The Lake House Denmark: cellar door and winery in Denmark WA
The Lake House Denmark is a winery and cellar door at 106 Turner Road, Denmark, in Western Australia’s Great Southern wine region. We grow and make cool-climate wine, and we pour it beside a spring-fed lake about five minutes out of the Denmark town centre. Our cellar door in Denmark is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and the number here is (08) 9848 2444. Tasting room, retail shed and restaurant sit on the one property, so a visit can be a glass and a look around or the better part of an afternoon. Bookings are recommended for groups of ten or more.
Two people, a lake and 91 acres
Garry Capelli and Leanne Rogers established the place in April 2005, moving down from Perth and buying a 91.2-acre property on a lake at the end of a quiet country road. It came with a vineyard. The first vintage was released in 2006 and the cellar door opened the same year. What began with growing grapes, putting in a vegetable garden and getting about the place on quad bikes has grown into a winery, a restaurant, a condiment kitchen and a skincare range. Our philosophy runs from soil to bottle and paddock to plate, and we set out to make a place where people slow down, sit in the middle of some nature and reconnect over food and wine. Sustainable and ethical viticultural practice, personal integrity and authenticity are how we describe the way we go about it.
Our vineyards and our wines
We draw fruit from three Great Southern subregions. The estate vineyard here at Denmark was planted in 1996 and covers six hectares of chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, growing in rich karri loam under a coastal maritime climate. Mount Barker’s continental climate suits riesling and shiraz. Frankland River, with its Mediterranean climate, greater continentality and rich red granite and gneiss soils, gives us riesling, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, helped along by a sea breeze in the late afternoon.
Our wine ranges
- Postcard Series: our signature label, single vineyard and premium block selection wines made fresh and vibrant. Riesling, chardonnay, unwooded chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon sauvignon blanc, merlot, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet merlot, pinot noir and a Mount Barker rosé.
- Premium Reserve: limited releases matured on French and American oak, including Denmark chardonnay, Denmark pinot noir, Frankland River shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, a sparkling white, and rieslings from Frankland River, Mount Barker and the Porongurups.
- Museum Collection: premium reserve wines held back and cellared for the collector.
- Merum and Merum Reserve: our newest brand, made for intense fruit flavour and balanced natural acidity, with the reserve drawn from selected high quality fruit parcels and matured in French and American oak barriques.
- He Said She Said: a fun and cheeky label of easy-drinking, fruit-driven red and white blends.
- Curious Nature: for people who aspire to the unique and delight in the unexpected.
- Capelli Icon: Frankland River cabernet and Frankland River shiraz at the top of the range.
Vinofood, Lake Botanicals and the Cellar Club
Two other ranges came out of the same kitchen and the same vines. Vinofood is our handmade condiment line, made in small batches in our commercial kitchen: mustards, jams and jellies, chutneys and relishes, savoury and sweet sauces, vinegars and dressings, antipasto, fruits and syrups, and chocolates. It uses natural ingredients only, and everything is gluten free and free of artificial preservatives and colours. Lake Botanicals is our bath, body and face range, built on grape seed oil infused with essential oils, plant based, paraben free, cruelty free and vegan.
Our Cellar Club comes in two levels. Gold members take a dozen twice a year with free Australia-wide delivery on scheduled orders, and get complimentary tastings, pre-release access to new vintages and invitations to members-only events. Silver members start with a dozen and get free delivery on larger orders. Both levels save on wine bought online or at the cellar door, Gold by more than Silver.
Visiting us and ordering from home
The cellar door is at 106 Turner Road, off the Mount Shadforth tourist drive, and email reaches the tasting room at [email protected]. If you would rather order from where you are, we ship Australia-wide through Australia Post for a flat fee, lower within Western Australia than to the other states and free for Cellar Club members, and we pack and dispatch within two days. Metropolitan Perth usually takes two to three business days and country WA up to five. Wholesale enquiries and corporate gift hampers are handled through the office on (08) 9848 3398.