Wine Tasting in Yarra Valley

I always love trying out the different beverages from the various countries I visit. Thus, for my  Australia trip, I learned about the wine region outside of Melbourne, Yarra Valley. I did some research and found a tour through Dancing Kangaroo Tours. This tour appealed to me because it combined wine tasting with several breweries and some local food places.

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The tour departed from St. Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne. It then takes a little over an hour to get out of the city and into the countryside.

Helen & Joey

The first stop we made was at Helen & Joey Estate. This winery offered views of their vineyards from a terrace. On the terrace is a unicorn, their logo, you can climb on and take a picture. Helen & Joey began the winery in 2010 and has now grown to over 200 acres of vineyards. Here we had a guided wine tasting where each wine was explained to us as we tasted. Everyone got to try the same five wines.

Punt Road

Next, the tour stopped at Punt Road Winery. Punt Road Winery originally began as an apple farm. In 1987, the planted vines that would turn into the vineyard that exists today. This tasting room was indoors with a cute wooden bar. This tasting was also a guided wine tasting.

Yarra Vallery Dairy

It was time for a snack break with the next stop at the Yarra Valley Dairy. Yarra Valley Dairy produces farmhouse cheeses known for their fine quality. Here we got to sample 5 different kinds of cheese. My favorite was a lemon goat cheese, but all of them tasted amazing.

Lunchtime

After the cheese stop, we stopped for lunch at a brewery. We had the choice of several different pizzas. Lunch was included as part of the tour. On the newly revised tour, the lunch stop is now at a winery and you get to enjoy a glass of wine with your meal.

St. Huberts

St. Huberts Cellar Door: The last winery we stopped out was St. Huberts. St. “Hueys” was founded in 1862 by a Swiss immigrant. Since then, they have continued to expand their vineyards. At this stop, we got to try six wines of our choice out of the ten varieties they had.

Yarra Valley Choclaterie

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Cream: At this chocolaterie, visitors are greeted with free samples at the door. Learn how they make the chocolate through the windows into the factory. Also, make sure to stop by the ice cream section to grab a cone!

Napoleone Brewery

Napoleone Brewery & Ciderhouse: This area was originally an orchard that has now turned into a brewery. It has an expensive indoor and outdoor seating area and was a great place to relax to end the day. It cost extra if you wanted a drink. In the newly revised tour, this is now included.

After some time at Napoleone, the tour will drop you off in Central Melbourne.

I was very happy with Dancing Kangaroo Tours. Our driver/guide, Sean, was friendly and enthusiastic. The tour was paced out well so we did not feel rushed. It was nice that almost everything was included and you did not have to worry about driving. I liked that they have now redone the tour to include everything. All of the stops were pleasant and enjoyable. I highly recommend embarking on this tour if interested in visiting Yarra Valley.

Teacher Tip: drinking age in Australia is 18 do you must be 18 to go on this tour.

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