The best wineries in the Yarra Valley

Hubert Estate is the love child of the Ryan Hospitality Group (The Prince, Mitchelton Winery, Nagambie Brewery and Distillery) and one of the Yarra Valley's longest-standing producers, St Hubert's. A recent redesign of the winery and cellar door has transformed the stunning site into a dual-level estate. The reimagining of the venue is thanks to notable architectural and interior design studio, Cera Stribley. Hubert Estate now encompasses a modern Australian and Euro-inspired restaurant (Quarters), event space (Harriett), cellar door and boutique wine store (Notes).

Don't miss: it's also home to Hubert Gallery of Art, which boasts a diverse selection of Indigenous Australia art.

Innocent Bystander is conveniently located across the street from fellow Healesville winery Giant Steps. In fact, the two wineries used to be housed under the same roof but since the businesses (amicably) split up in early 2017, Innocent Bystander took over what was once the White Rabbit Brewery. In a nod to its predecessor, Innocent Bystander's stand-alone venue has a beer hall atmosphere, with its prosecco to syrah served out of temperature-controlled draught taps. The food menu is centred around woodfired pizzas and share dishes made for nibbling while diners sample the moderately-priced wines. 

Don't miss: when you order a carafe or a flight of wines they come in measuring beakers straight out of science class. 

There is a large cellar door and tasting room inside Helen and Joey Estate, but if the weather is good, the best seats in the house are outside on the terrace, overlooking the vines and gently rolling hills. If the winery isn't slammed, you might get lucky enough to be able to work your way through the wines on tasting in this spot. If you'd like to nosh as you sip, you can also get snacks and charcuterie, and you can of course buy a bottle or two to enjoy in your primo location – plus a few to take home.

Don't miss:

The winery uses fruit from all over Victoria to make a cracking range of cool-climate wines, from the entry-level, fruit-forward True Colours range through the White Label, Black Label and premium Signature Series drops. There are the traditional Yarra Valley pinot noir and chardonnay varietals here (including a spectacular malolactic fermentation chardy), as well as gorgeous cabernet sauvignons, which is a varietal with a long history in the Yarra Valley.

Mark and Fiona Horrigan, who run Pimpernel, take their winemaking seriously, and their drops reflect the characteristics of the grapes. They are also serious about terroir – so serious, in fact, that Mark's mother pocketed a couple of limestones from a pinot noir vineyard in Burgandy. When they returned to Australia, Mark had the stones analysed and subsequently buried more than 250 tonnes of similar crushed limestone in his own vineyard. The pinot noir grapes that grow above it produce some of the best pinot the Yarra Valley has to offer. Fruit is picked by hand, and little is done to it to interfere with the natural fermentation process. 

Though the Dominique Portet winery was only founded in 2000, it's the project of a ninth-generation winemaker from Bordeaux. The Dominique Portet winery in the rolling hills of Yarra Valley offers a cellar door open daily, and the restaurant serves country-style lunches (think snack platters, cheese, charcuterie and even snails) ideal for a post-wine tasting meal. Taste the Fontaine rosé, one that’s an exceptional berry-driven summery blend of merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, and a steal at $26 a bottle.

Oakridge Wines is a family-owned winery in Yarra Valley that is gaining renown for its restaurant. The kitchen, which is headed by chef Aaron Brodie, produces dishes highlighting produce from the kitchen garden and local growers. Guests can enjoy a meal matched with a selection of wines exclusive to the Oakridge restaurant (which was our Restaurant of the Year in 2019), or simply take in the view of the stunning vineyard – tastings overlook a pretty gorgeous vista.

Tasting your way around the Yarra Valley is hungry work, and there will come a time in your day when you need to fill your stomach with something more substantial than wine tastings. When that time comes, you should kindly ask your deso to point the car in the direction of Many Hands Winery, a small producer that excels at both wine and Italian food. Tastings cost $10 here, redeemable against a bottle (and you are quite likely to want to buy at least one to bring home). You can also drink a bottle or two while you get amongst wood-fired pizzas, garlic prawns, an antipasto platter or other Italian snacks and meals.

This winery doesn't take itself too seriously, but it is serious about its product. The entry-level Farmyard series is a very approachable range, featuring playful labels of colourful animals. It is fruit-forward, easy-drinking wine, the kind you can crack at a barbecue and drink way too much of. Tastings here are $5, and the chardonnay and late harvest dessert wine are particular standouts at Yering Farm. But this being a former fruit farm, fruit is still a big part of what Yering Farm does. Yering offers what it calls 'syder', or pink lady apple cider. It's crisp, perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and tastes just like biting into a perfectly ripe pink lady apple. 

The blink-and-you'll-miss-it shed that serves as the cellar door for Maddens Rise does not have a fancy restaurant or assembly line of tastings. Instead, you'll find a simple but beautifully finished shed (it was filled with daffodils when we visited), stunning views and a handwritten A4 sheet of paper detailing the wines on offer and their prices. Tastings cost $10, and you should absolutely taste everything here. For an example of the kind of winery this is, look no further than the sparkling rosé. It's a delicious combination of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, fermented in French oak barrels and spending another nine months on lees in the bottle, and made using the Méthode Champenoise. It's no slouch and has a considerable pedigree, but the winemakers here call it simply 'pink fizz' and say it's uncomplicated, delicious, and perfect for any time drinking. We agree.

The big daddy of bubbles producers in Victoria, Domaine Chandon has been crafting top-shelf sparkling wine since the days it was allowed to be called Champagne. Tastings are $18 for five traditional wines, or you can splurge for a $60 per person sparkling masterclass. There is also an on-site bar, so once you have tasted your fill, it's worth getting a full glass (our favourite is the sparkling pinot shiraz) and enjoying the panoramic views over the vines.