Yarra Valley Wine Tours from Melbourne

A Yarra Valley Day, Planned Around You

The Yarra Valley starts about an hour from the Melbourne CBD, up the Maroondah Highway and onto the Melba Highway at Coldstream. Once you are in the valley the cellar doors sit close together, which is what makes three or four of them comfortable in a day. Five is possible and usually a rush.

Choosing the Cellar Doors

The valley is known for cool-climate chardonnay and pinot noir, and for sparkling. The large estates are the easy names: Domaine Chandon for sparkling, along with De Bortoli, Yering Station and Oakridge. The smaller growers are where most repeat guests end up. Tell us which of the two you lean towards and we build a route around it instead of handing you a fixed list.

Lunch

Several estates run full restaurants and they book out well ahead on weekends. TarraWarra and Yering Station are the usual choices for a long lunch. If that is what you want, book it first and we plan the tastings around the reservation.

Not Only Wine

Healesville Sanctuary sits at the top of the valley and works well as a first stop before the cellar doors open. The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and the local cheese and produce stops break up the day for anyone in the group who is not drinking. The hot air balloons launch at dawn from Yarra Glen, which means a pickup well before sunrise and a breakfast landing.

The Point of a Chauffeur

Nobody has to nominate a designated driver, which matters more here than on any other day trip we run. The car also carries whatever you buy, and cases add up quickly across four cellar doors. Groups above four travel in a van, and the day is booked as an hourly charter so the itinerary stays flexible.

Frequently Asked Questions