Healesville cellar door and restaurant Giant Steps is named after saxophonist John Coltrane's 1960 album of the same name. Winery owner Phil Sexton, who is a massive jazz fan, named his Yarra Valley wines in the jazz musician's honour.
The winery, which underwent a redesign in early 2017, is a large space split up into a wine bar, dining area, and little counter selling local baked goods towards the front, and an open kitchen and barrell hall in the back. The renovation, headed by Bergman and Co (the interior design firm responsible Chin Chin, Kong, and Mr Miyagi), has given Giant Steps a moody atmosphere full of dark timber, brass trimmings and lush leather booths in the dining room.
The barrell hall, a high-ceilinged warehouse filled with towering stacks of oak wine barrels, is where the tastings are done. Instead of shelving, bottles here are cradled in sleek leather slings attached to metal brackets. Here is where you can taste the single vineyard wines Giant Steps is known for, such as winemaker Steve Flamsteed's chardonnays which have set the benchmark for the Yarra Valley region.
Breakfast is served every weekend, and at lunch and visitors can order a wine flight to go with wood-fired pizzas, a charcuterie and cheese platter or a classic Angus porterhouse steak.
