for Cabernet and Chardonnay, properties like Cape Mentelle, Cullen Wines, and Deep Woods Estate each occupying a distinct place in the region's hierarchy. At 491 Metricup Rd, The Grove Distillery occupies a different position in that same corridor: a craft spirits producer sitting among the vines rather than apart from them, drawing on the same fertile southwest corner of Western Australia that built the wine industry's credibility over five decades.

That geographical context matters. Wilyabrup is not fringe Margaret River. It is the sub-region that serious collectors and wine tourists specifically route through, home to some of the area's most decorated producers. For a distillery to establish itself here, rather than in a more peripheral location, signals intent about the calibre of operation and the audience it expects to engage.

Critical Recognition in a Competitive Field

Australia's craft spirits sector has expanded rapidly since the mid-2010s, moving from a novelty tier to a market with genuine critical infrastructure. Awards programs, specialist retailers, and a growing cohort of educated consumers have created the conditions for meaningful differentiation. Within that context, EP Club's Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating for The Grove Distillery in 2025 positions it in the upper bracket of the region's hospitality and producer offerings, not merely as a local curiosity but as a venue that meets the criteria serious spirits travellers apply when planning a visit.

For comparison, the same critical framework that evaluates premium wineries across the Margaret River region, including operations like Howard Park and Devil's Lair, informs how a Prestige-tier rating is calibrated. A Pearl 2 Star designation within that system is not awarded on volume or marketing reach. It reflects a combination of product quality, visitor experience, and the kind of editorial confidence that only comes from sustained performance. The Grove's position in that tier, as a distillery rather than a winery, is a specific signal: craft spirits production in Margaret River has matured enough to be evaluated on the same terms as the wine properties that defined the region.

Nationally, the craft distilling comparison set has grown considerably. Operations such as Archie Rose Distilling Co in Sydney helped establish a template for what premium Australian spirits production looks like at scale, with transparent sourcing, clear provenance storytelling, and direct visitor engagement. Internationally, longstanding prestige distillers like Aberlour in Aberlour set the bar for how a distillery can anchor a region's identity over generations. The Grove Distillery draws from a different geography and tradition, but its recognition places it in conversation with producers operating at a similarly deliberate level.

The Region's Expanding Producer Identity

Margaret River built its international standing almost entirely on wine. The first commercial vineyards were planted in the late 1960s following academic research identifying the region's Mediterranean-style climate as comparable to Bordeaux and Burgundy. Five decades on, that identity is layered: there are large operations with international distribution, small family producers farming biodynamically, and a growing tier of hospitality-led properties where the experience of visiting matters as much as what is in the glass.

Craft spirits fit into that third category more than they initially appear to. A distillery in wine country is not simply diversifying agriculture; it is offering a different kind of engagement with the same landscape. Grain, botanicals, and water sources carry terroir signals just as fruit does, and the visitor format at a distillery, typically more intimate than a large winery cellar door, aligns with the region's trend toward lower-volume, higher-engagement experiences. For travellers building an itinerary around Margaret River's producer culture, a Prestige-rated distillery on Metricup Road adds a category that the region's winery-heavy map does not otherwise supply. Consult our full Margaret River experiences guide for context on how this fits within the broader visit.

Placing The Grove in Its Peer Context

Australian craft distilling has developed two broadly distinct models. The first is the urban or peri-urban operation, typically warehouse-based, focused on volume and distribution, building a brand through retail and bar listings before investing in a visitor experience. The second is the estate or rural model, where the location and its surroundings are intrinsic to the product story, and where the visitor comes to the spirit rather than encountering it via a bottle shelf. The Grove Distillery, positioned within a working agricultural zone in Wilyabrup, belongs to the second category.

That distinction affects how you should approach a visit. Rural estate distilleries in wine regions tend to function on their own calendar and terms, often with limited days of operation or experience formats that require pre-booking. While specific hours and booking arrangements for The Grove are not confirmed in EP Club's current data, the category norm in this part of Margaret River strongly favours advance planning. Turning up unannounced at a production-scale property on Metricup Road is not the same as dropping into a cellar door on a busy wine trail weekend. Check directly before visiting.

Wider comparisons offer useful benchmarks. At the heritage end of the Australian spirits spectrum, All Saints Estate in Rutherglen shows how a multi-generational agricultural property can sustain prestige recognition across categories. In South Australia, Angove Family Winemakers in Renmark represents a different model of the farm-to-bottle continuum. Internationally, the estate winery and spirits crossover is more established, with properties like Abadía Retuerta in Sardón de Duero operating as hospitality destinations that integrate production into the visitor experience at a premium level. The Grove's rating suggests it is working within a similarly serious register.

Planning Your Visit

The address at 491 Metricup Rd, Wilyabrup places The Grove Distillery in the heart of the region most visitors associate with Margaret River's premium wine trail. Wilyabrup sits north of the Margaret River township and is most easily accessed by car; the road infrastructure through this part of the southwest is good but rural, and a full Metricup Road itinerary can comfortably include several producers across a single day. Given the density of Prestige-rated venues in this corridor, and given that Margaret River's accommodation ranges from high-end retreats to smaller vineyard stays, basing yourself locally rather than day-tripping from Perth makes practical sense. For accommodation options, our full Margaret River hotels guide covers the current range at each tier.

For travellers building a broader picture of the region's food and drink offering, the cross-category guides are worth consulting before you travel. Our full Margaret River restaurants guide, our full Margaret River bars guide, and our full Margaret River wineries guide map the recognised venues across categories and price tiers. A Prestige 2 Star distillery on the wine trail is a meaningful addition to any serious visit to the southwest, but it functions leading as part of a structured itinerary rather than a standalone destination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Grove Distillery known for?

The Grove Distillery is a craft spirits producer based in Wilyabrup, the most concentrated premium sub-region of Margaret River wine country. It holds a Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating from EP Club (2025), which places it in the recognised upper tier of the region's producer and hospitality offerings. Its location on Metricup Rd, among some of Margaret River's most decorated wine estates, defines its positioning within the regional experience.

How hard is it to get in to The Grove Distillery?

Specific booking details, hours, and contact information for The Grove Distillery are not confirmed in EP Club's current data. As a Prestige-rated producer in a competitive wine tourism corridor, advance contact before visiting is strongly advisable. Rural estate producers in this part of Margaret River typically operate on defined visit windows rather than open walk-in hours. Check via the venue directly before building your itinerary around it.

What's the leading wine to try at The Grove Distillery?

The Grove Distillery is a spirits producer, not a winery, so wine is not its primary offering. It sits within the Margaret River wine region, and visitors building a wine-focused itinerary will find the established Cabernet and Chardonnay producers in the same Wilyabrup corridor, including properties covered in our full Margaret River wineries guide. For spirits, The Grove's Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating (2025) indicates a production program that has earned serious critical recognition.

Is The Grove Distillery worth visiting if you're primarily a wine traveller coming to Margaret River?

For a wine-focused visitor, The Grove Distillery offers a category complement rather than a substitute. Margaret River's Wilyabrup corridor is dense with top-rated wine producers, but a Prestige-rated distillery in the same zone adds a different kind of palate engagement to the same itinerary. The EP Club Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating (2025) indicates the experience meets the threshold serious travellers apply across hospitality categories, not only wine.