Wine Touring VIC

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:16 pm

Heya all,

Planning a wine holiday in VIC.

Flying in to Melbourne, renting a car, and a 1 week trip planned.

Suggestions please on
- regions
- winery
- accommodation (luxury contemporary ?spa)
- restaurants

So far, thoughts include
- Dandenongs/Yarra
- Mornington peninsula

HELP.....

Thank you in advance

pokolbinguy · Post by **pokolbinguy** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:26 pm

Yarra Valley

- Yerring Station
- Warramatte Estate
- Domaine Chandon
- Coldstream estat.

From memory the restaurant at yerring station is pretty schmick

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:29 pm

Is Wantirna in the Yarra? Do they have a cellar door?

I do rate their stuff, it is difficult to find here in Sydney, and I would love to visit...

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:39 pm

Brian and I did a week in Vic in February. The Tour Diaries can be found here. http://www.torbwine.com/tours.shtml

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:54 pm

TORB wrote:Brian and I did a week in Vic in February. The Tour Diaries can be found here. http://www.torbwine.com/tours.shtml

Geez, you can write Ric! Thanks for the great link. I will have to immerse myself in your tour diaries for the next couple of hours (time permitting).

Cheers,

Monghead.

chrisf · Post by **chrisf** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:57 pm

Wantirna is only open 2 days/year, this time around it's 11th and 18th October. May open up by appointment though.

Suggest you also head out to Pyrenees (Dalwhinnie) and Great Western (Best's, Seppelt). Makes for a great 2-3 days.

Rawshack · Post by **Rawshack** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:28 pm

Curly Flat in the Macedon Ranges would be a good idea, along with Hanging Rock. Good day out.

But for something a little different, try the King Valley. Wonderful scenery and Pizzini are well worth a visit

tpang · Post by **tpang** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:12 pm

If you drive into Healesville, check out Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander which is smack in the middle of the town. Nice place for food too.

roughred · Post by **roughred** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:42 pm

Hi Monghead,

With a whole week your going to want to get past the city fringe....head north young man!

Rutherglen, King Valley, Milawa and Beechworth are all within an hour of each other. All different, with a great diversity of wine styles.

Some great drives, restaurants, B&B's, produce, etc etc etc.

Check out www.rutherglenvic.com and www.northeastvalleys.com.au

Cheers,

Lennie

rooman · Post by **rooman** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:56 pm

Althou I am not mad keen on their wines, you should do lunch one day at Red Hill in Mornington Pen. The restaurant is high on a hill and has stunning views out over the water. As for MP wineries, Main Ridge if they have a CD would be a must.

dave vino · Post by **dave vino** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:50 pm

If you're looking at maximum different areas I'd do...(to take you in a lazy circle of Vic.) over 5 days. Only a few wineries per day so you have the time to drive to the next region.

Mornington Peninsula
Main Ridge/Red Hill Cheese/Paringa/Lunch at Paringa/Eldridge

Yarra Valley
Chandon/Coldstream/Yering Station/Lunch at Yering Station/De Bertoli + Cheese shop

Macedon Ranges
Hanging Rock/Granite Hills/Curly Flat

Pyrenees
Dalwhinnie/Warrenmang/Lunch at Warrenmang/Redbank/Taltarni

Grampians
Bests/Seppelt Great Western/Mount Langhi

Then back to Melbourne.

or you can spend 2 days in MP and 2 days in YV really depends...

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:59 pm

roughred wrote:Hi Monghead,

With a whole week your going to want to get past the city fringe....head north young man!

Rutherglen, King Valley, Milawa and Beechworth are all within an hour of each other. All different, with a great diversity of wine styles.

Some great drives, restaurants, B&B's, produce, etc etc etc.

Check out www.rutherglenvic.com and www.northeastvalleys.com.au

Cheers,

Lennie

Lennie, I have been to the Rutherglen, King Valley, Milawa and Beechworth areas many, many times. It may interest you that Rutherglen was the first wine region I had ever visited, and from then on, I was hooked on the winery tasting holiday experience. Working in Albury in the past for 2-4 months in the year, I even used to take an afternoon off, and head into "wine country". I also loved the whole country-side in the region. Ahhh, memories........

Thought just in mind. I think the first time I was there, many, many years ago, Chambers was offering their rare muscat and tokay/muscadelle for only $70!!! Back then however, was drinking Bin 555 or 444, and the "big buy" was the Bobbie Burns Shiraz...

Monghead

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:01 pm

dave vino wrote:If you're looking at maximum different areas I'd do...(to take you in a lazy circle of Vic.) over 5 days. Only a few wineries per day so you have the time to drive to the next region.

Mornington Peninsula
Main Ridge/Red Hill Cheese/Paringa/Lunch at Paringa/Eldridge

Yarra Valley
Chandon/Coldstream/Yering Station/Lunch at Yering Station/De Bertoli + Cheese shop

Macedon Ranges
Hanging Rock/Granite Hills/Curly Flat

Pyrenees
Dalwhinnie/Warrenmang/Lunch at Warrenmang/Redbank/Taltarni

Grampians
Bests/Seppelt Great Western/Mount Langhi

Then back to Melbourne.

or you can spend 2 days in MP and 2 days in YV really depends...

Great ideas dave, but for wifey and I, we would probably opt for the 2 days at least in a wine region. More time to relax and explore...

Thanks for all the ideas guys, keep them coming!

Cheers all.

Waiters Friend · Post by **Waiters Friend** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:05 am

I've been fortunate enough to explore Rutherglen and the Yarra Valley, but will visit Mornington Peninsula, Geelong region and do the pilgrimage to Tahbilk at some point.

However, all I wanted to suggest at the moment is that Domaine Chandon in the Yarra is a good stop for afternoon tea (if you're not driving). A flight of four pinots, for example (half a glass each of bubbly and still wines) with a few nibblies, overlooking the vineyard and lake / dam, was highly enjoyable (and about $15 in 2005), and much more fun than a Devonshire Tea :lol:

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:12 pm

All right, accommodation booked.

2 nights Mornington Peninsula, 3 nights Hepburn Springs (spa, spa, spa...wifey loves this stuff...)

Think I may duck out a day to Macedon whilst in Hepburn Springs.

Does Bass Phillip have a cellar door???

Monghead

griff · Post by **griff** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:22 pm

monghead wrote:All right, accommodation booked.

2 nights Mornington Peninsula, 3 nights Hepburn Springs (spa, spa, spa...wifey loves this stuff...)

Think I may duck out a day to Macedon whilst in Hepburn Springs.

Does Bass Phillip have a cellar door???

Monghead

Not really from memory. Hepburn Springs is a nice area. Could do Bendigo which is close as well I think. Have fun

cheers

Carl

Dave Dewhurst · Post by **Dave Dewhurst** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:09 am

Just been to Mornington Peninsula for the first time in 10 years myself. Was impressed by Ten Minutes by Tractor, both pinot and chards, and Paringa. Lunch at the latter was great. Didn't get to Eldridge but tried their wines a couple of times and liked them (gamay and pinot). Try The Long Table restaurant (Shoreham Rd; Red Hill South; it's on the internet, no affiliation, just impressed!) - reasonable wine list including some foreign stuff. A Tollot Chorey-Les-Beaune 06 there spanked the local pinots though! Avoid Montalto - packed, tourist trashy and wine was so-so.

Cheers

Dave

Sean · Post by **Sean** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:51 pm

deleted

kwattro · Post by **kwattro** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:36 pm

if you're in the spa country, i'm sure you've heard of the Lake House in Daylesford - if not you have to check it out.
Wildwood winery that Sean was talking about serves excellent & honest food...hmm that makes me thinking...