Around an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is known as the oldest wine-producing region in Victoria, dating back to 1838. The region offers a diverse range of wines and is best known for its chardonnay and pinot noir varieties, favourites for producing sparkling wine.
As the name suggests, the Yarra Valley is named after Melbourne’s main river that begins its journey on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and twists through the forested valleys of the Yarra Ranges and its quaint regional towns before flowing through Melbourne and concluding its journey in Port Phillip Bay. This pristine natural environment is home to breathtaking landscapes, beautiful native forests, is one of Melbourne’s main water catchment areas and currently hosts around 3,800 total hectares under vine. The Yarra Valley has an abundance of cellar doors and as a cool climate region offers some of the best sparkling wine at cellar door tastings and regional local produce at restaurants.
I grew up near here, on the other side of the ranges in St Andrews, which wasn’t then, but is now considered part of the Yarra Valley region. It always feels a bit like home when visiting, and with so many beautiful cellar doors showcasing the regions cool climate varieties, it is a lot more bubbly fun!
Although the first vines in Victoria were planted elsewhere, Yering Station in the Yarra Valley was the site of Victoria’s first commercial vineyard. It was planted by the Scottish-born Ryrie brothers in
This Article was originally published on The Bubbles Review
