Yarra Valley

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Introduction

Tarrawarra Estate Vines

© All Rights Reserved Peter

The Yarra Valley, to the north east of Melbourne, is Victoria's premier wine region.

Geography

The Yarra Valley generally refers to the valley north east of Melbourne around the Yarra River. The Yarra River originates in the Yarra Ranges, some 60 kilometres east of Melbourne and flows towards the city and out into Port Phillip Bay. The definition of where the region starts and ends is somewhat fluid, sometimes even incorporating outer suburbs of Melbourne.

Towns

• Healesville is most known for its famous Wildlife Sanctuary, featuring a large number of Australian native fauna. It also offers some great culinary experiences and is an excellent place to settle down after a long day of wine tasting in the Yarra Valley.
• Yarra Glen is smaller town, but the closest to a lot of the major wineries in the Valley. It's a good place to stop for a few beers, some wine tasting. Some excellent second hand and antique shops are a good distraction from all the wine. Just don't let the alcohol cloud your judgement!
• Warburton is a picturesque town surrounded by tall forests of mountain ash.

Sights and Activities

Wineries

The star of the Yarra Valley is its numerous wineries. There are dozens and dozens of them scattered around and you can easily spend days touring around visiting them. These are some of the more popular ones with cellar doors where you can enjoy a tasting.

• Balgownie Estate is located at Corner Melba Highway & Gulf Road. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm daily
• De Bortoli Wines is located at 58 Pinnacle Lane, Dixons Creek. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm daily
• Domaine Chandon is located at 'Green Point', Maroondah Highway, Coldstream. Open 10:30am - 4:30pm daily
• Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander is located at 336 Maroondah Highway, Healesville. Open 10:00am - 10:00pm on weekdays and 8:00am - 10:00pm on the weekends.
• Punt Road is located at 10 Saint Huberts Road, Coldstream. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm daily.
• Rochford Wines is located at Corner of Maroondah Highway & Hill Road, Coldstream. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm daily.
• Seville Estate is located at 65 Linwood Road, Seville. Open 10:00am-5:00pm daily.
• St Huberts is located at Saint Huberts Road, Coldstream. Open 9:30am- 5:00pm Weekdays. Open 10:30 - 5:30pm on weekends / public holidays.
• TarraWarra Estate, in addition to its tastings and restaurant, houses a beautiful art gallery that is well worth a visit in itself. 311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen. Open 11:00am - 5:00pm Daily
• Yering Station was Victoria's first vineyard, originally planted in 1838. The complex includes a restaurant, bar, gourmet shop and of course, lots of tastings. - 38 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am - 6:00pm on weekends and public holidays.

Other Activities

• Hot Air Ballooning is offered by several companies in the Yarra Valley

Events and Festivals

• The Yarra Valley Regional Food Group Farmers' Market is held on the third Sunday of each month.
• Yarra Valley Fresh is another farmer's market held on the fourth Sunday of each month at Gulf Station, 1029 Melba Hwy, Yarra Glen.
• The Grape Grazing Festival is held in February each year, culminating in one weekend.
• Yarra Glen Agricultural Show – March
• Melba Festival – March
• The Yarra Valley Expo held at the Yarra Glen Racecourse – April

Weather

Getting There and Around

By Plane

There are a couple of small airfields in the Yarra Valley, but unless you have access to a private plane, chances are this will not be how you arrive.

By Train

The nearest train station to the Yarra Valley is in Lilydale. From there, it is possible to catch buses to Yarra Glen or Healesville. Use the Metlink Melbourne website to find route times.

To make the trip, you will need a Zone 1+2 ticket. More about Melbourne's public transport system can be found in the Melbourne article.

By Car

It takes roughly an hour to reach the Yarra Valley from the centre of Melbourne (traffic allowing). Drive along the Eastern Freeway, turn right at Springvale Road, then left onto the Maroondah Highway (you can also stay on the freeway till Ringwood, but tolls apply). Travel through Ringwood and Lilydale and continue straight to reach Healesville. To reach Yarra Glen, turn off the Maroondah Highway at the Melba Highway in Coldstream.

By Bus

A popular way to see the Yarra Valley is on a bus tour. This way, you can enjoy the wine tastings all you like, without worrying about drink driving. There are quite a few companies offering their services in this area. A few are listed here:

• Yarra Valley Winery Tours - Ph: (03) 5962 3870
• A Tour with Taste - Ph: (03) 5966 6031
• Australian Wine Tour Co. - Ph: (03) 9419 4444
• Evergreen Winery Tours - Ph: (03) 9736 4859

If you are just trying to reach a destination in Yarra Valley to stay for the night, then you can catch one of the public buses that runs there. Full scheduling information can be found on the Metlink Melbourne website.

Eat

Drink

Drinking is one thing you will have no trouble doing in the Yarra Valley. The main thing to consider is how this might affect your travel plans. After a few tastings, you might well have exceeded the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05. You can either decide to limit your alcohol intake, allocate a designated driver or even take a winery tour, so you don't have to worry about limits.

Whatever you decide, be sure to also drink lots of water to keep your hydration up and help avoid a nasty hangover.

Wineries are the most popular places to visit in the Yarra Valley and you certainly should take the time to stop at a few. If you like your beer, then you may also want to sample some of the local brews at the Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company or Coldstream Brewery.

Sleep

Although the Yarra Valley is an easy day trip from Melbourne, many people prefer to spend a night or two here, taking in more of the wineries and scenery.

Several of the wineries in the Yarra Valley offer accommodation. They are usually not cheap and on the luxurious end of the scale. Another option is the large number of private holiday houses or bed & breakfasts that can be found in the area.

For travellers on a budget there aren't all that many options, but if you have a tent and your own transport, then there are some excellent campgrounds in the area.

More Resources

• Yarra Valley wine guide by Vinisimo.