Your Private Yarra Valley Wine Tour: a day trip from Melbourne!

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In the 1980s  renowned French champagne house, Moët & Chandon, recognized the potential of the Yarra Valley's cool climate and fertile soil for producing exceptional sparkling wines. In 1986, Domaine Chandon Australia was established as the first Australian winery of its kind, dedicated exclusively to the traditional method of crafting sparkling wines. 

We're a pretty traditional couple when it comes to our sparkling wines.  We like the classics: the Vintage Brut nailed it for us.  All that minerality and brioche character tied up with stonefruits and citrus… Delicious!

The tasting at Domaine Chandon isn’t your typical cellar door experience. You can book in at the tasting bar for a more standard tasting.  Or enjoy the lounge bar or restauration for a more informal tasting. Wines are served in flights, allowing you to taste a certain portion of the portfolio curated to styles.  Pours by the glass and  food is available as well.  The vibe here is definitely champagne chic, and was buzzing the day we were there!

Oakridge Wines boasts a rich history dating back to 1978.  The winery haws changed hands a few times over the years, and is now owned by Endeavour Group.  Oakridge has been committed to producing wines that showcase the distinct characteristics of the Yarra Valley terroir. Under Chief David Bicknell's leadership, Oakridge has garnered acclaim for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

Our initial introduction to Oakridge wines was reading the most recent Huon Hooke Real Review  awarded Oakridge Winery of the Year 2023 AND Halliday awarded it the #1 spot in the top 100 wineries in Australia 2023.  Which of course meant when we arrived to the Yarra Valley it was a must visit.  The modern architecture does stand out a bit from the landscape, yet still does feel well-placed.  David Bicknell’s wine style is apparent across the entire portfolio- a more acid-forward, Old-world style that is typical of cool-climate wine regions and is readily apparent here.  The winery is quite famous for its chardonnay,  specifically the 864 Chardonnay.  This was a lovely wine full of florals and grapefruit notes, with green apple acidity and some underlying nectarine characters.  Very much a style we enjoy!

Oakridge’s Cellar door is open 7 days a week and offers multiple levels of tasting experiences.  While we didn’t enjoy a meal here, the smells and sights coming out of the kitchen did look great!

Located halfway between Domaine Chandon and Oakridge Winery, this little local creamery was a perfect spot to stop for a cheese tasting and put together a little cheese board for a snack.  Be sure to try  the pickled green beans!!!

Coldstream Hills Winery was founded in 1985 when the acclaimed wine critic James Halliday founded the estate. Inspired by the cool-climate viticulture potential of the Yarra Valley, Halliday established Coldstream Hills with a vision to craft exceptional wines that reflected both the region's terroir and his own expertise. The winery quickly gained recognition for its commitment to producing premium, cool-climate varietals, with a particular focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Over the years, Coldstream Hills has become synonymous with quality and craftsmanship, earning a reputation as one of the Yarra Valley's premier wineries. The estate's dedication to traditional winemaking techniques as led by winemakers Andrew Fleming and Greg Jarratt with their forward-thinking approach, has resulted in a diverse portfolio of wines that showcase the nuances of the Yarra Valley's microclimates.

The single vineyard line stood out to us above the other wines available.  All were delicious examples of Yarra Valley wines, however the single vineyard line has some characteristics we enjoyed; a larger, more complex character that held these wines within their own level.  The  Esplanade Pinot Noir was the standout wine to us, full of darker fruit and spicy oak that made this wine drink more like a warmer climate Pinot Noir.

Coldstream Hills Cellar Door is open Thursday-Monday, closed Tuesday & Wednesday.  Bookings are recommended to secure the best seats, however walk-ins are welcome as space allows.

Squitchy Lane was a quirky little find on the edges of the Yarra Valley  Recommended to us by the Cellar Door team at Coldstream Hills, this vineyard is located just around the corner from them.

Owner Mike Fitzpatrick was first introduced to the world of wine by his future father-in-law  while studying at Oxford.  The wines of Europe captivated him and the wine bug was firmly set.

Returning to Australia, a career playing football for Carlton took initial priority.  The wine bug never left however and Mike began seeking out a vineyard in the nineties.  After purchasing the vineyard and spending a few years revitalizing the property, the first wines under the Squitchy Vineyard label were released in 2004.  The name itself harkens back to Mike’s home in Oxford where he was first introduced to the world of wine.

Squitchy Lane prides itself on being a boutique winery, “big enough to make an impact, but small enough to allow for hands-on at every aspect of the wine-making process.” Producing the requisite Chardonay and Pinot Noir the Yarra Valley is known for, there is also a strong focus on cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The Cellar Door is open Friday-Sunday for tastings, or grab a glass and a cheeseboard and linger over the beautiful vineyard views of this property.

If you need a sweets fix, this is the place to go!  A Willy Wonka-esque feeling comes over you as you wander into this popular tourist spot, with the room filled with every type of cocoa based sweet you can think of.  

And don’t forget the gelato tucked into the back corner.  This was our preferred sugar fix and it didn’t disappoint.  Highly recommend the strawberry delight and salted caramel flavours!

Yarra Yering stands as an icon in the world of Australian winemaking founded in 1969 when Dr. Bailey Carrodus, a visionary horticulturist and winemaker, established the estate. Carrodus, with a keen understanding of the Yarra Valley's unique terroir, planted classic European grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. 

Yarra Yering's history is one of passion, innovation, and accolades. Dr. Carrodus passed way in 2008, and then in 2013 Sarah Crowe took the helm as Winemaker, maintaining the estate's commitment to crafting wines of distinction.

Yarra Yering's iconic Dry Red Wine No. 1, a Bordeaux-style blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot completing the blend, steals the show in this wine lineup.  The herbaceous qualities in this wine dsticntly stand out, with berry profiles taking a second seat.  While delicious now, this bottle absolutely benefits from decanting and/or bottle aging to really showcase the best it has to offer. 

Another wine which surprised and delighted us was the UnderHill Shiraz.  The plum character really stood out unexpectedly for a cool-climate Shiraz, with a meaty/smoky backbone that we loved.

Yarra Yering’s Cellar Door is open 7 days a week.  Bookings are highly recommended as the portfolio tasting is a seated exploration of Yarra Yering’s wines and lasts approximately 1 hour.

Soumah is a standout amongst the Yarra Valley, bucking the trend of a Burgundian focus and growing varieties native to Northern Italy. 

Wandering into this cellar door, the feeling of stumbling into an Italian kitchen overwhelms you.  Wandering past the tasting bar you’ll find yourself in the trattoria where some of the best wood-fired pizza in the valley is being handed out.

The Nebbiolo is the standout in this portfolio.  Full of raspberry and violets, close your eyes and it will transport you directly the the Langhe in Italy.

Soumah’s cellar door is open 7 days a week.  Walk-ins are welcome for the classic wine tasting at the bar, however bookings are essential for the premium tasting options.