Yarra Valley Wineries

Probably the standout feature of the Yarra Valley are its wineries. Being wine novices and recently holidaying in the region we tossed around the idea of a tour with a group and experienced guide, but in the end we decided to do it ourselves. Most of these bus tours visit multiple wineries with tastings and lunch included, however most of the wineries are within minutes of each other. All you really need is a Melway and a bit of prior planning and you can save yourself a bit of money and stay as long or as little as you like. This is especially helpful when you have little ones with you as we did.

All the large wineries have a cellar door for tastings and purchases and most offer guided tours. They usually have a restaurant with fantastic vineyard views. Some even hold regular wine discovery classes. A listing of all the Yarra Valley wineries can be found here.

We stopped at Domaine Chandon first. They have a visitors centre with free guided tours throughout the day or you can do a self-guided tour. We were shown the wine-making process and visited the barrel cellar and riddling hall. The tour lasts about 30 minutes which was just long enough for Katie and she seemed to enjoy it too.

We also visited TarraWarra Estate. The views of this winery are spectacular. My camera battery ran out here but I got a couple of great shots. Tastings here are $4 each (for 10 different wines) or free if you make a purchase. The TarraWarra Museum of Art is just next door which has a stunning collection of Aboriginal art.