Yarra Valley: Winery Tour with Lunch at Yering Station

If wine tasting feels like a chore, this tour fixes that. I love how it blends small-group pace with four distinct winery styles, then tops it off with lunch at Yering Station.

You also get a practical city pickup and a day plan that does not waste time, so you spend your energy tasting and looking at the views instead of figuring out logistics.

Two things I really like here are the De Bortoli cheese pairing to start the wine story, and the fact that lunch is a real a la carte sit-down with a glass of wine. One consideration: pickup is limited to set Melbourne zones (plus you need smart casual dress and no flip flops or sandals), so plan your morning around where you’re asked to meet.

Key highlights worth getting excited about

• Small-group feel that makes it easier to ask questions and actually enjoy the drive
• De Bortoli at Dixons Creek, including wine and cheese pairing plus a cheese platter moment
• Yering Station’s historic setting, with estate wine tastings in the original winery
• A la carte lunch at Yering Station, with a main course you choose and a glass of wine
• Payten & Jones and Medhurst, two routes into smaller-batch character (with Medhurst swaps on Tue/Wed)
• Transport quality, with a strong track record for comfort and smooth timing

First stop: why this Yarra Valley day feels manageable from Melbourne

The Yarra Valley can sound like one of those day trips where you spend more time in a car than in vineyards. This one flips that. It’s a focused 10-hour loop with city hotel pickup, snacks, tastings, and a proper lunch stop, all without turning into a frantic stop-and-run.

You’ll also appreciate the pacing. The day is built around short tasting windows, then a longish lunch, then more tastings while the valley scenery does its job. That rhythm matters because it keeps you from tasting only for the sake of collecting pours. I like that you get variety early, then you settle into the experience at Yering Station, then finish with smaller producers like Payten & Jones and Medhurst.

One more thing: the tour is designed for people who want to taste, learn, and chat. The guides on this route, like Paul, Rob, Adrian, Cam, and Shane (depending on your departure), are known for sharing color commentary on the region, not just announcing what to drink.

The drive through Templestowe, Eltham, and Kangaroo Ground

You leave Melbourne heading north-east through bush-laced suburbs like Templestowe, Eltham, and Kangaroo Ground. It’s not a scenic postcard drive the whole way, but it’s a nice transition. You go from city rhythm to valley rhythm before you ever reach your first winery.

This matters because the Yarra Valley’s appeal is not only wine. It’s also how the region sits in the hills and ranges around it. Getting a feel for that terrain early makes the later vineyard views hit harder.

Pickup is included, but you should double-check your exact meeting point the evening before. The tour offers four pickup options in Melbourne including East Melbourne, Southbank, Fitzroy, and Melbourne City. If your accommodation is out beyond the city, you might need to meet in town.

De Bortoli at Dixons Creek: an elegant wine and cheese start

The day begins at De Bortoli Vineyard in Dixons Creek, and the opening move is smart. You start with a pairing of selected wines and cheeses. It’s an easy way to calibrate your palate for the rest of the day, especially if you’re not sure whether you prefer crisp whites, lighter styles, or bolder reds.

De Bortoli also includes a cheese platter, so you’re not just tasting a token bite. I like this setup because it slows you down in a good way. You taste, then you compare cheese and wine combinations, which makes the later tastings feel more intentional.

What to watch for: you might be tempted to focus on your favorite varietal immediately. Try tasting one pour straight, then another with cheese. It’s a small habit that helps you learn faster than going straight for your top label.

Yering Station: the original vineyard story and the best lunch stop

If you’re going to pick one “anchor” moment on the tour, it’s Yering Station. This is the site of the first Yarra Valley vineyard (dating to 1838), and the winery experience includes tastings in the original winery building (circa 1859).

That setting is more than decoration. When a cellar door includes history and local produce, it tends to make tastings feel like part of the region instead of a checklist. You’ll also find local artworks around the property, which gives the place a sense of personality beyond the vineyards themselves.

Estate wine tasting in the historic winery

At Yering Station, you’ll enjoy a tasting of their estate wines inside that older winery space. This is where the day shifts from “first tastes” to “now I’m seeing the style of the estate.” If you’re a chardonnay or pinot noir fan, you’ll likely find familiar footholds, but the experience also gives you a sense of how the winery thinks about their range.

A la carte lunch with views and wine

Lunch is the payoff. You move to Yering Station’s restaurant, where you get world-class views and cuisine. The lunch is a la carte with a main course you choose, plus a glass of wine. Coffee is also included.

This is one of the best-value parts of the day, even with a higher overall price. Many wine tours cheap out at lunch, or they give you a set menu that doesn’t match what you actually like. Here, you’re choosing your main, and the included wine means you can enjoy the meal as a meal, not as fuel.

Practical tip: go into lunch ready to slow down. If you’ve been tasting earlier, the best strategy is to pick a main course that feels like it belongs with wine, then let the pairing guide you instead of trying to taste everything.

Payten & Jones: small-batch wines with a real point of view

After lunch, the tour shifts gears to a smaller producer: Payten & Jones. This is one of the ways the day avoids feeling repetitive. The wines here are made with small-batch intent and a more approachable personality.

Payten & Jones is associated with winemakers Behn Payten and Troy Jones, and their lineup is described as including familiar styles like chardonnay and pinot noir, plus syrah and some Mediterranean varietals. If your taste runs beyond just the big two, this stop gives you room to experiment without forcing you into stuffy wine talk.

I like that the tour doesn’t treat this as a dramatic “harder choice.” It feels friendly and human. You’re tasting, comparing, and learning why certain grapes do well in this part of Victoria.

Medhurst Vineyard (and the Tue/Wed swap)

The last winery stop is Medhurst Vineyard. It’s family-owned, established in 1999, and farmed across about 35 acres. The vineyard sits in the foothills of the Warramate Ranges, and it produces a smaller selection of table wines.

That smaller selection is often a good sign for a tasting. When a producer focuses on fewer wines, the tasting tends to feel more cohesive. You’re less likely to get the “here are 10 bottles, pick one” fatigue.

If Medhurst is closed on Tue and Wed

On Tue and Wed, Medhurst is not open. The tour then visits one of these alternatives: Punt Road, Dominique Portet, Giant Steps, or Oakridge Vineyards. That flexibility is useful because it keeps the day from stalling, and it also means you might end up at a winery with a slightly different character than the standard lineup.

If you care deeply about a specific vineyard, check the date you’re booking. Otherwise, lean into the swap. One of the fun parts of the Yarra Valley is how different neighboring producers can taste like different worlds.

Small-group travel, timing, and the 10-hour rhythm

This is a 10-hour experience with city pickup and multiple drop-off locations back in Melbourne. The structure is straightforward: you’re on the coach for the commute, then you settle into a sequence of tastings and lunch, then you head back.

What’s especially nice is the small-group setup. A smaller group means your guide can spend time clarifying what you’re tasting, not just moving everyone along. It also helps you build easy conversation with other people in the van, which makes the ride time feel shorter.

The comfort factor is worth noting. Transport has been rated very highly, and you may travel in a quality vehicle. One review specifically mentioned a Mercedes Van being immaculate, which matches the overall vibe of this tour being designed for comfort as well as wine.

Timing detail: tastings are scheduled in blocks (think around 45 minutes to an hour per stop depending on the part of the day). That gives you enough time to taste and talk, but it’s not long enough to turn one winery into your whole day.

Price and value: is $219 per person worth it?

At $219 per person for a full 10-hour Yarra Valley day, this is not the cheapest way to do wine country. But it does not price itself like a low-cost discount tasting either.

Here’s why it can feel like good value:

• You’re paying for inclusion, not add-ons. Wine tastings, morning nibbles, and bottled water are included, along with the main course a la carte lunch, plus coffee and a glass of wine at Yering Station.
• You get a strong mix of experiences, not just repeated pours at the same style of winery. De Bortoli brings cheese pairing, Yering Station brings historic winery ambience and a choice-based lunch, and Payten & Jones plus Medhurst bring smaller-producer variety.
• You’re buying time and guidance, especially with city pickup and a live English-speaking guide. Even if you like planning on your own, you’ll spend less energy on driving, parking, and figuring out routes between vineyards.

When it might not be the best fit: if you mainly want a casual sampler and you already know you’re buying bottles mostly from one producer, you could find cheaper tours. But if you want a day that treats lunch as the highlight and gives you a tasting lineup with real contrast, this is priced in line with that effort.

What you should do before you go

A few small choices make a big difference on a wine day.

Dress smart casual, and skip singlets or thongs. Sandals and flip flops are not allowed, and the tour also does not take oversize luggage. Plan on comfortable closed-toe shoes, especially because you may walk around winery areas.

If you’re a beginner, tell yourself to taste in stages. Try this order: start with what you like most, then taste one pour you normally avoid, then compare how it changes with cheese during the De Bortoli portion. You’ll learn faster than you think.

Also remember the rules: the minimum drinking age is 18, and bottled water is provided, which is a nice touch when you’re tasting across multiple stops.

Should you book the Yarra Valley: Winery Tour with Lunch at Yering Station?

I’d book it if you want a high-comfort, small-group day that goes beyond a quick cellar visit. The best reasons to choose it are the historic Yering Station lunch experience and the way the itinerary builds variety, from De Bortoli’s wine and cheese pairing to Payten & Jones and Medhurst’s smaller-producer character.

Skip it if you only want a budget tasting, or if you are the type who hates set pickup zones and prefers totally independent planning. For most people, this tour hits the sweet spot: enough structure to make it easy, enough variety to feel interesting, and a lunch that actually feels like lunch.

FAQ

How long is the Yarra Valley winery tour with lunch?

The tour lasts 10 hours, including travel time from Melbourne and time at wineries for tastings and lunch.

Where are the pickup and drop-off locations?

Pickup is available from four Melbourne areas: East Melbourne, Southbank, Fitzroy, and Melbourne City. Drop-off is also in the same four areas.

What is included in the $219 per person price?

Included are city hotel pickup, wine tastings, morning nibbles, a live English-speaking guide, main course a la carte lunch, a glass of wine and coffee at Yering Station, a cheese platter at De Bortoli, plus bottled water.

Which wineries does the tour visit, and what happens if Medhurst is closed?

The tour visits De Bortoli Vineyard at Dixons Creek, Yering Station, Payten & Jones, and Medhurst Vineyard. On days Medhurst is not open (Tue and Wed), the tour visits an alternative winery such as Punt Road, Dominique Portet, Giant Steps, or Oakridge Vineyards.

Is the lunch a set meal or something you choose?

Lunch at Yering Station is a la carte, and you choose your main course. A glass of wine is included with lunch.

Is this tour suitable for wheelchair users?

No. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.