Milz02315

I'm visiting Yarra Valley later on this year and would like some suggestions on places to stay and wineries to visit? I visited Barossa Valley a few years ago and loved it. Would my stay in Yarra valley be similar to that of Barossa?

jpatokal

What's your budget, and what are you looking for in a winery? Big or small, high-end or reasonably priced, great food or just a cellar door, ...? Are you planning to drive yourself or join a tasting tour?

I usually took my visitors to TarraWarra (mediocre wine, but the best views in the valley and a nice free art gallery), Train Trak/Zonzo (OK wines, great pizza), and De Bortoli (nice tasting room, lots of choice, reasonably priced), but there are dozens more. The tourist bus brigade usually beeline for Chandon (Moet's rather industrial-sized Oz operation), but if you can time your visit to avoid them, the champagne tasting is quite nice.

YVR Cockroach

For wineries:

Yarra Yering
Coldstream Hills (probably won't find this listed in James Halliday's wine guide as this is his winery and he doesn't rate his own)

(not that the many others not listed don't have god wines)

I liked the whites at Shantell

number_6

Yering Station is the star wine tasting destination (quite good pinot noir and sparkling plus charming facilities) and Chateau Yering next door so you can stagger home to a historic mansion. Both are beautiful and you can even helicopter in if money is no object.

worldiswide

Another vote for Yering station and lunch at the hotel. I'm very partial to debortolI Noble One dessent wine, however it is very sweet. Hire a driver for the day for enjoyment and safety

Milz02315

Thanks folks. Budget is pretty open (I've allocated approximately $1,000 USD is that overkill?). I am a huge fan of Red Wines while the spouse is a fan of whites, prefer Pinots, the sparkling reds/whites, and wines that are not dry.

I will be there for two days and would like to split my time between the "Must See" wineries and some "dive bar-esque" wineries as well.

I'm really not into the tourist scene. So I would like to avoid crowded wineries.
When it comes to hiring a driver, would you suggest a full day hire or using Uber (if it is available)?

Lastly, Would you guys suggest that I stay in the Valley or stay in Melbourne?

Appreciate all the advice!

jpatokal

I'm not sure what the going rates for day hire of a chauffeured car are in the Yarra Valley, but I don't imagine that's going to leave you a lot of change from $1000 for two days! I'd advise you to look into other options: bicycle (the Warburton Rail Trail is great fun), self-driving rental with a designated driver, or any of the dozens of small winery tour companies (10 people or less, $100/person/day and up).

If you're planning on spending two full days in the Valley, then staying there is the obvious option. It's a bit of a hike from Melbourne and the journey to get there is remarkably un-scenic.

AFAIK, you're not going to find anything remotely like a "dive bar" in Yarra Valley, most wineries target the wedding market and are themed to match. But "rustic" you can certainly do, esp. if you get in touch with the many "by appointment only" places.

Also, if you like reds & pinot, have you considered the Mornington Peninsula? It's famous for pinot noir and a destination in itself, more popular with locals than the tour group set. Easy to get to from Melbourne as well now that the Peninsula Link motorway is open.

Milz02315

Good to know! The budget suggested above is really only for purchasing wine as transportation and lodging expenses have already been accounted for. I can always account for more as I want to return to the United States with a suitcase+ of wine. In your experience, do you think a full day at each location (Yarra and then Mornington) would provide a good enough experience?

jpatokal

OK, in that case $1000 will go a long way, it's unusual for a bottle of Aussie wine to cost over $50.

To be honest, one day in each sounds a bit like the worst of both worlds, especially if you're enough of an oenophile to spend two full days just tasting wine. I'd say pick one, stay there for two days, and take it easy.

bibbju

+1 for Yering Station. Had a delicious lunch there (loved the beautiful views) and very much enjoyed the Pinot Noir.

tt7

As already suggested, if you want to spend two days I would visit both the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. They're both about an hour+ drive from Melbourne (and in 'opposite' directions, so you won't feel like you're repeating the trip on day two). We live here and we've only ever done day trips.

Given that there really isn't much to "see" at a winery, it usually comes down to the buildings, the cellar door experience <some enjoyable and engaging, some impersonal>, the wines etc., the food and whatever else may be on offer.

In the Yarra Valley, we usually start with coffee and a cheese tasting plate at the Yarra Valley Dairy Company, then round the corner to Domaine Chandon, which has a good self-guided tour, which is worth the 15 minutes or so it'll take you to wander around and then a tasting flight ($) of their sparkling wines in the tasting room/restaurant. Then on to TarraWarra to visit the Art Museum, followed by lunch there, or perhaps at De Bortoli or Tokar Estate or Yering Station. You could also spend some time in the afternoon at the Healesville Sanctuary, if that is of interest.

A number of the wineries will give you a pretty decent lunch - perhaps worth checking out the menus online ahead of time and, depending on when you're going, probably need to make a reservation. One restaurant that has become very 'fashionable' is Ten Minutes By Tractor on the Mornington Peninsula - definitely make a reservation well in advance if you want to go there.

The tasting rooms vary, in part depending on how busy they are. One we always enjoy is Tuck's Ridge on the Mornington Peninsula - we always get the same guy in the tasting room and we always seem to end up going home with a case of their reds .... not quite sure how it happens.... Try their Buckle Pinot Noir...

http://www.yvd.com.au
http://www.chandon.com
http://www.tarrawarra.com.au
http://twma.com.au
http://www.tokarestate.com.au
http://debortoliyarra.com.au
http://www.yering.com
http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville

http://tucksridge.com.au
http://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

SFO777

Another vote for Yering Station.
My report on our Yarra Valley visit a couple of years ago, with pics.