Written by Kim
Today we took a drive to some wineries in the Yarra Valley. The Yarra Valley is an Australian wine region located about an hour drive east of Melbourne.It is a cool climate region that is best known for producing Chardonnay, sparkling wine and Pinot Noir. Our first stop was Yering Station, Victoria’s first vineyard established nearly 200 years ago.
It was a rainy Monday so the tasting cellar wasn’t crowded at all.
We went for the mid priced tasting, I liked the Grenache the best. It was medium bodied and similar to a Pinot Noir.
Established in 1986, Chandon Australia is a premium sparkling winery based in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. Dedicated to creating exceptional méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines, Chandon crafts wines which are complex, expressive and reflective of their origins. Chandon is a sister company of Moët in France. I did the adventurous tasting which included Field Blend, Ancestrale Rose and Ruby Cuvée. I liked the first 2 but the Ruby Cuvée was too sweet so the sommelier gave me a taste of the Blanc de Blanc which I liked the best.
Our third and final stop was Oakridge. Oakridge is a newer and smaller winery that was established in its current location in 1998. Their fruit is grown sustainably. Grapes are hand-picked and the wines hand-crafted with minimal intervention. The resulting flavors of each wine reflects and harmonizes the character of each vineyard site, every vintage, and even the people who tend the vines and turn the grapes into wine.
They have 7 vineyard sites around the region within about an hour drive radius. The soil composition and elevation have a huge impact on the wines flavors.
After a fun day of tasting we wandered back to the city along narrow, winding roads. Alex’s driving skills on the left side got us back safely despite a few harrowing moments with no shoulder and trucks taking more than their fair share of the road. As we drove there were vineyards as far as the eyes could see. They also do lots of ciders and the apple & cherry treats were tented so the birds didn’t eat all the fruit.
It was time for a beer and parmi before calling it a night,
We have 2 more days in Melbourne before heading home. Until then….
