Regularly slated as Australia’s premier cool-climate district, the Yarra Valley — with its soul-stirring vistas — is where generations of world-class winemaking have emerged, scarcely an hour from the bustling streets of Melbourne. This makes the Yarra Valley one of the best wine regions in Victoria — and the country. Victoria’s oldest vines are spread across diverse microclimates, differing soils, and varying altitudes while split between two recognised Upper and Lower Yarra subregions. Here we explore the best Yarra Valley wineries and cellar doors to visit.
Overall, the area identifies as continental yet still has a notable oceanic influence, making it a complex place where grapes thrive. This is ardent pinot noir and chardonnay country, and a region you might rightly say has most influenced contemporary Australia’s lust for both. At the same time, elegant styles of shiraz push interpretations, uber-smooth nebbiolo is a must, and food-friendly marsanne and rousanne, among a host of alternative varieties, offer the audacious drinker plenty to consider.
Expect modern tasting experiences, distinctive winemakers, and striking geography: the textbook city sojourn. Tick these best Yarra Valley wineries off your hitlist.
5 best Yarra Valley wineries to visit
Oakridge
864 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
Arrive by helicopter; sample the revered 864 Block range; explore nuances between back vintages of chardonnay; or simply turn up and casually enjoy their most popular wines and renowned house style. Oakridge provides layers of experience and diverse options for the individual. A place highly awarded and greatly recognised — for all the right reasons.
Tarrawarra
311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen
An ultra-modern subterranean tasting experience beckons those who enjoy contemporary cellar door spaces. The estate extends across 400 hectares of native bushland and unique growing sites, where individual blocks and their exceptional vintages give a snapshot expression of place. And a seasonally focused menu at their on-site restaurant deftly continues the theme of provenance.
Yering Station
38 Melba Highway, Yering
There’s unquestionable heritage and sophistication here at Victoria’s oldest vineyard. From the moment their 1859 original winery building comes into view, you cannot help but feel history seeping out of every brick. The Tasting Bar is convivial yet informative. The Garden Bar encourages you to graze. While the Restaurant has equally spectacular views and dishes.
Seville Estate
65 Linwood Road, Seville
Elevated in the Upper Yarra Valley, the castaway atmosphere and engrossing views across the surrounding slopes and gorges underpin premium wines made with love. Learn and try exemplary versions of pinot noir and shiraz by appointment, and then prolong the pleasure with a stay in a vineyard-fringed apartment or the stately Homestead.
Dominique Portet
870-872 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream
Placing all French clichés aside, this is perhaps the closest to France wine enthusiasts will find at a cellar door in Australia. Entrenched in 10 generationsof winemaking, beginning in Bordeaux during the 1700s, the Portet’s Coldstream winery is an elegant way to try some of Victoria’s finest cabernet sauvignon and superb sparkling.
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