The Yarra Valley is one of the most popular wine regions in the world for a reason. Given that Melbourne is only an hour away, it is ideal for weekend getaways or day trips. Chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, which are grown extensively in the area and form ideal sparkling wine, are its specialty. However, if you know where to search, you can also locate less popular grape varieties like chenin blanc, savagnin, and nebbiolo.
There are 160 wineries to sample in the area, ranging in size from modest mom-and-pop shops to enormous foreign-owned behemoths. Not sure where to begin? These are currently our favorite Yarra Valley wineries restaurants.
Hubert Estate
The Ryan Hospitality Group and St Hubert’s, one of the Yarra Valley’s oldest growers, have a love child, Hubert Estate. With a thorough makeover of St. Hubert’s current footprint, the winery and cellar door is poised to become the newest must-visit destination in the area, converting the breathtaking site into a dual-level estate. Cera Stribley, a renowned architectural and interior design firm, is to be credited with the venue’s redesign. Now, Hubert Estate includes a contemporary Australian and European-inspired restaurant called Quarters, an Indigenous art gallery called Hubert Gallery of Art, a venue called Harriett, a cellar door, and a specialty wine shop called Boutique (Notes).
Innocent Bystander
Giant Steps, another winery in Healesville, is conveniently located across the street from Innocent Bystander. Actually, the two wineries used to share a building, but when they (amicably) parted ways in early 2017, Innocent Bystander took over the space formerly occupied by White Rabbit Brewery. Innocent Bystander’s standalone location pays homage to its predecessor by having a beer hall vibe and serving anything from prosecco to Syrah from temperature-controlled draught faucets. A carafe or a flight of wines that come in measuring beakers right out of scientific class might be ordered by gamblers. Wood-fired pizzas and shareable dishes are the mainstays of the menu, which is intended to be consumed as diners sample the reasonably priced wines.
Fin x Cré
The team behind Dixons Creek’s Fin Wine and Cré Wine established a cellar door/restaurant in March 2021. You can sample wines, ciders, and piquettes created with “minimum faffery” here. These drinks are also referred to as lo-fi or low intervention drinks. Up back, there is a tasting area with a large wine wall, a few tables, and most of the seating is outside (smart). During the winter, there are only two weekends of operation; however, service is more frequent in the spring.
Helen and Joey Estate
The Helen and Joey Estate has a sizable cellar door and tasting area, but in good weather, the terrace outside offers the best views of the vines and the gently undulating hills. You could be fortunate enough to be able to taste all of the wines here if the winery isn’t overflowing. You can purchase food and charcuterie to nibble on as you drink, as well as one or two bottles to enjoy in your elegant setting and a few to take home.
Rob Dolan Wines
The vineyard uses fruit from all across Victoria to produce a great selection of cool-climate wines, from the budget-friendly, fruit-forward True Colors line to the upscale Signature Series bottles. There are exquisite cabernet sauvignons, a grape with a long history in the Yarra Valley, as well as the conventional chardonnay and pinot noir from the Yarra Valley wineries restaurants(including a fantastic chardy with malolactic fermentation).
Pimpernel Vineyards
Pimpernel’s owners, Mark and Fiona Horrigan, take winemaking seriously, and the results show in the qualities of their bottles. They take terroir very seriously; in fact, Mark’s mother stole a few limestones from a Burgandy pinot noir vineyard to show how serious they take it. After having the stones analyzed upon their return to Australia, Mark buried more than 250 tonnes of comparable crushed limestone in his own vineyard. Some of the best pinot in the Yarra Valley is produced by the pinot noir vines that grow above it. Fruit is manually selected, and little is done to prevent natural fermentation from occurring.
Dominique Portet
The Dominique Portet winery was only established in 2000, although it is the brainchild of a Bordeaux winemaker of the ninth generation. In the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley wineries restaurants, the Dominique Portet winery has a cellar door that is open every day. The restaurant offers country-style meals (think snack platters, cheese, charcuterie, and even snails) that are perfect for a meal after wine tasting. Try the outstanding Fontaine rosé, a $26 bottle of breezy berry-driven merlot, shiraz, and cabernet sauvignon that is a value.
Oakridge Wines
In Yarra Valley wineries restaurants, a family-run winery called Oakridge Wines is becoming well-known for its restaurant. The kitchen, run by chef Aaron Brodie, creates dishes showcasing ingredients from the kitchen garden and nearby farmers. Visitors may choose to simply take in the view of the lovely vineyard during tastings or partake in a meal paired with a variety of wines unique to the Oakridge restaurant.
Many Hands Winery
It takes a lot of energy to taste your way through the Yarra Valley wineries restaurants, so you’ll need to eat something more substantial than wine tastings at some point during the day. When that moment comes, you should politely request that your deso guide the vehicle in the general direction of Many Hands Winery, a local manufacturer that excels at both Italian food and wine. Here, tastings are $10 and can be used to purchase a bottle (and you are quite likely to want to buy at least one to bring home). While enjoying wood-fired pizza, garlic prawns, an antipasto platter, or other Italian snacks and meals, you can also sip on a bottle or two of alcohol.
Yering Farm
Although this winery doesn’t take itself too seriously, its product is taken quite seriously. The entry-level Farmyard line, which features whimsical labels of vibrant animals, is a very approachable collection. It is a fruity, simple wine that is perfect for a BBQ where you can drink entirely too much of it. Yering Farm’s chardonnay and late harvest dessert wine are special highlights; tastings cost $5. Fruit remains a significant component of what Yering Farm accomplishes, despite being a former fruit farm. Yering sells pink lady apple cider, or what it calls “syder.” It has the same crispness and sweetness and tartness balance of a fully ripe pink lady apple.
Maddens Rise
There is no posh restaurant or tasting queue at the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shack that serves as Maddens Rise’s basement door. Instead, you’ll discover a straightforward but exquisitely completed hut (it was decorated with daffodils when we went), breathtaking views, and an A4 sheet of handwritten paper listing the wines available and their costs. There is a $10 tasting fee, and you should definitely sample everything. You need go no further than the sparkling rosé to get an idea of the type of winery this is. It is a delectable blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes that was produced utilizing the Méthode Champenoise. It was fermented in French oak barrels and spent an additional nine months on lees in the bottle. Although it’s no slouch and has a solid pedigree, the winemakers here just refer to it as “pink fizz” and claim it’s simple, tasty, and ideal for sipping at any time. We concur.
Domaine Chandon
Since the time when sparkling wine could legally be named Champagne, Domaine Chandon has been the industry leader in Victoria when it comes to producing high-quality bubbly. Five conventional wines are tasted for $18 during tastings, or you can spend more money on a $60 per person sparkling masterclass. Once you’ve had your fill of the samples, it’s worth stopping by the on-site bar for a full glass of wine (our favorite is the sparkling pinot shiraz) and taking in the expansive views of the vines.
TarraWarra Estate
One of the must-visit places in the area is TarraWarra Estate. The winery’s spectacular modern architecture is perched on a hill and features a cellar door, art gallery, and restaurant that are tucked away within the estate’s vineyard. Visit the cellar door, where visitors can taste eight wines from the collection for $20 per person. The winery’s restaurant, which serves food from the kitchen garden and other farms, is run by chef Joel Alderdice. Don’t forget to view modern Australian art in the TarraWarra Museum of Art before you depart at Yarra Valley wineries restaurants.
Coombe Yarra Valley
The historic residence of Dame Nellie Melba has been transformed into a fantastic restaurant and cellar door with a focus on cool-climate wines from the Yarra Valley wineries restaurants, such as chardonnay and pinot noir. The skilled staff will lead you through a customized tasting catered to your individual preferences for $10. Are you a lover of lighter red wines like pinot noir but not chardy? Lighter styles will be featured in your tasting, and heavier chardonnays will be avoided (though you might be surprised at how zesty and light the Estate Range chardy is).
Giant Steps
Giant Steps, a restaurant and cellar door in Healesville, takes its name from saxophonist John Coltrane’s 1960 record of the same name. Huge jazz aficionado and proprietor Phil Sexton gave the jazz musician’s wine a moniker. A vast room, the winery is divided into a dining area and wine bar in the front and an open kitchen and barrel hall at the back. You may sample the single-vineyard wines that Giant Steps is renowned for in the barrel hall, such as winemaker Steve Flamsteed’s chardonnays, which are the standard-bearers for the Yarra Valley region.
Yering Station
Go to Yering Station if you wish to visit one of the oldest Yarra Valley wineries. The winery, which has been in operation since 1838, is well-liked by tourists that come to the area. Enter the cellar door located inside the historic winery structure. Wine tasting is $10 per person, but if you buy a bottle, the cost is waived. Every day at noon, the Wine Bar restaurant is the ideal location for a winery lunch with views of the Yarra Ranges.
Wine Tours in the Yarra Valley
Nothing is more annoying than having to be the designated driver on a wine tour. So instead of enduring a day of sober driving as all your friends get progressively merrier, sign up for one of these guided tours of the best wineries in the Yarra Valley. When you travel with us to Yarra Valley vineyards, you will have a completely free wine tasting experience.
If you are in Braybrook, Victoria 3019, and looking for a winery tour to Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, this is the best way to visit us.
Winery Tour Yarra Valley
Unit 201/98 River Esplanade
Docklands, VIC 3008
(03) 7042 3201