HIGHLIGHTS WINERY TOUR – YARRA VALLEY

At the beginning, our guide immediately begins to provide information regarding Melbourne city and it quite flexible with the itinerary. The group was even able to split up at two different locations. That worked well because most of the group was there for a birthday celebration and a couple of them chose to remain at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie as opposed to joining the final wine tasting.

Maddens Rise (est. 1994)

This was a pleasant experience and probably because I was the first ti arrive before the crowds poured in. Maddens Rise is also Italian owned and has been around for over two decades. In my opinion, these were some of most potent wines in terms of flavor I have tasted. These wines certainly had me feeling lively and prefereed the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines.

De Bortoli Wines

This was my first experience eating lunch at De Bortoli winery, which has been on my agenda since my first visit. The restaurant is 4-5 Stars rated and very comprable to authentic Italian cuisine. I ordered the gnocci with pork belly that was amazing coupled with the La Bohème Cuvée (bubbles with lemon, grapefruit notes in Chardonnay).

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie
Samples of white, dark, & milk morsels.
Finally, tasted a sample of the gelato assortment rocky road, dark chocolate (sugar/dairy-free), & honeycomb. Shop around for endless flavors of chocolate and even chocolate body care products.

Dixons Creek Estate

Lastly, we visited one of the Austalian- owned original wineries in Yarra Valley that is nearly 50 years old. I did not get an in-depth feel of this winery and felt I had to pose more questions as opposed to the sommelier sharing more insight.

Wines sampled: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Savignun Blanc. Every wine except for the Sav Blanc are stored in barrels.

Fav: dessert Port wine

I can see Wild Wombats takes care with their guests and uses personal touches. For instance, a birthday card was gifted to acknowledge a tour member’s celebration. The guide also gifted a few stuffed mini wombats at the end of tour, which I quite appreciated. This appears to be a nice tour for parties and those that want a memorable weekend with friends with more simplified wine tastings.