I thoroughly enjoyed our one-day road trip to the Yarra Valley. It’s only an hour’s drive from Melbourne. The scenery of the valley was very therapeutic and we had lots of fun at wine tasting.
Here are the wineries that we visited that day: Yering Station, Domaine Chandon, TarraWarra Estate and Innocent Bystander Winery.
[Photos taken in June 2012. Blog written in July 2014]
Yering Station
To be honest, I am not a very sophisticated wine drinker. I am not knowledgeable with what types of grapes are the best in what regions. I don’t know my wine and I’m always at a loss at the liquor stores, and I pick my wine by its packaging and pretty labels.
However, this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate good wine when I taste it. I often see people asking questions like “I don’t drink wine, should I go on a day trip to [one of Australia’s most famous wine regions]?” on travel forums. And my answer is, Yes! The best thing with cellar doors is the (often free) wine tasting. I believe wine appreciation is an acquired taste, and everyone is entitled to a different point of view – some likes it sweet and some likes it with a kick – and the fun part is, there are no right or wrong answers. And don’t forget, the scenery at any wine region is often the most unforgettable experience of all.
{Yerring Station} Website: http://www.yering.com/ Wine tasting: Free
Domaine Chandon
Moet & Chandon, one of the most well known names in the world for sparking wine, set up its winery in the Yarra Valley in 1986, known as the Domaine Chandon.
The wine tasting took place at the tasting bar and was $5 per person. Although it’s a shame that they charge for the tasting, it’s well worth it because, well, it is Chandon. Some of the goodies that we tasted was limited to cellar door only. My dear friend, L, and I each bought a couple of bottles from here. If it’s not because we still had to fly back to Sydney, L would’ve gotten even more bottles!
Even if you had made up your mind that you don’t like wine, or if you were the designated driver, take a seat on the grass and just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
We went in June, winter in Australia, and the grass was still green.
A glass of Chandon champagne, blue sky, pink cheeks, loved ones = a perfect weekend getaway.
{Domaine Chandon} Wine tasting: $5 per person (in 2012). Website: http://chandon.com.au/
Tarrawarra Estate
The cute deco at the Tarrawarra Estate.
Another beautiful estate with modern architecture and internationally renowned wines.
{TarraWarra Estate} Wine tasting: Free. Website: http://www.tarrawarra.com.au
Innocent Bystander Winery
We ended our trip with the Innocent Bystander winery and it was such a gem in the middle of Healesville.
These cute little bottles of pink moscato were described as “just like kisses“, and they were! So sweet, so tasty, and made us feel so in love <3
The setup of this place was more like a cafe than a winery. Seeing that it was such a popular cafe for the locals as it was quite packed, we decided to sit down and order some light snacks – BEST decision ever.
We had the sourdough – absolutely the BEST sourdough ever. Some potato fritters and some handcut chips – both were a delight.
{Giant Steps, Innocent bystander} Website: http://www.innocentbystander.com.au
Unless there is a designated driver amongst your group, I always recommend joining a wine tour in wine countries so that everyone can have a good time. Look up Wine Compass and other wine tours on Tripadvisor that provide Yarra Valley wine tours.
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