Being the designated driver on a wine tour can be challenging, so consider booking a guided tour of the Yarra Valley’s top wineries to avoid missing out on the fun.
Visit Yarra Valley’s cellar doors for great wine.
The Yarra Valley is a famous wine region easily accessible from Melbourne. It is known for its chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which are used to make excellent sparkling wine. In addition to these common varietals, lesser-known grapes like Nebbiolo, Savagnin, and Chenin blanc can be discovered.
There are 160 wineries in the region, ranging from small family-owned businesses to large foreign-owned companies. If you’re unsure where to begin, here are some recommended wineries to visit in the Yarra Valley. Consider booking a winery tour Yarra Valley if you need assistance finding a designated driver.
Hubert Estate
Hubert Estate is a collaboration between the Ryan Hospitality Group and St Hubert’s Winery. The estate has been redesigned to include a modern Australian and Euro-inspired restaurant, an Indigenous art gallery, an event space, a cellar door, and a boutique wine store. Architectural and interior design studio Cera Stribley did the redesign. Hubert Estate is set to become a popular destination in the Yarra Valley.
Innocent Bystander
Innocent Bystander is located across from Giant Steps in Healesville. They used to share a building until they split in 2017. Innocent Bystander now occupies the former White Rabbit Brewery. The venue has a beer hall vibe. They serve prosecco to Syrah from draught taps. Customers can order carafes or flights of wine. The menu features wood-fired pizzas and shareable dishes. The wines are moderately priced.
Fin x Cré
In March 2021, a cellar door/eatery was opened in Dixons Creek by the team behind lo-fi labels Fin Wine and Cré Wine. Here, you can try wines, ciders, and piquettes made with minimal intervention. The venue has a tasting area, a wall of wine, and outdoor seating. Opening hours are limited to two weekends a month in winter, with more frequent service in spring.
Helen and Joey Estate
Helen and Joey Estate has a large cellar door and tasting room, but the best seats are outside on the terrace, overlooking the vines and hills. If the winery isn’t busy, you may be able to enjoy a wine tasting in this spot. Snacks and charcuterie are available, along with bottles of wine to enjoy on-site or take home.
Rob Dolan Wines
The winery produces various cool-climate wines using fruit sourced from different regions in Victoria. These include the True Colours, White, Black, and Signature Series ranges. The wines include traditional Yarra Valley pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignons.
Pimpernel Vineyards
Mark and Fiona Horrigan, owners of Pimpernel, are dedicated to producing high-quality wines that reflect the grapes’ characteristics. They valued terroir and went to great lengths to replicate the soil composition of a Burgundy Pinot Noir vineyard in their vineyard. The grapes grown above this limestone produce exceptional pinot noir in the Yarra Valley. Fruit is handpicked, and the natural fermentation process is minimally interfered with.
Dominique Portet
The Dominique Portet winery, founded in 2000 by a ninth-generation winemaker from Bordeaux, is in the Yarra Valley. The winery offers a cellar door open daily and a restaurant serving country-style lunches. One recommended wine to try is the Fontaine rosé, a berry-driven blend of merlot, shiraz, and cabernet sauvignon priced at $26 a bottle.
Oakridge Wines
Oakridge Wines is a family-owned winery in Yarra Valley known for its restaurant, where chef Aaron Brodie creates dishes featuring local produce. Guests can enjoy meals paired with exclusive wines or admire the vineyard views.
Many Hands Winery
Exploring the Yarra Valley can work up an appetite, and you may need a break from wine tastings. Many Hands Winery is a small producer known for its wine and Italian food. Tastings cost $10, which can be used towards a bottle purchase. Enjoy wood-fired pizzas, garlic prawns, and other Italian dishes with your wine.
Yering Farm
This winery has a fun approach but is serious about its wine. The Farmyard series is easy to enjoy with playful animal labels. It’s a fruit-forward, easy-drinking wine ideal for casual gatherings. Tastings are $5, with chardonnay and late-harvest dessert wine being highlighted. Yering Farm still embraces its fruit farm roots with ‘syder’, a pink lady apple cider that is crisp and balanced.
Maddens Rise
Maddens Rise has a simple shed as its cellar door, with no fancy restaurant or extensive tastings. The shed is beautifully finished, with stunning views and a list of wines available for tasting. Tastings are $10, and sampling everything is recommended. The sparkling rosé is a delicious blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, made using the Méthode Champenoise. The winemakers describe it as ‘pink fizz’, uncomplicated, delicious, and perfect for any occasion.
Domaine Chandon
Domaine Chandon in Victoria is known for producing high-quality sparkling wines. Visitors can enjoy tastings of traditional wines for $18 or opt for a sparkling masterclass at $60 per person. The on-site bar offers a variety of options, including the famous sparkling Pinot Shiraz, and provides scenic views of the vineyard.
TarraWarra Estate
TarraWarra Estate is a popular destination in the region. The winery’s modern architecture on a hill includes a cellar door, art gallery, and restaurant surrounded by vineyards. For $20 per person, visitors can taste eight wines at the cellar door. The restaurant, led by Chef Joel Alderdice, serves dishes made with ingredients from the kitchen garden and local farms. Before leaving, visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art, which showcases works by contemporary Australian artists.
Coombe Yarra Valley
The former home of Dame Nellie Melba is now a restaurant and cellar door that focuses on Yarra Valley cool-climate wines such as chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Tastings cost $10, and the knowledgeable staff will tailor the tasting to your preferences. If you prefer lighter reds like Pinot Noir over chardonnay, the tasting will focus on lighter styles and avoid heavy chardonnays.
Giant Steps
Giant Steps, a cellar door and restaurant in Healesville is named after John Coltrane’s 1960 album. Owner Phil Sexton, a jazz enthusiast, named his wines after the famous saxophonist. The winery is divided into a wine bar and dining area at the front and an open kitchen and barrel hall at the back. Visitors can taste the renowned single-vineyard wines in the barrel hall, especially the chardonnays crafted by winemaker Steve Flamsteed, known for setting the Yarra Valley region’s benchmark.
Yering Station
Yering Station is one of the oldest wineries in the Yarra Valley, operating since 1838. Visitors often enjoy visiting this historic winery. You can participate in wine tasting for $10 per person at the cellar door in the original winery building. If you buy a bottle, the fee is waived. The Wine Bar restaurant, open daily from noon, offers an excellent spot for a winery lunch with scenic views of the Yarra Ranges.
