Less than a one-hour drive east of Melbourne will have you in spectacular Yarra Valley wine country. Renowned as one of Australia’s premier cool-climate wine regions, it’s also famed for its verdant undulating hills, artisanal food culture and rich biodiversity. And as the first vines here were planted in 1838, the Yarra Valley lays claim to being Victoria’s oldest wine-producing region.
The region’s diverse geography has led to thriving fruit orchards, the growth of native botanicals and 2837 hectares of vineyards, with more than 90 cellar doors and 150 working wineries.
Indulge in premium sparkling wine at Chandon
If you enjoy cellar door tastings in a regal space, book an experience with Chandon Australia – the producer of one of Australia’s most popular sparkling wines. Established in Coldstream in 1986 by the world-famous French Champagne house Moët & Hennessy, it’s a sophisticated affair, with the three-storey-high glass windows overlooking the vines enough to have most visitors swooning.
The Guided Tasting is a perfect introduction to its sparkling wines, with a friendly host walking guests through five wine styles while sharing Chandon’s fascinating story and its winemaking techniques.
If you’re looking for an immersive experience, try Behind the Bubbles – a hands-on tour through traditional winemaking. After learning about the techniques, you’ll have the chance to try your hand at recreating Chandon’s Vintage Brut blend.
Oakridge Wines scores in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion
Oakridge Wines established its estate in the late 1970s, and has since become a prominent and award-winning winery. A finalist for Winery of the Year in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion awards, Oakridge had
16 wines scoring 95 points or more. Nine of them received an exceptional 97 points or higher, with multiple wines named Top Rated by Variety.
By participating in Oakridge’s four tasting options, you’ll be supporting its sustainable practices – it has
been recognised by the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification in viticulture.
The Oakridge Experience is a 30-minute tasting of five selected wines, or opt for the longer, seated, 45-minute premium tasting that showcases the vineyard’s highly acclaimed, award-winning 864 and Single Vineyard expressions.
You can also book a Chardonnay Masterclass, which delves into Oakridge’s exceptional chardonnay from the Upper Yarra Valley. In the 45-minute session you’ll be guided through comparing vintage flavours and newer releases while exploring the contrasting notes in each.
The expressive French wines of Dominique Portet
For those after a refined experience with a legend of the Yarra Valley, head over to Dominique Portet, which was founded by the man himself in 2000.
A ninth-generation winemaker, Dominique has been bringing French heritage to the heart of the Yarra Valley for two decades, and now his son Ben carries on the family tradition, crafting his own elegant wines from the estate-grown fruit.
With a diversity of land and varying conditions across them, Dominique Portet is able to cultivate a wide range of varietals – from cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir, to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, so there’s a fine wine for everyone. However, what Dominic Portet is really famous for, is its fabulous rosé.
Try one of the estate’s winery experiences and you’ll be adding this one to your list of fave cellar doors.
From Thursday to Sunday the estate hosts food experiences, guiding guests through expert pairings of wines and flavourful dishes. Whether its pinot noir with duck or chardonnay with roast chicken, the French bistro’s aim is to balance flavour and fun times. For the more adventurous, try the Escargot de Bourgogne with a pinot noir. You don’t get more Frenchy than that!
A unique portfolio with Payten & Jones
At Payten & Jones (P&J) the focus is on personality rather than industry standards, and the cellar door is
more warehouse-ish than winery.
In the heart of the historic, charming town of Healesville, P&J is well-known for its edgy, sustainable winemaking and a big garden/garage-like space adorned with Manowar heavy metal murals.
With a wide variety including pinot noir, sangiovese, syrah, and more, P&J is known for its proudly unusual wines. One reason for them being so unique is that there is no filtration involved.
The winery is owned and run by Behn Payten and Troy Jones, and in their own words: “Drinking our wine
is like going to see a live band as opposed to listening to a CD – all the interesting and random fun stuff
is left in.”
Trying wines with really different taste and texture can be daunting for some, so try a P&J Cellar Door Wine Tasting, which is a 30-minute seated experience, with careful direction through six different wines.
Talking you through their unique story and winemaking process, you’ll learn to appreciate the full flavours of their current bold vintages.
Beyond the wine in the Yarra Valley
While Yarra Valley is known for its vineyards and wineries, there are also many quality distilleries where you can enjoy a great tipple, and there’s always something different on offer.
For gin drinkers, Four Pillars Gin needs no introduction. It’s been recognised three times as the world’s best distiller of gin, and is Australia’s first certified carbon-neutral gin distillery, showcasing Head Distiller Cameron Mackenzie’s unwavering attention to sustainable practices.
Sample the gin varieties through its Distillery Bench Tasting while learning about the company’s backstory. On Sundays you can book in a Gin High Tea, where you can choose from gin spritz carafes and cocktails alongside Yarra Valley seasonal bites.
If you’d like a hands-on, immersive experience, book the Healesville Maker Session where you’ll take part in distillation, with your own hand-crafted bottle sent to you upon fruition. Taste five signature gins paired with selected snacks, and take home a bottle of Rare Dry Gin, a jar of signature orange marmalade, and a bottle of Fever Tree tonic water to make the perfect gin & tonic paired with a tart bite.
Another great gin tasting can be had at Stag Lane Farm, which takes guests through a tour of carefully crafted gins. Identify notes to look for throughout the tasting experience, which consists of a flight of three selected gins.
There’s also Hermetica Distillery, where you can experience tours, masterclasses and tastings of whisky, agave, rum and gin. You can also visit its cellar door, where a guide will give you a behind-the-scenes tour of the production process.
If you enjoyed this article on tasting the flavours of the Yarra Valley region, check out this article on oyster tasting and experiences in New South Wales here.
Rex flies to Victoria. Head to the website or check out the route map below for more details.
