I am no wine connoisseur but I can appreciate an occasional glass of white with dinner - preferably something on the sweeter rather than dry side. For me, wine is really all about the food pairings and anything involving cheese - the smellier the better! - will definitely pique my interest. So when Visit Victoria invited me on a tour of the Yarra Valley wineries with the promise of cheese pairings, wine tastings and lunch included, I was excited to say the least and may have gone to bed dreaming of fromage and charcuterie boards the night before. It was a chilly Saturday morning to be up at 8am waiting in Melbourne CBD for pickup but the promise of good food and wine kept the shivers at bay. Soon enough, a minivan pulled up to the curb and my driver and tour guide for the day, Rob, came to rescue me from the cold. Inside, I was introduced to members of the group tour, some locals like me and others visiting from interstate, Ireland and even California. Despite being a local Melburnian, the morsels of information that Rob shared with us as we drove through the streets of Melbourne CBD offered fascinating glimpses into Melbourne's history dating back to the 1800s. Rob's commentary morphed into cultural insights about the Indigenous lands we traversed on our way eastward to the Yarra Valley, such as the etymology of Mullum Mullum Creek which is believed to mean “place of many butterflies”. As the urban landscape gave way to suburban towns and sprawling farms, I felt the trudge of city life melt away amidst the view of rolling hills, grazing cattle and open albeit misty skies. We began our first wine tasting at De Bortoli, a family-run winery founded by Italian immigrants Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli escaping war-torn Europe in the 1920s. 點擊圖片放大 Our palettes were taken on a journey from mild to strong cheese and wine pairings, and even though it was only 10am in the morning, I found myself enjoying the strongest pairing of blue cheese with De Bortoli's award-winning Noble One dessert wine. The combination of sweet ambrosia-like Noble One and the savoury tang of blue cheese was heavenly perfection. Having whet my appetite at De Bortoli, I couldn’t wait to be wined and dined at Victoria’s first vineyard planted in 1838, Yering Station. The cellar door could only be described as warehouse meets art gallery with wine tasting as the centrepiece. We were offered generous tastings of every wine from single vineyard to reserve in a casual and laidback atmosphere while we roamed around admiring the artworks. 點擊圖片放大 The restaurant was in a separate glasshouse-like building with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the beautiful Yarra Ranges and perfect for soaking up the sunshine. There was also a helipad next to the restaurant and we watched as some very bougie guests arrived in style from their helicopters. With only 4 dishes to choose from, Yering Station's lunch menu was simple and all you had to do was decide between fish, pork, duck or vego. My choice of market fish and moreton bay bug was beautifully presented and delicious paired with a glass of chardonnay. Sated, we moved on to our next winery, Payten & Jones, which offered a welcome change of pace with its graffitied walls and booming speakers in a modern warehouse courtyard space. 點擊圖片放大 +2 Unsurprisingly, they had novelty wines made with non-traditional techniques such as carbonic maceration for a lighter and clearer pinot noir with a bit of spice and devoid of tannins. Another unique offering was the Dutty Wine, which is a cloudy white fermented on skins then matured in an egg (!). With a focus on sustainability, all Payten & Jones wines also come with biodegradable corks as they strive for carbon neutral. A winery tour of the Yarra Valley wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Coldstream Hills, a winery founded by James Halliday AM, the famous lawyer turned winemaker, wine writer and critic. Coldstream Hill wines take advantage of the cooler climate and hillside slopes to produce quality classic wines. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying some of the reds as much as the whites, which is definitely a breakthrough for a non-red drinker like me. 點擊圖片放大 +3 To end the day, we made one last stop at the nearby Medhurst Wines cellar door. The cosy but modern structure gave log cabin vibes with a crackling fireplace and warm wooden tones. Fitted completely with glass on one side, views of the sun setting on the lake could be enjoyed as we sipped wine and grazed on cheese, crackers and olives. I was officially all wined and dined out, and the sun had set on our Yarra Valley winery tour. As we piled back into the van, I took one last look around and knew I’d be back for more very soon - and most definitely with my mum (the wine connoisseur in the family)!
