In Melbourne for a quick trip and will be going to Yarra Valley tomorrow. I don't know much about the area so new help on wineries to visit. Keen to look at Chardies and Pinot. Any suggestion greatly appreciated. Also any reasonably priced eateries too.
Carl
Yarra Valley wineries
Yarra Valley wineries
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
Chuck wrote:In Melbourne for a quick trip and will be going to Yarra Valley tomorrow. I don't know much about the area so need help on wineries to visit. Keen to look at Chardies and Pinot. Any suggestion greatly appreciated. Also any reasonably priced eateries too.
Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
Yarra Yering - not so much for pinot and chardy but just because it's a lovely CD experience.
Hoddles Creek
Mac Forbes
PHI
Coldstream Hills
Toolangi
Hoddles Creek
Mac Forbes
PHI
Coldstream Hills
Toolangi
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
One I'd add to dave vino's great list is Giant Steps.
Lots of amazing restaurants attached to many of the wineries, but they are very expensive. Try Dixons Creek Cafe. It doesn't look like much from the outside or inside, but the food is excellent quality and the servings are generous.
Lots of amazing restaurants attached to many of the wineries, but they are very expensive. Try Dixons Creek Cafe. It doesn't look like much from the outside or inside, but the food is excellent quality and the servings are generous.
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
+1 for Yarra Yering - probably the best range of wines available at a public cellar door in the Yarra Valley. If you do visit Yarra Yering, there are a number of wineries along the Maddens Lane trail that are worth a visit - https://visityarravalley.com.au/maddens-lane-winery-trail.
I'd go with Yarra Yering, Coldstream Hills, Pimpernel, Dominique Portet and Soumah (good chardonnay and restaurant for lunch).
I'd go with Yarra Yering, Coldstream Hills, Pimpernel, Dominique Portet and Soumah (good chardonnay and restaurant for lunch).
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
If you are focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot then I would go:
Oakridge
Coldstream Hills
Giant steps
Mac Forbes (at the grace burn wine room)
Along with Hoddles Creek (who don't have a cellar door) I would consider them the best Chardonnay and Pinot producers in Yarra, especially for price (Mount Mary would be up there as well but are a fair bit more expensive).
PHI and Toolangi don't have cellar doors to my knowledge.
All the above 4 do multiple Chardonnays and Pinots (all produce multiple single vineyards although not all may be available for tasting).
All wineries are either on Maroondah Highway or a few minutes off it. If you are driving along Maroondah Highway you would go past Oakridge first (864 Maroondah Highway) and then Coldstream hills is a few minutes after (a few minutes off Maroondah Highway). You would continue up Maroondah Highway about ten minutes to Healesville - MacForbes (Grace Burn wine room) is in the shops (just on a street off the main strip) and Giant Steps is a few minutes further up the road.
Giant Steps do good food. Oakridge does as well but a bit more formal. MacForbes do some but more like cheese platters and the like.
I would also recommend Yarra Yering but more for other wines - they are no more than a couple of minutes from Colstream Hills.
Worth having a quick look at a map online but sticking along Maroondah Highway will give plenty of options - e.g. Of other wineries suggested Dominique Portet is on the Highway a few minutes past Oakridge and Pimpernel and Soumah are also in the same area and a few minutes off the Highway (don't know if they have cellar doors open on Sunday or not). Rochford are also on the Highway and do multiple Chardonnays and Pinots. Domaine Chandon is also a few minutes before Oakridge if that holds any interest.
Oakridge
Coldstream Hills
Giant steps
Mac Forbes (at the grace burn wine room)
Along with Hoddles Creek (who don't have a cellar door) I would consider them the best Chardonnay and Pinot producers in Yarra, especially for price (Mount Mary would be up there as well but are a fair bit more expensive).
PHI and Toolangi don't have cellar doors to my knowledge.
All the above 4 do multiple Chardonnays and Pinots (all produce multiple single vineyards although not all may be available for tasting).
All wineries are either on Maroondah Highway or a few minutes off it. If you are driving along Maroondah Highway you would go past Oakridge first (864 Maroondah Highway) and then Coldstream hills is a few minutes after (a few minutes off Maroondah Highway). You would continue up Maroondah Highway about ten minutes to Healesville - MacForbes (Grace Burn wine room) is in the shops (just on a street off the main strip) and Giant Steps is a few minutes further up the road.
Giant Steps do good food. Oakridge does as well but a bit more formal. MacForbes do some but more like cheese platters and the like.
I would also recommend Yarra Yering but more for other wines - they are no more than a couple of minutes from Colstream Hills.
Worth having a quick look at a map online but sticking along Maroondah Highway will give plenty of options - e.g. Of other wineries suggested Dominique Portet is on the Highway a few minutes past Oakridge and Pimpernel and Soumah are also in the same area and a few minutes off the Highway (don't know if they have cellar doors open on Sunday or not). Rochford are also on the Highway and do multiple Chardonnays and Pinots. Domaine Chandon is also a few minutes before Oakridge if that holds any interest.
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
All excellent suggestions!
Mac Forbes & Hoddles Creek are excellent.
Yering Farm has some excellent wines. They fly under the radar a fair bit.
Yarra Valley Dairy is a must for cheese fiends and also has an excellent range of Yarra Wines to buy.
Not sure if Mayer has a cellar door anywhere, but hunt Timo out.
Mac Forbes & Hoddles Creek are excellent.
Yering Farm has some excellent wines. They fly under the radar a fair bit.
Yarra Valley Dairy is a must for cheese fiends and also has an excellent range of Yarra Wines to buy.
Not sure if Mayer has a cellar door anywhere, but hunt Timo out.
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
Thanks everyone for your help and the great lead on Dixon Creek cafe. Currently waiting for the bangers and mash enjoying a Heargraves IPA which is right up there. The farm based butcher near here is wel worth a visit. Black Angus gras fed. Got a couple of scotch fillet for tomorrow night.
Carl
Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
Only managed to get to De Bortoli, Yarra Yering and Hargreaves Hill. De Bortoli wines were OK and picked up a few Rococo sparkling and some Black Noble at Bortoli. I had forgotten how nice and interesting the Black Noble was. Hargreaves Hill brewery was worth a stop with a nice tasting paddle. The IPA was one of the best I've tried. The stout was not too shabby either. Took a slab of each to take back to Adelaide 
. It's so nice having your own car when travelling although does encourage loading up. But you only live once. The on-site restaurant looked very interesting offering upmarket pub grub.
Yarra Yering wines were very good. Liked the chardy, No.2 and particularly the No.1 (Bordeaux blend) that really floated my boat. Just felt the prices (around $100 for most) was a little on the high side.
Dixon Creek Cafe was simple but clean and fresh with great winter comfort food. Good quick service but not rushed. Thanks for the tip. The bangers and mash was so good I commented when paying the bill. The service lady noted her hubby eats that virtually every night. I can understand why. Wife had the slow cooked brisket and our lady friend had a steak salad. The steak had real flavour so rare to find these days. Maybe it came from the On Farm Butcher just around the corner. Literally a butcher shop on an Angus beef farm. We will be cooking some scotch fillet tonight with a nice bottle of red.
Overall, although we only got to 4 places, the Yarra Valley was a great day trip. Only an hour from our digs in South Melbourne. Will return again to do more research.
Carl
. It's so nice having your own car when travelling although does encourage loading up. But you only live once. The on-site restaurant looked very interesting offering upmarket pub grub.Yarra Yering wines were very good. Liked the chardy, No.2 and particularly the No.1 (Bordeaux blend) that really floated my boat. Just felt the prices (around $100 for most) was a little on the high side.
Dixon Creek Cafe was simple but clean and fresh with great winter comfort food. Good quick service but not rushed. Thanks for the tip. The bangers and mash was so good I commented when paying the bill. The service lady noted her hubby eats that virtually every night. I can understand why. Wife had the slow cooked brisket and our lady friend had a steak salad. The steak had real flavour so rare to find these days. Maybe it came from the On Farm Butcher just around the corner. Literally a butcher shop on an Angus beef farm. We will be cooking some scotch fillet tonight with a nice bottle of red.
Overall, although we only got to 4 places, the Yarra Valley was a great day trip. Only an hour from our digs in South Melbourne. Will return again to do more research.
Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work
Re: Yarra Valley wineries
Glad you liked the Dixon's Creek cafe. A little known gem in the Yarra Valley.