Wine tasting in beautiful vineyards and wineries is always a nice way to spend an afternoon in the sunshine. We could have kept it classy and used the spittoons after each sample like adults, but, like many others on the tour – we just used it as an easy excuse to get day drunk!

The first stop on our winery tour was at Dominique Portet. With a factory-like, warehouse setting, it didn’t make for the most romantic wine tasting experience, but it was interesting seeing the behind the scenes of where the wine is produced. The vibe was a little bit clinical, but with three other tour groups there at the same time, it was definitely a popular destination. The old-school bowls game out in the courtyard was also a great way to kill some time while waiting for the coach to head on to our second destination!

Next up was Yering Farm Wines; our favourite of the three! The grounds were beautiful, with vineyards wrapped around the adorable little cabin where the tasting took place. The wines were absolutely delicious and the selection came with a tasting guide explaining the flavours and pairing suggestions. The picnic tables on the grass outside were a perfect spot to enjoy the wines we’d bought, but on a rainy day, they also have a little sofa on the porch under a roof which looked very snug.

Our final stop was at Yileena Park, a pretty, tiny winery situated in what looked like someone’s house. The group had to be split into two because there were so many of us, so while the first group went off to enjoy their wine samples, we stayed downstairs selfie’ing with the adorable on-site pet donkeys! When it was our time to taste, we headed upstairs to the balcony to enjoy the vineyard views and their chosen array of wines. As well as their wine selection, they bought out some cheeses and nuts that paired with the drinks – a really nice addition to an already adorably homely winery.

Before heading back to Melbourne, we stopped off at the popular Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery – which gets a lot of press, but is ultimately just a huge chocolate shop. It was absolutely packed, to the point you could barely move from section to section. The crowds were a little too much for us, so we decided to just chill out on the grass outside while everyone else went chocolate crazy. I personally wouldn’t recommend this as a stop on your trip to the Yarra Valley, they did have a few free samples and a massive variety of chocolate, but overall it wasn’t very unique and we would have definitely preferred an additional winery!

We decided to go with Fun Addicts for our tour – which was the cheapest option and half the price to the majority of their competitors at only $59! The process was super easy to book online, the bus picked us up in Melbourne’s CBD and we headed off to the gorgeous Yarra Valley. The tour guide – Chris, was great; very friendly, kept the energy up and made everyone feel really comfortable. None of the stops felt rushed and everyone had the autonomy to do what they wanted during the free time after the tastings. I would definitely recommend them as a tour company and will no doubt travel with them again in the future.

We really enjoyed our day trip to the Yarra Valley, looking back fondly even during our wine hangovers the next morning! We spent way more than we had planned on additional bottles of wine (oops) but we just couldn’t resist!

*Click below for our Yarra Valley Wine Tour Vlog!*
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Yarra Valley Vlog!

Click Here For The Fun Addicts Website!