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Capel Vale Winery, restaurant and cellar door, now sit atop the original vineyard site at Stirling Estate in the Geographe wine region of the South West Coast of Western Australia.

Stirling Estate was originally the site of a stone fruit orchard in the 1930s. Consisting of rich, red alluvial loams over a limestone base, it possessed a natural, permanent watertable and was perfect for growing vines. The first plantings were in 1974, producing the first commercial vintage in 1980. After determining that the soils of the Capel area (now included in the EU registered Geographe Region) were best suited to Chardonnay and Merlot, it became the Prattens passion to determine the best region in South Western Australia for each of the main premium grape varieties.

The Capel River, adjacent to Capel Vale winery is home to many species of waterfowl, including the protected Sheldrake, or native Mountain Duck. When the Pratten family originally planted the vines in 1974, the Mountain Ducks constantly surrounded them, reminding them of their presence whilst they work. The banks of the Capel River were deliberately untouched to allow the ducks to maintain their natural habitat and can still be seen today, squawking merrily along their way. The Mountain Duck also features on their label.

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