Over the 2019 Christmas break, we were lucky enough to head down to Victoria to visit the Yarra Valley. I’ve been to the Yarra Valley a few times before but only on day trips. So I was very keen to check it out over a couple of days and see wineries that the day trip companies don’t usually go to! We had some incredible wine and visited beautiful cellar doors, and so I wanted to share with you some things to do in the Yarra Valley starting with my top 10 cellar doors!
There is a lot of things to do in the Yarra Valley, but wine has to be the biggest part! With so many cellar doors to discover, it can be hard to know where to begin. There are also so many wineries that range from large, commercial entities to small, boutique cellar doors. So I decided to highlight some of my favourites from the ones we visited to give you some ideas for your next trip!
Pimpernel
Location: 6 Hill Rd, Coldstream VIC 3770
Go there for: Fabulous boutique wines
Opening hours: Thursday-Sunday 11-4.30pm
Why I loved it
Pimpernel was definitely a highlight for me, and if you’re looking for things to do in the Yarra Valley this would be top of my list! The cellar door itself is quite small and boutique, but it leaves the wines to be the true stars of the show! The cellar door is bright and full of natural light, and cosy with a small tasting counter. It’s run by the owners of the winery Mark and Fiona Horrigan. I thought this was a real treat because we got to chat with Mark about the wines while we were tasting. His love of wine is infectious, and when you taste his wines you can see why!
As well as the tasting counter, the cellar door does have a nice balcony for relaxing on. We were so keen to taste the wines that we got straight into it without taking a seat! This had to be one of my favourite tasting experiences because we got taken through some really interesting wines. My favourite part was getting to try two Pinot Noir’s from the same block but different years. It was so interesting tasting the difference in flavour between the two!
The cellar door was quite peaceful when we were there unlike some of the larger wineries of the Yarra Valley, so if you are after a smaller cellar door with good quality wines and conversation to match, this would be the place to go!
The wines
The wines were the true stars of the show at Pimpernel. It was one of my favourite tastings of the trip, and that was because of the quality of the wines. Their wines are inspired by the wines of Burgundy and it shows in the difference in flavours of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to some of the other producers.
Our highlight was definitely the Chardonnay. I’m not the biggest Chardonnay drinker but my partner is. He fell so in love with this Chardonnay from Pimpernel that I couldn’t possibly let him go home without it (I bought it for him as a late Christmas present).
The wines here may not be as cheap as some of the other producers, but you are paying for the quality. They are the sort of wines that you’ll cherish and want to keep for a special occasion. I would have bought some of their Pinot Noir too but we had to be mindful of our luggage!
Oakridge Wines
Location: 864 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream VIC 3770
Go there for: Interesting wines and fantastic food
Opening hours: open 7 days 10am-5pm
Why I loved it
We went to Oakridge because I had read that it was great for lunch. So we decided to get there a little early and do a cheeky tasting before we sat down! The cellar door is quite busy but there are plenty of people to help out and we were served right away. They had an official tasting list of a couple of wines, but as we went through the list the lady helping us got out a few extra ones for us to try!
I ended up loving the tasting experience at Oakridge Wines. It was really interesting tasting the different Pinot Noir on offer, of which we got to try a range from their base Pinot Noir to their speciality block. The difference that it made between blocks of grapes and the range of flavour blew me away!
Then there’s the cellar door itself. It overlooks their vineyard with large glass windows that flood natural light into the room. It’s a beautiful setting to enjoy wine and something that is mirrored in their restaurant. It doesn’t get much better than looking out over a vineyard whilst sipping on some delicious wine!
The wines
I really enjoyed the wines from Oakridge Wines, so it is difficult to pick just one. The gave us some complimentary Sparkling to celebrate our engagement and it was delicious! However, I think for me the highlight was trying their different Pinot Noir. We tried one from the Henk block, and then a specialty wine from their 864 series. It was also from Henk but a specific block above an aqueduct. Trying the difference between these two wines was incredible and really interesting. We also tried a number of their Chardonnay’s which were all so different from one another!
Coldstream Hills
Location: 29 Maddens Ln, Gruyere VIC 3770
Go there for: classic Yarra Valley wines
Opening hours: open 7 days a week 10am-5pm
Why I loved it
Coldstream Hills was on my list from a few people, and so I knew I had to get there on the trip! However, it was our organised winery tour that ended up taking us there. A few people wanted to go to Chandon, and for those of us who didn’t, they took us to Coldstream Hills. I don’t know how you could compare the two, and I was so glad we got to go here instead of Chandon to try something new!
Coldstream Hills was started by James Halliday. He has since stepped down but their focus is on producing quality wines to this day that really exemplify the Yarra Valley. We got to try so many different wines on the tasting, and all of them blew me away. Although the cellar door isn’t much to look at, the wines spoke for themselves! There is also a great view from their balcony across the valley.
If you’re looking to try some really high-quality wines, this is the place to go. Expect to try Yarra Valley classics from different years and regions – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sparkling Wine.
The wines
It was hard to take home only two wines, but we managed to limit ourselves! We were a bit undecided about our favourite Pinot Noir because we tried three that were all incredible in their own way. It made it hard to pick just one! Their sparkling wine was also my favourite from the trip!
Although the prices are a little higher on these bottles (the sparkling wine was $50), the quality made it completely worth it. These wines were absolutely beautiful and had you calculating how many you’d be able to fit in your bag as you were tasting them!
Mac Forbes/Graceburn Wine Room
Location: 11a Green St, Healesville VIC 3777
Go there for: A different cellar door experience
Opening hours: Friday – Saturday 11-11 pm, Monday and Thursday 1-8 pm
Why I loved it
Graceburn Wine Room is in the main town of Healesville down a side street. It is a bistro but also a cellar door for Mac Forbes wines. Mac Forbes has been known for many years as one of the key unique winemakers in Australia, and so trying his wines were high up on my list.
I absolutely loved the tasting experience at Graceburn Wine Room. We were asked to take a seat and taken through our options. We opted for the $20 tasting because it meant we could try a mix of classic and experimental wines. There was no tasting list, and the guy taking us through just picked a few different wines for us to try, taking us along on the journey. The freedom was great and meant we got to try some wines I never would have thought to pick if I’d been looking at a tasting list. The tasting sizes were also the most substantial we had in the Yarra Valley, so if you are driving I recommend sharing one. This is what we did and we easily got a third of a glass of wine with each to try!
The feel of this cellar door is cosy and you find yourself really relaxing in to enjoy some great wines. Some of the other cellar doors can feel a bit rushed, so it was nice to sit down and really have the time to enjoy the wines in a beautiful setting. If you are there for the experience as well as the wines, definitely head over to Graceburn Wine Room!
The wines
I enjoyed all the wines we tried here, but I definitely recommend trying the EB range. This stands for Experimental Batch and is where they produce a smaller number of bottles but try different and unique things with the wines. In our tasting, we did a couple of rounds of trying the same grape type but with different treatments, and I found this to be so interesting! A highlight was the Concrete Kingdom Riesling which was fermented in concrete tanks giving it a subtle flavour. But I also loved trying two Pinot Noirs from different regions to see the difference in flavour.
The beauty of their style of the tasting was you could really try the different wines together. They’d pour you two glasses, and with the generous tasting sizes, you could really go back to each to taste the difference. I absolutely loved trying these wines and I think if you love trying new things like I do this should be on your bucket list!
St Huberts
Location: 1/3 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream VIC 3770
Go there for: Delicious wines and interesting wine knowledge
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 11 am-4 pm, weekends 10 am-5 pm
Why I loved it
A list of my top 10 cellar doors wouldn’t be complete without one we’ve visited twice! We visited St Huberts on our first trip to the Yarra Valley and loved it so much that we knew we had to go back. We almost missed it when we were driving down the road, but luckily our driver turned around so we could duck in for a tasting.
St Huburts is set on a beautiful vineyard with lots of beautiful scenery, but the cellar door is unassuming. Don’t be fooled though, because inside are some of the best wines in the Yarra Valley, in my humble opinion. The people doing the tastings are so knowledgeable on wines that you’ll not only get to try some delicious wines, but you’ll leave with a couple of really interesting things you’ve learnt!
St Huberts was established in 1862 and was one of the first wineries in the Yarra Valley. They’ve been doing this for years, and the quality of the wines really show it! Since we’ve been last they’ve released another range called The Stag, which is something I’ve seen in many bottle shops recently. These wines were great, but come to the cellar door to try their St Huberts range and you won’t be disappointed!
The wines
We really enjoyed all the wines, including those from The Stag range (there was a really interesting Tempranillo which you don’t see much in this region). However, the wines that stole the show for us were the St Huberts Chardonnay and Cabernet Merlot. The Chardonnay was beautiful and had a great balance of buttery goodness. The Cabernet Merlot was complex and offered something different to the usual Pinot Noir of the Yarra Valley.
Tokar Estate
Location: 6 Maddens Ln, Coldstream VIC 3770
Go there for: Interesting wines and a nice cellar door
Opening hours: Thursday – Monday 10 am-5 pm
Why I loved it
Tokar Estate was on my list but it wasn’t until our driver for the day suggested we go there that we made it! I had so many wineries on the list and this one had slipped through the cracks, but a wrong turn on the way elsewhere meant we ended up here. I’m so glad we did, because Tokar Estate was definitely one of my top cellar doors!
I’ve been to Tokar Estate before and they used to have their wine tasting in their restaurant. However, they have recently created a cellar door to the side of their Italian style villa restaurant specific to tasting their wines. I have to say, it is a destination in itself! It is very modern and contemporary in its architecture, and such a nice space to be trying wine. I thought Tokar Estate was beautiful before, but this space is so different from the rose-filled gardens leading up to the restaurant.
We were taken through our tasting with so much care. It was great not to feel rushed, and it meant we could really enjoy the wine. The guy running the tastings was very laid back and easy to talk to, and didn’t mind answering all of my partner’s many questions about the wines!
The wines
I really enjoyed the wines we had at Tokar Estate, but the stand out had to be the Pinot Noir. We loved it so much that we bought two bottles! But regardless of your tastes, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a wine that you love here. The tasting was extensive and full of really interesting drops!
Soumah
Location: 18 Hexham Road, (off Skye Road), Gruyere VIC 3770
Go there for: trying some Italian wines
Opening hours: daily from 10 am – 5 pm
Why I loved it
We went to Soumah as part of an organised tour. It was where we stopped for lunch, but we got to have a tasting before we sat down, and then choose a glass of wine to have with our meal. Their restaurant is excellent if you have the time, but the cellar door certainly makes the cut for some of the best things to do in the Yarra Valley.
The setting is beautiful with gardens all around and views across the vines. They have a blue theme across all their labels and this is reflected in their cellar door. I loved the fit-out of it! The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I was impressed by how well they could handle a large group tasting as two tour groups came in at the same time!
The wines
I really enjoyed the Soumah wines that we tried. It was a great mix of Yarra Valley classics but also more interesting Italian varieties. It can be hard to find these in the region so it was nice to have a change! Despite loving the Italian varieties, my favourite had to be the Pinot Noir. However, my partner was in love with the Cabernet Sauvignon. So we had to buy both – what a shame!
Dominique Portet
Location: 870 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream VIC 3770
Go there for: a touch of France
Opening hours: every day 10 am-5 pm
Why I loved it
Dominique Portet had been recommended to me a few times and when we pulled up I knew I’d come to the right place. This cellar door is so beautiful! It’s like you’ve arrived at a French Chateau. They are also geared up for people enjoying an afternoon in the sun with plenty of outdoor games and seating. They even have a restaurant too!
The cellar door was absolutely packed, but it was quite beautiful inside and felt very spacious. We had to wait a bit to get a spot on the counter but it was worth the wait! We tried some really interesting wines, and even got to try one of their museum ones! It was for sale and we certainly were tempted but decided to be good.
The wines
My favourite wine from Dominique Portet had to be the Rosé. It was the only Rosé we bought on the trip, and it was absolutely beautiful. I guess that’s no surprise coming from me, the Provence style Rosé lover! They also have really nice embossed bottles which are something different. However, their Pinot Noir was also really nice and subtly balanced.
TarraWarra Estate
Location: 311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Rd, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
Go there for: an amazing cellar door
Opening hours: every day 11 am – 5 pm
Why I loved it
TarraWarra was on my list for a while because I’d seen a photo of it and desperately wanted to visit. If you are in the market for a cellar door with wow factor, this one is for you. The TarraWarra Estate has an art museum, a restaurant and a beautiful lawn with a cafe cart for sitting back and relaxing all day. You could truly come here and make a day of it!
The cellar door is separate from the rest of the complex. The best way I can describe it is a Hobbit hole full of delicious wine! It is so architecturally interesting and beautiful that this in itself is a reason to visit! Inside is a beautiful space with modern fittings which is lit up by skylights. It feels cosy and contemporary all at once.
The staff were also super helpful. The lady taking us through the wine gave us some great suggestions to go and visit after we went there which were all small, boutique wineries!
The wines
The tasting fee only allows for trying six wines, so you have to decide what you want to taste. However, we ended up getting to try a few more which were great! My highlight was definitely the Pinot Noir, but they also had a Nebbiolo that surprised me!
Greenstone Vineyards
Location: 179 Glenview Rd, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
Go there for: amazing views out over the vineyard
Opening hours: Thursday – Monday 10 am – 5 pm
Why I loved it
We went to Greenstone Vineyards on our organised tour and honestly, I wouldn’t have thought to go. I hadn’t heard about them before, but I was excited to check them out. The winery used to be the home of Sticks and has been bought by Greenstone recently.
The cellar door had a nice family feel to it with a cute wine dog to greet you and the winery operating nearby. I really like it for this reason as it felt more personal. We were taken through their wines on the deck overlooking the vines which was such a nice way to try them all! I loved being outside when so many tastings are done indoors. You could soak up the sun and nature with a glass of wine in hand.
The wines
Our favourite wines from Greenstone were quite different from one another. We really enjoyed their Chardonnay which was quite balanced. However, my favourite was the Sangiovese. I am a sucker for Italian wine, and this one was absolutely delicious. The wines themselves were great drinking wines, perfect for sipping on in summer. I could definitely imagine myself polishing off a few of their Prosecco’s too!
Things to do in the Yarra Valley – my top 10 cellar doors
There were so many other wineries we visited that all offered something great, but I could only write about 10! These ones really stuck out in my mind, and I can’t wait to come back and visit again! The Yarra Valley really knocked my socks off. I thought it was mainly commercial wineries, but this trip really opened my eyes. The wines were complex and delicious, and there were so many great cellar doors to visit!
If you’re planning a trip, I hope this list helps you start to pick some great wineries to add to your list! There are so many things to do in the Yarra Valley, but hopefully, these top 10 cellar doors will help you choose!