Vineyards and rolling countryside in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
In August, seven of us headed out of Melbourne for a day in the Yarra Valley. We’d booked Red Carpet Wine Tours through Tripadvisor, paying AUD $873 in total, or AUD $124.71 per person.
The tour included transport, wine tastings and a chocolate tasting, with stops for lunch and other refreshments along the way. It was an enjoyable way to spend a day outside Melbourne, although not all of the highlights were the ones advertised.
Out of Melbourne, with an unexpected pie stop
We met outside the Ian Potter Centre on Flinders Street for the 9 a.m. departure. We’d already located the meeting point while exploring Melbourne’s street-art laneways a few days earlier.
Our driver, Matt, was excellent. He kept the group entertained with commentary, good-natured jokes about the various nationalities on board and plenty of recommendations for places to visit back in Melbourne. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the group quickly settled into the day.
Our Red Carpet Wine Tours bus during a stop in the Yarra Valley.
Before the first winery, Matt made an unexpected stop at the Yarra Valley Pie Stop. Australia has a longstanding rivalry with New Zealand over whose meat pies are better, and there was some good-natured banter between members of those two nationalities on board. These pies, however, were excellent by either country’s standards.
The Yarra Valley Pie Stop, our first stop before the wine tasting began.
The pies were an additional purchase, outside of the tour price, but well worth it.
Soumah: the strongest wines of the day
Our first winery was Soumah, surrounded by vineyards and countryside.
Arriving at Soumah, our first winery of the day.
The included tasting introduced us to several of the winery’s wines. Of the three wineries we visited, this was the one where the wines themselves made the strongest impression.
The wine selection at Soumah.
Impressed with several of the wines tasted, I bought four bottles to take home.
Soumah’s dining area overlooks the surrounding vineyards.
Hubert Estate: the food outshone the wine
Hubert Estate was a much larger operation, with an impressive building set into the hillside and extensive facilities for tasting, dining and events.
The entrance to Hubert Estate is built into the hillside.
We began with an included wine tasting in the dedicated tasting area. I ordered a cheese plate separately to accompany the wines.
The main tasting area at Hubert Estate, with views across the valley
A cheese plate purchased to accompany the included wine tasting.
The wines were fairly average, but lunch was a different story. The restaurant was excellent, with good food and an attractive setting. Lunch and the wine we drank with it were additional purchases, but this was one of the day’s highlights.
Lunch at Hubert Estate impressed our group.
After lunch, several of us returned to the tasting building for an optional gin or whisky tasting, held in the shop rather than the seated wine-tasting area. This cost extra, although the tasting fee could be deducted from a bottle purchase. It was pleasant enough, but didn’t stand out against the rest of the day’s activities. Interestingly, everything we purchased at Hubert Estate coded as restaurants on my Citi Strata Elite statement.
Naught Distilling gin on display during the spirits tasting.
Hubert was an interesting contrast. As a place to spend time and have lunch, it was excellent. As a wine and spirits tasting experience, it was less memorable.
Chocolate, and a group enjoying itself
Our next stop was the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. The guided chocolate tasting was included in the tour price. The presentation was fairly routine, but the group made the experience entertaining. By this stage, after several wine and spirits tastings, the tour participants were merrily enjoying one another’s company, which contributed more to the occasion than the tasting commentary.
Chocolate and tasting ingredients prepared for the guided session.
There was also time to explore the extensive retail displays. Our driver recommended trying the ice cream, but strongly advised ordering a kiddie cup. Anything larger, he warned, might take so long to finish that the bus would leave without us. I followed his advice and chose from the extensive selection of flavors. The ice cream cost extra, but I’d recommend making time for it.
The Chocolaterie’s retail area had an extensive selection of chocolates.
Balgownie Estate: finishing with the view
Our final stop was Balgownie Estate, another winery with a restaurant, with attractive views over the surrounding vineyards.
Balgownie Estate was the final winery on our itinerary.
By this point we’d already been through several tastings. We were offered a choice: take another structured four-wine tasting indoors, or take a full glass of wine outside on the terrace, overlooking the vineyards.
Either option was included in the tour price. We opted to take the glass, sit back and enjoy these relaxing surroundings.
The outdoor terrace at Balgownie Estate.
It was an excellent way to finish the afternoon, a nice glass of wine and views of the countryside.
The Yarra Valley countryside at the end of our day.
At AUD $124.71 per person, we thought the tour represented good value. The included tastings and transport covered a full day, and our driver and fellow passengers made it particularly enjoyable. Soumah delivered the best wines, Hubert Estate the best meal, and Balgownie the most relaxing finish. We’d happily recommend the experience, although anyone booking should allow for the additional cost of lunch and other purchases.