If you find yourself in Melbourne and love wine, then you must visit the Yarra Valley! Located close to Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s prominent wine producing regions. This post covers everything you need to know about visiting wineries in the Yarra Valley.
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Table of Contents
Yarra Valley Introduction
As I mentioned, Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s famous wine producing regions with over 80 wineries. The Yarra Valley is a cool climate region that is best known for producing Chardonnay, sparkling wine and Pinot Noir. This region has been making wines for over 170 years but continues to innovate which adds to the quality of the wines it produces. The Yarra Valley is divided into a few areas; Healesville, Coldstream, Yarra Glen, Seville, Dixons Creek and Lilydale. Most of the wineries are concentrated in these areas.
Where is the Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is located alone the Yarra River, stretching from the Yarra Ranges National Park to about an hour north of the city of Melbourne. This proximity to Melbourne, makes the Yarra Valley an easy place to visit from Melbourne.
How Many Days Do You Need to Visit the Yarra Valley Wineries
There are enough wineries in the Yarra Valley to fill up weeks! But I am not sure that you would want to drink wine for weeks straight! The more popular ways to visit Yarra Valley is by doing a day trip from Melbourne or by spending a weekend with two full days of winery visits.
What is a Cellar Door?
This was a new concept for me, so I wanted to touch on it in case it is new for you too! A cellar door is a dedicated space at a winery where visitors can taste and purchase wines directly from the producer. Essentially a tasting room. This is a concept you will find in wineries across Australia and New Zealand. It can be rather informal, depending on the winery and some even only have standing areas. Most tastings take 30 minutes to 45 minutes maximum. Compare this to say in Argentina or Chile where the winery visits are most of the time accompanied by a visit to the cellar to see the wine making process and can take up to 2 hours for a visit and tasting.
Must Visit Wineries in the Yarra Valley
Domaine Chandon
Who doesn’t like bubbly? Domain Chandon is was established in 1986 and makes sparkling wines using the traditional method. The wines are good and the vineyards and grounds are beautiful! Highly recommend making a reservation here for a guided tasting. Paul did a wonderful job explaining the 5 wines we tasted. We had a combination of white, rose and red sparking wines which were all very good!
Chandon also has a restaurant if you wanted to have lunch here!
Soumah Wines
Another winery in a beautiful setting! Soumah was very busy when we arrived but they still accommodated us for a tasting even without a prior reservation. Definitely book ahead if you want a tasting overlooking their vineyards. They also have a on-site Italian restaurant and a informal bar that serves antipasti. Soumah specializes in northern Italian inspired wines with a local flair. From a wine tasting standpoint, you can book 3 experiences from a classic tasting to premium.
Dominique Portet Winery
Ninth-generation French winemaker Dominique Portet founded this winery in the Yarra Valley in the year 2000. They have several experiences here from cellar door to a visit of the facility that also includes a tasting. I loved that you could choose the wines you wanted to taste! They also have on-site restaurant or you could order a nice charcuterie to go with your tasting experience. My friends from Melbourne really loved this winery and they constantly rank highly on many ‘best wineries in the Yarra Valley’ lists. Ask for Jason!
Helen and Joey
I don’t think you can look up the Yarra Valley and not come across Helen and Joey. This winery has been around for about a decade and has four distinct wine brands. Helen and Joey not only has a cellar door experience, they also have a highly rated restaurant and also a 16 room boutique hotel! The ideal location for a weekend gate-away from Melbourne!
De Bortoli
Multi-generational winemakers with Italian heritage. This winery has won many awards for their cellar door experience! They also have a restaurant and accommodation that boasts of overlooking the vineyards.
Corniola Wines
Corniola Wines is a small family owned winery of Italian origin. This winery has stunning views and is very highly ranked!
Levantine Hill
I also don’t think you could read up on the Yarra Valley without Levantine Hill coming up in your research a few times! From wine tasting to lunch at their Mediterranean restaurant, this winery offers an elevated experience. They also have a wine making experience for anyone looking for a more immersive activity. Some of their other experience include helicopter rides over the Yarra Valley and a proposal package for those looking to seal the deal in style!
Hubert Estate
One of the older wineries on this list, Hubert Estate, is a great place to drink wine and eat some delicious food. If you go with a group, order several items from the menu and share. They have a dining room that can seat 300 people but I highly recommend making a reservation, especially if you are visiting during the weekend. Of course you can also order wine from their wine list during lunch if you don’t want to have a separate cellar door experience.
Coombe
In addition to wine tasting at their cellar door and/or lunch at their restaurant, Coombe offers a unique experience as it is located in Dame Nellie Melba’s restored motor house. There is even a small museum with some of her belongings including a fabulous Louis Vuitton trunk! The cellar door is very laid back and informal and you can choose from several wines. They also have a high tea experience on Wednesdays and Sundays. The food, staff and service all get raving reviews at Coombe.
Sample Itinerary
Here is a sample itinerary if you only have one day to visit wineries in the Yarra Valley. You can easily visit 5 wineries with lunch at one of them. Most wineries open around 10 am and close around 5 pm. You could technically walk in without a reservation but I recommend making a reservation, especially at Chandon and where you want to have lunch. Honestly, it’s not a bad idea to make reservations at all the wineries as this ensures that you are seated without a delay. Most tastings take around 30-45 minutes.
- Domaine Chandon – 10 AM (leaving a bit of time to explore the grounds as the scenery is quite beautiful!)
- Dominique Portet Winery – 11:30 AM
- Hubert Estate for lunch – 12:30 PM
- Soumah Wines – 2 PM
- Coombe – 3PM
How to Visit Wineries in the Yarra Valley from Melbourne
If you are in Melbourne or visiting Melbourne, you can easily drive to Yarra Valley. I visited with some friends and we had a designated driver. If you don’t have a vehicle or a designated driver, then check out some of the highly rated tours. One advantage of self-driving of course is that you get to select the wineries that you want to go to. However, one of the tours listed below is a hop-off , hop-on option.
What Else to do in the Yarra Valley
Here are some options if you are traveling with kids or want to take a break from drinking wine!
- Visit lavender fields at Warratina Lavender Farm
- Go cheese tasting at Yarra Valley Dairy
- Taste some chocolate at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
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