20 Amazing Wineries in the Yarra Valley You Cannot Miss

The Yarra Valley is an easy one-hour drive from Melbourne's CBD making it the perfect day trip or mini-getaway. This cool-climate region is home to numerous Yarra Valley wineries and is known for a wide range of classics such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, Rose and sparkling wines. 

Yarra Valley has an impressive 160 wineries and cellars doors to sample, ranging from your small family-run wineries to big internationally-owned wineries. To help make every drop count, we've selected 20 of the best Yarra Valley wineries to shortlist for a great cellar door experience. So, let's make some room in the boot for a couple of bottles, fasten your seatbelts and drive to the valley. 

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Yileena Park is a family-owned cellar door, winery and vineyard in the Yarra Valley. When you visit, you must try their smoked delicacies which they're famous for. They're deliciously infused with the smoke from old wine barrels. The perfect combination of wine and oak flavours creates this fantastic flavour that demands to be sampled. 

The Coombe Farm vineyard is located just north-east of Coldstream. The winery is known for its irresistible chardonnay, pinot noir, Merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Coombe Farms' also offers less common varieties such as pinot gris, viognier and sparkling chardonnay. 

Helen and Joey's Estate has an impressive and large cellar door. You can enjoy your tastings outside on the terrace, overlooking the vines and gently rolling hills. 

They also have a Wild Child range which is a bit left-of-field and boundary-pushing drops. They're the result of experimentation and the winemaker's imagination, making your experience jaw-droppingly good.

Helen's Hill is a family-owned and operated vineyard and cellar door in the Yarra Valley. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in learning the intricate details of the winemaking process — you never know how handy it’ll be for your next pub trivia!

Enjoy a tasting of Helen's Hill range which includes premium Arneis, Fume Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

You can also have a casual snack in The Wine Deck and garden. And for beer lovers, Helen's Hill has a fantastic range of carefully brewed small-batch craft beers. 

If wine isn't quite your style, book in for an epic day of cocktail tastings instead with your plus one! This Yarra Valley private cocktail tasting tour starts around 9.30am where you are collected by your Cocktail Chauffeur (sounds epic already, doesn't it!?) before cruising out to the famous Yarra Valley countryside to start your first tasting experience. Guests enjoy a full day of cocktail tastings, plus a delicious two course lunch and will leave thoroughly satisfied and armed with oh-so-much cocktail knowledge.

Yering Farm Wines is a small, single estate winery and orchard nestled within the heart of the Yarra Valley. The farm is known for producing a distinct and highly respected collection of wines and cider.

If you're looking to break up the day with a non-alcoholic activity, head to the nearby Healsville Sanctuary. Here, you'll meet Australian native wild animals including the platypus, wombats, kangaroos and Tasmanian devils. You’ll also have a chance to watch as vets tend to injured wildlife. Cuddly animals, long lunches and wine tastings - could you name a better day?

Whatever you do, TarraWarra must be on your shortlist. The estate is situated on 400 hectares of land beside the beautiful Yarra river. It is home to breathtaking scenery making it the perfect spot to sample some premium-quality wines.

Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley has been creating luxury sparkling wine since it was allowed to be called Champagne. Quite a feat!

The tastings are $12 for six, and you can choose between still and sparkling. Once you've sampled your favourite, enjoy a full glass by the picturesque views of the vineyards. 

Or perhaps you're looking for someone to take charge and organise the full day?! Treat yourself and special someone with a private luxury chauffeured wine tour in the heart of the Yarra Valley wine region. Take a guided tour of the famous Domaine Chandon vineyard and learn all about their champagne making process from grape to bottle. After all that learning, enjoy a delicious three-course lunch at Domaine Chandon with tutored champagne tastings.

You're not done yet! Indulge in tastings at five venues (or more if time allows) and get a taste of Yarra Valley's wines or opt to include a visit to the local chocolatier specialising in luxurious milk and dark chocolate.

Corniola Wines is a family-owned and operated boutique vineyard, and winery focused on making small quantities of premium handcrafted wines.

If you're looking for a personalised and intimate experience, experience this smaller, family-owned and operated winery and cellar door in the Yarra Valley.

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate is a family-friendly winery that gazes over the valley's rolling hills. Enjoy the remarkable views and hospitality while sharing good wine and good food in good company with family and friends. 

While you're tasting wines from the De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate, don't miss out on also sampling their King Valley, Heathcote, and Bilbul Estates vintages. 

Another great option, is a full day winery tour that you can jump on with all your friends! This Yarra Valley wine tour visits Coldstream Hills Vineyard Tasting, Medhurst Vineyard Tasting, Domaine Chandon Vineyard (plus a private tour of the vineyard), Yering Station (stunning spot for lunch & more wine tastings) and De Bortoli Vineyard (cheese and wine tasting). It's an awesome day out that ticks all the boxes!

Yering Station is Yarra Valley's oldest winery and has been around since 1838. Its rich heritage makes it an absolute favourite with travellers. 

Wine tasting is complimentary for groups with fewer than ten guests. If you have a large group, you will need to make a booking in advance. 

The Wine Bar restaurant is open daily from noon and is an excellent spot for a winery lunch with countryside views of the Yarra Ranges.

The Yarra Valley has spectacular food & wine, but did you know it is also home to some super cute and captivating wildlife? On this Wildlife and Wine Tour, visit Healesville Sanctuary, world renowned for their wildlife conservation efforts and recovery of endangered species. You'll be able to explore the Sanctuary and see Australia's native wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, emus, dingos, birds of prey and platypus. Then, head off to lunch and world-class views at Yering Station before stopping in for a wine and cheese tasting at De Bortoli Wines. An all round GREAT day.

The Tokar Estate winery and restaurant is family owned and run. The winery is like looking at an old oil painting, with views of the finest vineyards, surrounding mountain ranges and stunning skylines. Tokar Estate is a great spot to relax, soak up nature's beauty, and enjoy the amazing cuisine crafted by top chefs. 

The cellar door has a beautiful range of boutique wines and new vintage releases, including an award-winning Pinot Noir and unique varietal Tempranillo.

If you're feeling adventurous, there's the option of soaking up this beautiful countryside by horseback! Book a horse trail ride with wine tasting and see breathtaking views over the Yarra Valley and Australia’s Great Dividing Range.

It's perfectly suitable for beginners and you may get the chance to see wildlife in their native habitat, such as eagles, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, lizards, echidnas, and even deer. Then trot on over to the Tokar Estate and indulge in a wine tasting overlooking sweeping views of the gardens, vineyards and mountain ranges.

Rochford Wines rolling green expanse is pretty much heaven for greenery-seeking humans and their pooches (the winery is dog friendly). The best time to visit the winery is earlier in the year, during the harvest. 

Rochford offers an all-round experience for wine lovers. You can go behind the scenes on a guided tour of the vineyard and sample some of the unharvested grapes. Otherwise, head straight to the cellar door for a tasting. 

When you visit Many Hands Winery, you could be mistaken for thinking you were in Tuscany! Many Hands Winery is a small producer who excels at wine and Italian food. Enjoy their wood-fired pizzas and antipasto platter while you're there with a bottle of two. 

If all that pizza chat is making you think you'd like to spend an equal amount of time on Italian food and wine tastings, then this Slice of Italy in the Yarra valley tour is for you. You'll be picked up from Melbourne CBD and whisked away to the Yarra Valley for two premium wine tastings of Italian varieties such as Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio, Savarro, Nascetta, Brachetto, Prosecco, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Then, treat your tastebuds with options from enticing menus including artisan pastas, gourmet sauces, ravioli, pappardelle and tortellini, arancini, herbs and fresh seasonal produce gown in the Yarra Valley. Bellissimo!

Oakridge Wines is a family-owned winery with an award-winning restaurant. The restaurant creates dishes straight from the kitchen garden and local growers. Guests can enjoy a wine-matched meal overlooking the expansive greenery and vineyards. It's the perfect long-lunch locale!

The cellar door and café is on a ridge overlooking the vineyard and mountains to the north. You can already tell it's going to be good, right?! With indoor and outdoor seating, Medhurst Vineyard provides the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine and a shared platter prepared from homegrown and locally sourced produce. What are you waiting for?

Giant Steps combines a magical wine and food experience that must be on your shortlist. The winery has a cellar door built within their working winery separated by floor to ceiling glass. The winemaking process surrounds visitors with tastings held in the barrel hall tasting room, allowing further insight into the happenings of vintage. 

Elmswood Estate Winery is on the other side of the Yarra Valley, often referred to as the Upper Yarra. Elmswood Estate is an underrated and small, family-run vineyard — but packs some powerful drops. It offers a selection of finely crafted, award-winning wine, matched with panoramic views to rolling ranges and beyond. 

For something else a little different while you're in the area, make sure you stop in at the Puffing Billy Railway. It's only 15-20mins from Elswood Estate and is a lot of fun for adults and kids alike - not to mention, the Puffing Billy train looks sensational in photos!

The journey aboard Puffing Billy takes you through the magnificent Dandenong Ranges on Australia's premier preserved steam railway and is a wonderful opportunity to relax and breathe in the fresh air whilst the train makes its way through the forest.

This friendly, family-run winery offers the best of both worlds – generous hospitality and generous wines. On the mouth-watering menu is a selection of platters featuring local and imported ingredients, traversing everything from fromage and charcuterie to Spanish conservas. 

Here's a bit of trivia — the owners have a particular love of gates. As the property is at the end of Steels Creek, the choice of Steels Gate was obvious.

Steel Gates Wines offers a handmade approach to winemaking which explains the sense of refinement, fun and art when you taste their drop. This place is surely a gateway to cloud wine, so make sure you add this to your shortlist.

Seville's Sir Paz Estate is a picture-perfect winery housed on an impressive hilltop chateau 850m above sea-level with panoramic 360-degree views over the Yarra Valley. 

The estate is on a belt of rich volcanic red soil which explains the exceptional depth and finesse of their wine. Sir Paz is surely another winery to add to your list.

The Yarra Valley wineries offer lip-smackingly good wine tastings and cuisine. It's the perfect weekend away with friends or perhaps, a romantic escape - the choice is yours!