Geography - an extremely dull subject often inflicted on high school age students. Strangely enough - At highschool my geography teacher wore knee-high stockings with his loafers - but called them 'French Socks".  Odd fellow.

The long winded version for all the boffins ( and 'Landline' watchers) - The Margaret River Region has a varied landscape, from small creeks and sweeping valleys to thick native bush, rolling pastures, rugged coastlines and marri and karri forests. As the region is bound on three sides by the Indian Ocean, which moderates extremes of temperature, it is characterised by a maritime climate providing for wet and stormy winters, with an annual rainfall of 1150mm, usually between April and October, and long, dry, mild summers.

Being just 4 kms from the ocean, Arlewood Estate benefits from the best of the region's landscape and climate as well as from other factors that render this area one of the best for wine growing. The soil at Arlewood Estate is rich, gravelly topsoil to a depth of 300-500mm over loamy clay, with excellent drainage. Water supply is generally run-off into catchment areas defined by the valleys and creeklines on the property, with water quality classified as fresh and most suitable for vineyard irrigation.

The Arlewood property, itself, is gently undulating to a rise and fall of 20 metres, with three distinct ridgelines, valleys and creeklines. The land is partially cleared pasture, now planted, with substantial bushland on the ridgeline and creeklines. This, along with well established planted treelines, protects the vines from prevailing southwest winds, and allows the fruit at Arlewood to ripen slowly and gently to give maximum intensity of flavour.

Summary for those who like the crux of the matter... the vineyard is tidy in the extreme.  The cellar door is attempting a free-range-cottage-garden-meets-native-garden-type-feel.  In other words - the love is in what counts the most.

This serious section is best recited out loud with a piece of stirring music in the background.  Think of it as the non-rhyming version of "I love a sunburnt country" with a bit more detail...)