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Sitting pretty just 45 minutes’ drive east of the CBD, the Yarra Valley is most Melburnians’ destination of choice for a grape graze.
Think rolling green hills, rambling vineyards, winding tree-lined roads and quintessential country cottages. However, there are actually highly accessible and just-as-stunning wine-producing districts in almost every direction from the Victorian capital.
Here’s a guide to Melbourne’s wine regions, and what you need to know before heading out to explore.
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Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is the jewel in the crown of Victoria’s wine industry. You could fill a week visiting the cellar doors of the many wineries around Yarra Glen and Healesville, along with those nestled in the surrounding hills. There are some 300 vineyards and more than 150 wineries dotted across the region. Big names include Domaine Chandon at Coldstream (which offers tastings and a self-guided sparkling wine production tour), perennial favourite Rochford Wines, multi award-winning Giant Steps, and Yering Station, which has a pedigree dating back to the 1930s.
However, don’t discount the smaller players. You’ll get a very organic tasting experience at cellar doors like rustic Hanrahan Vineyards, Helen and Joey Estate (which is watched over by unicorns), and stylish Dominique Portet — a French-style winery run by a 9th and 10th generation father and son team. Lunch at Oakridge Wines is always a gastronomical gala event.
Macedon Ranges
Add some sparkle to your life by heading for the high-altitude wineries of the Macedon Ranges — roughly an hour’s drive north of Melbourne. This is one of the coolest wine regions in the country and the ancient landscape yields celebrated sparkling varietals. You’ll also all but escape the crowds that flock to the Yarra Valley.
Highlights include Hanging Rock Winery, Paramoor Winery (housed in an old stable), and Cope Williams Winery, which is set in gorgeous gardens and comes complete with an onsite art gallery.
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula lies about 80 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. It’s roughly the same distance from the city as the Yarra Valley, but a world away in terms of the style of wines on offer. Largely surrounded by water and buffeted by cold winds coming in off the Southern Ocean, Mornington pulls together a unique pastiche of viticultural experiences from both hinterland and coastal vineyards. Since the establishment of the industry in the 1970s, there are now around 200 properties under vine and some 50 cellar doors in operation. But for the most part, think small, family-run scale.
If you’ve got a penchant for pinot noir, you’ve come to the right place. The local product is a favourite with connoisseurs. The region also produces some renowned chardonnays. Cellar doors of note include Port Phillip Estate (a very grand establishment), Ten Minutes by Tractor, and Foxeys Hangout. Drop by Green Olive at Red Hill for lunch. They do a tapas menu of local bounty, matched with estate-produced drops.
Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula
Victoria’s second biggest city, Geelong, is a one-hour drive south-west of the capital, and it has a wine region on its doorstep that flies under the radar for most Melburnians. The Bellarine Peninsula is home to upwards of 40 wineries and produces some of Victoria’s best shiraz and chardonnay. Fun and funky Leura Park Estate and rustic Oakdene (with its award-winning vintages and acclaimed eatery) are just a couple of the standouts. Also swing by Yes said the Seal, and Jack Rabbit.
The Bellarine is also on the rise as a culinary hub, and the handy Bellarine Taste Trail will pave your way to more than fifty local wineries, breweries, and providores.
Sunbury
Sunbury is one of the oldest winemaking regions in Victoria, with vines dating back to the mid 19th century. It’s also the closest wine region to Melbourne (45 minutes’ drive from the CBD) — making the area ideal for a visit if you’re short on time. The wineries here benefit from cold, dry conditions, which are perfect for the production of shiraz. Craiglee Vineyard’s rustic bluestone cellar door is only open to the public on selected dates (check online for details), but get hold of a bottle of their highly decorated Craiglee Shiraz anyway.
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Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Julietta Henderson is a Melbourne-based travel writer and author. Originally planning to visit London for six months, she ended up staying for ten years and now divides her time between her home in Australia and several months of the year in the UK, Italy, and France. Julietta has travelled extensively through Europe, North America, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, and Russia, and believes the keys to a great travel experience are an open heart, an open mind, and an open-ended ticket. Her first two novels — The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman and Sincerely, Me — are now available in bookstores.
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
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