The essential guide to Yarra Valley wineries

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From dark horses to well-established industry players, and plenty more in between, plot your own escape to wine country with this guide to the best Yarra Valley wineries, winery hotels, and winery restaurants.

With more than 80 cool climate wineries to its name, plus some 60 cellar doors, even those who visit the Yarra Valley on the regular are practically guaranteed to find something new on their next trip.

The glut of great wineries also ensures there’s plenty of choice. Oenophiles will find family-run wineries with some serious credentials; bon vivants can lounge around in aesthetically pleasing cellar doors from international names with sparkling wine on tap; fun-seeking neophiles can uncover experimental newcomers, and daytrippers looking for a side of history and heritage with their rosé won’t be left wanting.

aerial shot of Yarra Valley, Australian Wine Tour Company

Yarra Valley is home to vibrant and scenic vineyards. (Image: Australian Wine Tour Company)

Victoria’s first wine-growing district is also awash with great winery restaurants – many boasting dramatic valley views – plus a smattering of smart winery hotels, so there’s really little reason not to hole up here for an entire weekend.

Read on for details of the best Yarra Valley wineries.

The best Yarra Valley wineries

At less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley’s proximity to the city is a definite calling card.

But this bucolic region, all mist-shrouded, undulating and verdant, promises plenty more than just convenience: it’s home to a raft of award-winning wineries that range from rustic and family-run to chic and internationally known.

While pinot noir and chardonnay are the valley’s key varietals, producers are harvesting more beyond, from shiraz and cab sav to méthode traditionnelle sparkling and riesling.

vineyard at Yering Station

The region is famed for producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. (Image: Yering Station)

Domaine Chandon

Sparkling wine lovers should make a beeline for this Yarra Valley winery brought to you by the bigwigs from LVMH.

Going strong since 1986, the Australian outpost of famous French champagne house Moët & Chandon, is impeccably styled.

Following a facelift in 2017, Domaine Chandon features a palette of dusky pinks and muted sage alongside spotted gum timber flooring, a dark marble tasting bench, and a kinetic sculpture suspended above aged leather banquette seating. Stop by for a tasting or linger over a long lunch in the French-inspired house restaurant.

Garden Spritz, Domaine Chandon

Taste the exceptional citrusy goodness of handcrafted chardonnay. (Image: Domaine Chandon)

Helen & Joey Estate

When all you want is a down-to-earth cellar door experience without any pomp and ceremony or bells and whistles, Helen & Joey Estate should be the destination you thumb into Google Maps.

Helen and Joeys estate

Helen & Joeys Estate boasts picturesque grounds.(Image: Hugh Davidson)

The wine is the protagonist at this relaxed, family-owned winery, but the sunsets also play a starring role. Pull up a pew on the sizable, string-light festooned deck and admire the sea of vines that cascades down the hill as you sip on a glass of fruit-forward estate cab sav.

Jayden Ong Winery & Cellar Bar

A bit of a Yarra Valley wildcard, this Healesville newcomer is shaking up the well-established scene with a mould-breaking cellar door in an industrial estate, offering punters willing to forego valley views a number of interesting and organic, lo-fi wines instead.

Open since January 2021, Jayden Ong is a triple threat of good wine, good food, and good vibes.

Outside of its roller doors sit picnic tables with frilly parasols, perfect for sundowners, while inside the cavernous warehouse space you’ll find a moody interior, all dim lighting and dark walls juxtaposed with colourful floral arrangements.

signature wine, Jayden Ong

Try Jayden Ong’s signature wine. (Image: Jayden Ong)

Seville Estate

Named ‘Winery of the Year’ at the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion Awards (James Halliday himself called the 2015, ’16 and ’17 vintages an “absolutely dazzling array of great wines"), true wine enthusiasts should earmark this hilltop locale for future visits.

A lo-fi philosophy guides the winery’s four ranges, allowing for the purest expressions of the winery’s fruit, with all the wines fermented using indigenous yeasts.

The winery’s cellar door is only open on weekends between 11am and 4pm, or otherwise by appointment.

Chardonnay, Seville Estate

A glass of Chardonnay will lighten up your mood. (Image: Seville Estate)

Hubert Estate

Once an unassuming tin shed of a cellar door that was little-known outside of Australia’s wine cognoscenti and the occasional tour bus group, Hubert Estate is now a local landmark winery thanks to a $13 million redevelopment.

Two modernist buildings occupy the site: one housing restaurant Quarters, which spotlights food cooked over charcoal and in a woodfired oven, the other built for events. But the estate’s piece de resistance is a sweeping two-storey building that merges with the landscape: a long sliver of concrete tucked into the terrain and shrouded by a grass roof that houses a semi-subterranean Indigenous art gallery and a cellar door/wine shop.

Watch this space, as an 80-room hotel with a spa and upscale restaurant is proposed to open onsite in the near-future too…

meal at Hubert Estate

A mouthwatering meal to satisfy your palate. (Image: Hubert Estate)

Panton Hill Winery

Those who relish off-the-beaten-track discoveries will fall for this little pearler. Just on the cusp of greater Melbourne, hidden away down a leafy gravel track, you’ll find Panton Hill Winery.

Comprised of a cluster of buildings that look as if they could have been plucked straight from the shores of Southern Europe and planted in hilly regional Vic – think rustic-looking sandstone buildings with gargoyles and heavy, weather-beaten timber doors – the venue is quite unlike any other you’ll find in the region.

Not just a pretty face, this Yarra Valley winery took home the medal for ‘Best Small Cellar Door’ in Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine’s 2022 awards.

wine sample, Panton Hill

Sample wine from Panton Hill. (Image: Panton Hill)

Coombe Yarra Valley

Reputation precedes this Yarra Valley winery, which is steeped in heritage.

Formerly a 60-acre dairy farm, the feted late opera singer Dame Nellie Melba once called this estate home. Today, Coombe Cottage is still the private residence of Melba’s family and can be viewed on a tour, as can the estate’s sprawling manicured gardens.

But the jewel in the crown of the estate is, naturally, the wine. Rock up to the cellar door and try the estate-grown single vineyard wines (or a nip of Melba Gin), or graze away the afternoon on Coombe Yarra Valley’s garden terrace while dabbling in a wine flight and a charcuterie and cheese platter.

wines at Coombe

Coombe features world-class wines with exceptional taste. (Image: Coombe)

Yarra Valley wineries with restaurants

Given its Italian heritage, the Yarra Valley has long had an affinity towards pasta and pizza, with solid options for both still in strong supply (hello Zonzo and De Bortoli).

Following the continental theme, many of the region’s wineries dabble in platters, should you be in the mood for picky bits shared among friends.

Italian aside, you’ll find plenty of Yarra Valley winery restaurants heroing Modern Australian cuisine – many featuring show-stopping vistas over this hilly green pocket blessed with bountiful good looks. Note that most of the Yarra Valley’s wineries are only for lunch.

Levantine Hill

On the flashier end of the scale, it would be remiss not to highlight this well-established winery, where guests often drop in by helicopter for lunch. While Levantine Hill’s stark design is striking, there’s ample substance to match the style.

Levantine Hill

Levantine Hill is one of Australia’s most premium wine producer

Those dining at the winery restaurant will savour refined, Levant-leaning dishes, dreamed up to harmonise seamlessly with the estate’s top-tier wines. Think barramundi paired with olive jam and a glass of aromatic Mélange Traditionnel white, or a venison carpaccio with lemon myrtle mayonnaise accompanied by a fruit-forward sparkling rosé.

Levantine Hill

Enjoy the Mediterranean-inspired menu.

A tip: dine between Monday and Thursday for a quieter experience and a chance to sample the restaurant’s wares at a cheaper price point (there’s a surcharge and more expensive set menu on weekends).

Yering Station

Victoria’s first vineyard, established in 1838, Yering Station is the Yarra Valley’s grand dame.

Awarded a 5 red star rating by the illustrious Halliday Wine Companion, Yering Station is a popular spot for day trippers and wine enthusiasts alike. Beyond the cellar door, the restaurant and its Modern Australian set menu lunch beckon.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Yering Station

Yering Station offers top drops. (Image: Yering Station)

Sample dishes such as semolina gnocchi with mushroom, cabbage and pecorino, or eye fillet with horseradish, beetroot and pumpkin while looking through double-height floor-to-ceiling windows onto the green landscape that spills out in front of you for miles. Walk off the rich pickings with a stroll around the winery’s gardens.

garden in front of Yering Station

Stroll along Yering Station’s well-manicured gardens. (Image: Yering Station)

Yarra Valley winery accommodation

While the region is swimming in great wineries and winery restaurants, big-name hotels of the same high standard are much less prolific in these parts. Instead, much of the mid-range accommodation in the Yarra Valley is still under the dominion of the holiday rental market.

The following hotels, however, are located in the thick of the action and deliver amenities aplenty as well as beautiful views, some overlooking the vines.

Reém Hotel

This hotly anticipated Gruyere newcomer is just the breath of fresh air the Yarra Valley was crying out for. A boutique hotel, open since early 2024, Re’em sits on the 200-acre Helen and Joey Estate. Each of its 16 rooms overlook the gentle slopes of the surrounding countryside, and the winery’s ornamental lake, with some offering a private patio and others a balcony.

Re'em Hotel Yarra Valley

Each of the 16 room overlooks the vineyard.

All of Re’em’s suites promise lashings of natural light and a mellow palette of neutrals, as well as a freestanding bathtub, and a king-sized bed.

Re'em Restaurant Yarra Valley

Book a table at the onsite restaurant for Chinese meets modern Australian fare.

The Farmhouse at Meletos

The Farmhouse at Meletos promises 23 individually designed rooms that feature a carefully curated collection of worldly textiles and vintage furniture.

With its grand fireplaces and panelled window shutters, there’s an inviting warmth and a rustic yet elegant simplicity to this boutique, adults-only hotel, that harks back to provincial France or rural Tuscany. Best of all, vast vineyard views are on offer here too.

outdoor dining, The Farmhouse at Meletos

Dine beside a picturesque landscape. (Image: The Farmhouse at Meletos)

Yarra Valley Lodge

You’ll find almost everything under one roof at Yarra Valley Lodge, on the southern edge of the region.

The 120-hectare estate is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses (including one originally designed by Jack Nicklaus), as well as a restaurant, a bar, walking trails, and a day spa with an indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna and a tennis court.

Bella Restaurant Yarra Valley Lodge

Onsite Bella Restaurant showcases the freshest local, farm-to-table ingredients.

Regardless of whether you opt for a standard room or a suite, each and every guest room at this four-star hotel opens directly out onto a garden terrace or private balcony – perfect for drinking in that fresh country air.

Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley

One of the few Yarra Valley accommodations within the grounds of a winery, Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley is a resort-style hotel with a solid collection of amenities to its name.

You’ll find a schmick new endota spa, open since August 2022, a smart-casual Mod Oz restaurant that welcomed its first guests at the end of 2021, plus a heated indoor swimming pool, a steam room and gym, complimentary wine tasting at the cellar door for all guests, and nearly seven acres of vineyards to gaze out over.

The Deluxe Spa Suites are the pick of the bunch here room-wise, featuring valley views, a private balcony, and a sophisticated neutral palette with navy flourishes. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are also available.

The vineyards at Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley

Balgownie Estate has nearly seven acres of vineyards to gaze out over. (Image: Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley)

Top winery tours in the Yarra Valley

Given that the focus of most visits to The Valley is to sample the fruits of local winemakers’ labour, it’s little surprise that touring is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore.

You’ll have your own designated driver who just so happens to know the Yarra Valley inside out, meaning minimal planning and maximum fun.

The Yarra Valley Touring Company

If you’re looking for a Yarra Valley winery tour that dials up the luxury factor a little, then try The Yarra Valley Touring Company’s Decadent AF Tour (their description, not ours).

Aside from visiting three of the region’s standout wineries, guests are treated to something of a progressive lunch that includes a farmhouse cheese tasting at the Yarra Valley Dairy, a glass of bubbly and half a dozen oysters between two at Domaine Chandon, and a three-course meal plus wine tasting at Dominique Portet winery.

To polish it all off, you’ll end up at regional icon Four Pillars for a gin flight. Bliss.

lush greenery at Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley boasts some of Australia’s most iconic wineries. (Image: The Yarra Valley Touring Company)

Australian Wine Tour Company

If the cost of a winery tour in the Yarra Valley has previously put you off, then sign up for the Australian Wine Tour Company’s satisfyingly economical jaunt that rings in for $175.

The trip takes in a cross-section of four different wineries and includes an a la carte lunch at Balgownie Estate with a glass of wine to boot.

At most, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with 23 other daytrippers, though typically tour numbers average between 12 and 20.

lush winery landscape, Australian Wine Tour Company

Stroll along Yarra Valley’s lush wineries. (Image: Australian Wine Tour Company)

Discover the top things to do in the Yarra Valley.

Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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A new cherry-blossom festival is coming to Victoria this spring

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Flowers, fruit-picking and a whole lot of fun.

It’s that time of year. The winter chill is finally easing. Brave Aussies are starting to shed a few layers. Buds are beginning to bloom and the sweet scent of spring is officially in the air. And there’s no better place to celebrate than CherryHill Orchards, which is hosting a new cherry-blossom festival to welcome the season.

Meet the new festival coming to Victoria

In Victoria’s bucolic Yarra Valley, CherryHill Orchards sits pretty on the outskirts of Coldstream township. The family-owned fruit farm, which has a sister property in nearby Wandin East, is officially opening its gates ahead of harvest season with the inaugural Bloom & Graze festival. Running for the first two weekends of spring, the colourful celebration is all about waving off winter and welcoming the warmth.

Rainbow lorikeet in cherry-blossom tree

Aussies big and small love cherry-blossom season. (Image: Getty Images/Elena Pochesneva)

A range of market stalls run by local businesses, producers and creators will take over the orchard as it begins to bloom, touting everything from wine and whiskey to cheese and crafts. This year’s exhibitors include The Botanical Brothers, Four Pillars, Steels Gate, Sustainable Food Waste, Yarra Valley Dairy and Blossom Lifestyle.

Each vendor will also run its own workshop or demonstration, sharing expert advice on cocktail mixology, candle-making and more. There will also be live music by local artists each day, as well as kids’ entertainment, food trucks and a cherry-inspired farmgate store.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria

Meet local makers at their market stalls with Bloom & Graze.

“This is all about bringing our incredible community of producers, makers, and creators together to showcase the very best of the Yarra Valley,” says Mike Appleton, CherryHill’s general manager of customer experience, tourism and events. “Set against the breathtaking backdrop of our 100-acre Coldstream orchard as our cherry trees begin to bloom, it’s the perfect way to celebrate spring.”

What else is on at CherryHill this spring?

If you can’t make it to Bloom & Graze, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. CherryHill Orchards is hosting a bloomin’ good line-up of events this year that rival spring festivals across the country.

The weekend after Bloom & Graze ends, Blossom by Light begins, which sees the Wandin East orchard illuminated by a kaleidoscope of light and colour. Held across four nights only, the magical display is accompanied by local food trucks, live entertainment, games and fireside marshmallow roasting.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria

Sample cherry-flavoured ice-cream and other treats from local food trucks.

Just two days later, the ever-popular Blossom Festival kicks off with 12 days of floral fanfare, just as the entire orchard enters full bloom. It’s a quick turnover for the Wandin East property, falling perfectly within Victoria’s school holidays. Guests will enjoy a range of themed experiences, like live music, local food and wine tastings curated by the region’s best vineyards, plus plenty of kid-friendly activities.

And finally, as spring fades into summer, the flowers that have been admired for weeks slowly grow into their final form. It’s that time on Australia’s seasonal fruit-picking calendar – cherries are officially ripe for the picking! Grab your favourite straw hat and stroll through rows of trees heavy with fruit, basket in hand.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria

Cherry-picking season kicks off at the beginning of November.

Both the Coldstream and Wandin East orchards will be open to the public for cherry-picking. BYO picnic to enjoy lunch in the sun, paired perfectly with your fresh fruit. There will also be cold drinks, food and ice-cream available at both onsite cafes. It’s cherry-flavoured goodness, all spring and summer long.

Your guide to event dates and details

The Bloom & Graze festival will debut on 6–7 and 13–14 September at CherryHill’s Coldstream orchard, around an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Tickets are priced at $15 per adult and $13 for concession. All children enter for free. Workshops will run between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

Cherry blossom trees in bloom

The cherry blossoms bloom as September arrives. (Image: Getty Images/Chris Gordon)

Blossom by Light will run from 19–22 September at CherryHill’s Wandin East orchard, just over a one-hour drive from Melbourne. Tickets are priced at $35 per adult, $30 for concession and $20 per child. Family passes are available for $100.

The Blossom Festival is also held in Wandin East, from 24 September – 5 October. Adult tickets are priced at $15, while concessions are $13.50. On weekdays, all children can attend for free, but a $10 ticket is required per child on weekends. Or grab a family pass for just $45.

Pick your own cherries at the Yarra Valley orchard.

Cherry-picking season officially kicks off on 1 November and runs until 4 January 2026. Weekday tickets cost $22.50 per adult and $13 per child. Family and group passes can be purchased for $60 and $20, respectively. Come weekends, adults pay $25 and $15 per child, with family passes priced at $65.

Dogs are welcome at all times, with a $3 entry fee per furry friend. Both the Coldstream and Wandin East orchards have free onsite parking. Tickets for all events are available now via CherryHill’s website.