The Yarra Valley is a beautiful place for a drive with luscious green rolling hills dotted with vineyards throughout. It is our favorite place to go for a drive. ( Especially on what I call a ” Blue Sky Day“) There are so many vineyards, cafes and restaurants often hidden away waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately the sky was overcast on our visit but the views still beautiful.
Yarra Yering Vineyards
On a recent wine tour with a group of friends we had a plan for our first tasting to be at Yarra Yering Vineyards. We hired a mini bus and had a designated responsible driver to get us safely around the Yarra Valley. We did book the first wine tasting at Yarra Yering and chose to go in the morning to avoid the crowds. We had no plans for the rest of the day and were planning on winging it and asking around for other cellar doors to visit.
Entering the tasting area there were views through every window, an open fire lit and crackling and a couple of cats wandering around. It felt very homely. We stood around the barrel in front of the open fire and tasted all the wines with the lady talking us through some of the history of Yarra Yering, where the grapes were grown, how the grapes were grown and answered any questions we had. She was excellent in her detailed and interesting explanations, and her enthusiasm and passion for Yarra Yering wines.
A Magnificent Yarra Yering Red Wine for Christmas Lunch
After a bit of discussion we were offered a tasting of a 2008 Yarra Yering Dry Red No.1. David and I loved it. David always buys a couple of special bottles of wine for Christmas – and as he tasted it he actually got goose bumps! David felt that as this was the first time a wine had given him such a reaction clearly this was a message that this was a unique and delicious wine that needed to be put away to share with Christmas Lunch.
Yarra Yering Vineyards
4 Briarty Road Gruyere,
Victoria, Australia, 3770
A visit around the corner to Medhurst Wines
Not far from Yarra Yering Vineyards is Medhurst Wines.
Set on a hill overlooking trees it would be a great place to have lunch with a bottle of wine. Walking towards the tasting area we went past a plate with enormous Vanilla Slices and Chocolate brownies that looked fantastic. They had an open fire going too. We stood around a bar area and tried their wine. My favorite was definitely the dessert wine “Frances”.
Medhurst Wines
24 – 26 Medhurst Road
Gruyere, Yarra Valley
Victoria 3770 Australia
http://medhurstwines.com.au
Lunch at Beechworth Bakery in Healesville
While we did get to Yarra Yering Vineyards late morningit took a long time to get through all wines. By the time we visited Medhurst wines it was well and truly lunch time (2pm). We drove to Healsville and had lunch at the Beechworth bakery. David had a Ned Kelly pie and I had a yummy sour dough turkey and cranberry sandwich.We then went to another winery which doesn’t rate a mention. I actually felt like my taste buds didn’t know what they were doing at this stage! I really had had enough of the wine tasting experience for the day. Everyone else agreed and we headed off back home.
Thumbs up
The wine tasting experience at Yarra Yering Vineyard was well worth going to and definitely something to book ahead if you are with a group. A pie or sandwich for lunch at a Beechworth bakery ( where ever it may be located) is always a winner.