5 Excellent Wineries In Bright To Visit ASAP

When travelling through Victoria’s High Country, be sure to put these Bright wineries on your list.

Alpine adventures are a big reason people flock to this mountainous corner of Victoria, but Bright is also a top spot to relax on a porch with a glass of crisp white wine or by a log fire with a drop of shiraz. The pristine Alpine Valley wine region’s small clutch of vineyards produces complex, cool climate wines that punch above their weight. Head to these Bright wineries (along with a few from neighbouring towns and villages) to meet the talented winemakers, learn about fermentation and source a bottle (or two) to take home.

1. Ringer Reef Winery

Located on the Great Alpine Road in Porepunkah, this family-owned winery is just an eight-minute drive from Bright.

the Ringer Reef Winery vineyard is sprawling across Alpine Valley in Bright — Ringer Reef Winery is a vibrant, family-run vineyard. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Love to cycle? Ringer Reef is on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, so you can pedal there from Bright too (the staff will even deliver any bottles of wine you buy to your local accommodation at the end of the day).

a couple hanging out over wine at Ringer Reef Winery, Bright — Plan a day out with your partner. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Book a guided wine-tasting experience or relax on the landing with a glass of merlot or montepulciano (an underrated grape from Central Italy) while taking in sublime Mt Buffalo vistas. Come for the wines, stay for the views.

a hand pouring wine into a glass — Taste Ringer Reef’s finest wines. (Image: Visit Victoria)

2. Billy Button Wines Cellar Door

Like the idea of heading to a wine hotspot that pours more than 30 different drops? Head to this busy cellar door right in the heart of Bright. Named after the bright-yellow native flowers that dot the surrounding alpine landscapes in summer, this popular cellar door offers so much more than wine.

the outside view of Billy Button winery in Bright — Come over for some drinks.

By all means, try a refreshing glass of prosecco or chardonnay, but be sure to order some artisan cheese or a toasted sandwich to keep you warm on a brisk autumn afternoon. This is also a top place to source locally-made gourmet bites to take home or enjoy on the road. Coffee beans, smallgoods, cooking oil, preserves, nuts and truffles can all be yours. If you find yourself in the nearby town of Myrtleford, there’s a Billy Button Wines outpost there also.

two women talking while drinking wine at Billy Button — Drink wine with a friend to pass the time.

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3. Feathertop Winery

This picturesque private estate in Porepunkah overlooking Mt Buffalo opens its doors to visitors regularly for a range of special ticketed events.

a cellar gate with empty barrels of wine at Feathertop Winery — You’ll see empty barrels of wine at the entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Movie nights, games championships, acoustic music sets, themed tastings, al fresco long lunches and paint and sip classes are on rotation throughout the year, so keep an eye on the winery’s social media pages to see what’s on before you plan your trip.

guests drinking and dining al fresco at Feathertop Winery — Drink and dine al fresco. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Looking for somewhere to stay in Bright? There’s also luxe accommodation on site if you’re keen on a getaway (the Vineyard Residence’s magnificent infinity pool will take your stay to the next level).

a parking area for bicycles at Feathertop Winery — Feathertop Winery welcomes two-wheeled guests. (Image: Visit Victoria)

4. Gapsted Wines

You’ll find Gapsted Wines in the beautiful, bucolic town of Myrtleford, a half-hour scenic drive along the Great Alpine Road from Bright. At this award-winning cellar door and restaurant you’ll be able to taste under-the-radar varietals you might not have heard before.

a picnic table with umbrella set on a vineyard in Gapsted, Bright — Verdant grape-bearing vines surround the famed winery.

Why not try a drop of durif, manseng or saperavi after you’ve sampled more well-known wines like cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir? Stop by for a tasting or make a booking for a decadent, multi-course lunch (with matching wines, of course). The vineyard views from the restaurant provide the perfect backdrop for a long, lazy lunch.

a multi-course lunch with wine at Gapsted, Bright — Indulge in a satisfying lunch with a glass of wine on the side.

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5. Michelini Wines

Italian varietals are in the spotlight at this family-owned cellar door in Myrtleford that’s reminiscent of Tuscany. Have fun getting to know the greats of the Italian winemaking scene by tasting sangiovese, nebbiolo, barbera, vermentino and beyond.

the cellar door at Michelini Wines, Bright — Discover what’s behind the cellar door.

On a warm day, there’s no better place to relax in the region than on the patio under a canopy of vines with a glass of prosecco and a charcuterie plate. Close your eyes and think of Tuscany.

a bottle of La Fiera Marzemino wine at Michelini, Bright — Try Michelini’s signature delicate wine.

Want more travel tips for Bright? We’ve got a round-up of top accommodation, incredible restaurants to try and cafes to visit during your stay.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat, now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate, whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor, who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will, who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods. “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield, embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House.

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument, which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds.

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens, hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

5 excellent wineries to visit in Bright and surrounds

When travelling through Victoria’s High Country, be sure to put these Bright wineries on your list.

1. Ringer Reef Winery

2. Billy Button Wines Cellar Door

3. Feathertop Winery

4. Gapsted Wines

5. Michelini Wines

Want more travel tips for Bright? We’ve got a round-up of top accommodation, incredible restaurants to try and cafes to visit during your stay.

14 top restaurants in Bright to have on your radar

7 charming cafes in Bright for coffee, brunch and lunch

15 unmissable things to do in Bright, Victoria

14 Bright accommodation options for a memorable stay

The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food