Cullen Wines

Cullen has been certified organic since 2003 and certified biodynamic since 2008—one of the first wineries in Australia in each of those categories. General manager Vanya Cullen is an outspoken proponent of those practices, and any visitor to the property would be remiss in not checking out the self-guided spiral garden biodynamic tour. That said, the commitment to sustainability goes beyond practices in the vineyard and kitchen gardens. Since 2006, Cullen has been offsetting its carbon emissions largely through local carbon-sequestration projects. In fact, the entire operation is now carbon positive. Forty percent of the winery’s power needs are met through its own solar panels, with the rest purchased from solar and wind sources. Packaging also plays a role in Cullen’s sustainability, with reduced-carbon bottles, locally sourced cardboard and a robust recycling program. The company participates in the Sustainable Packaging Initiative and the AWRI Code of Good Manufacturing Practice and is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant.

The year 2021 marks the 50th year for this famous winery. Kevin Cullen and his wife, Diana, planted their vines on the current property in 1971, now managed by their youngest daughter, Vanya Cullen. One of Margaret River’s founding wineries, Cullen planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling in the beginning, but over time, Chardonnay has supplanted Riesling as the top white wine. The winery’s two vineyards (Cullen and Mangan) — a total of 122 acres — are farmed biodynamically. With no yeasts or acids added to the musts, this is low-intervention winemaking, practiced with an excruciating eye for detail and a total commitment to quality. In recent years, Cullen has added a skin-contact white (called Amber) to the range, plus occasional limited bottlings of Chardonnay based on Fruit or Flower days from the Maria Thun biodynamic calendar. Like many Australian wineries, Cullen operates a visitor-friendly cellar door, which in this case includes a restaurant, with most of the products coming from the property’s own kitchen gardens. If you happen to be in Margaret River, it’s definitely worth a visit.