2011 ~ No. 2    

The Yarra Valley, Day 1

Up until a few weeks ago, my knowledge of the Yarra Valley was limited. I’d often seen inexpensive wines with that appellation on the shelves, and somehow came away thinking that it was an area devoted to mass production wines.

Ha!

In Melbourne for a wedding, it seemed the perfect opportunity to do some wine touring. My aunt – an enthusiastic wine drinker – was with me and we planned an overnight in Yarra, about an hour outside Melbourne.

We quickly discovered that, in contrast to my perception, the Yarra Valley is small and charming, with everything seemingly off a few main roads, and everyone knowing everyone else.

Our first stop was unscheduled, due to a lack of traffic on the ride out. Coombe Farm is named for the property purchased in 1909 by Dame Nellie Melba, a renowned soprano in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The various owners and proprietors of this property have been making wine off and on since the 1880s, with the most recent replanting in 1999.

The next stop was Yarra Yering, where we were treated to a tour and barrel tasting with winemaker Paul Bridgeman. The estate was founded in 1969 by Dr. Bailey Carrodus (his doctorate was in plant physiology), and their 1973 vintage was the first commercial vintage from the Yarra Valley since 1923.

In searching out his site, Dr. Carrodus zeroed in on the Yarra Valley for its history and looked for land that met three specific criteria: it had to be north-facing, have a high elevation, and have silty, free-draining soil.

The first 30 acres included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Marsanne and Mourvedre. Today, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet make up the bulk of the vineyards planted, though they have been experimenting with Portuguese varietals to cope with recent warming trends in the valley. (This climate change and its impact on vines would be a recurring theme over the next two days.)

In terms of style, “think about what you want to make” says Bridgeman. Each year, the treatment of various lots is adjusted to determine their impact on the ultimate flavor he pursues. Typically, grapes are 50% whole cluster pressed, with stems often added back in to add structure.

After a quick tour of the upstairs facilities, which included a 1960s era press still in use and scads of fermentation barrels, we headed downstairs to the barrel room for tasting. First up, the Chardonnay, which was very bright yet subtle with perky vanilla notes. They also made a tiny quantity of classic-tasting Viognier.

The Pinots were where things started to get interesting. The first line of barrels for 2010 again showed very bright flavors with light notes of cherry and violet. This wine was very fresh and approachable. The next Pinot block came from the bottom of the slope, with darker, earthier flavors and a much more sensual feel. The final block of old vine Pinot showed more concentrated versions of the same flavors.

Then things got really interesting: We arrived at the barrels for Dry Red Wine No. 3, comprised of six Portuguese varietals. My tasting notes note a nice richness and good acidity, though several drops of wine on the page also suggest pure deliciousness. This wine is quickly becoming a cult favorite in Australia and, naturally, is hard to come by. Five barrels (about 1,500 bottles) is a “huge vintage,” says Bridgeman.

The vintage we are tasting is a paltry two barrels.

Not that any of these wines are made in large quantities: total production at Yarra Yering is about 4,000 cases per year.

Our next stop was viticultural whiplash, going from a bucolic view and rustic winery to sleek and modern in the heart of Healesville, the main town in Yarra Valley.

Innocent Bystander/Giant Steps combines winery, bistro, bakery, fromagerie, coffee roasting station, alehouse and more into one large, noisy silver industrial building. But don’t take that to mean it lacks charm.

One glass wall in the dining area looks into the barrel room, and twice-daily tours lead patrons up a back stairway to see the rest of the operation, including fermenters and, the day we were there, pallets of bottles waiting to be filled.

Giant Steps wines are crafted with fruit from a single vineyard, while Innocent Bystander blends grapes from several sites. We tasted through the entire line of both wines (or at lest what seemed like it), which included the expected Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines as well as a Pinot Gris, a Sangiovese and a delightful Moscato.

This is also where lunch was had, huge and delicious pizzas from their wood-fired oven. The sheer genius of the place is that it’s a terrific destination, whether or not you have any interest in wine.

After the much-needed break, it was off to Yering Station, site of the first vineyard planted in Victoria in 1838. The estate thrived, winning multiple awards and becoming a tourist draw for the Yarra Valley. However, changing tastes and economic fortunes of the early 1900s turned the region from a wine center back to dairy farms.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that trends again reversed, and the Yarra Valley renewed its vinious heritage. The Rathbone family purchased Yering Station in 1996 and worked to turn it back into a top tourist destination, with fabulous views, a stylish restaurant and a tasting room set in the circa 1859 winery building.

The cellar door manager, Evan James, led us through their wines. We started off with some sparklers – a late disgorged cuvee that spent 8 years on the lees, another that spent 4 – and several dry Chardonnays. They also do a Fume Blanc and a Rhone-style blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne. On the red side, they craft a sizable number of Pinot Noir wines as well as Shiraz, a Shiraz-Cabernet and Sangiovese – a concession, Evan notes, to the warming temperatures.

The most interesting of our tastings were of the 2008 and 2009 Pinot Noirs – each by a different winemaker. (There was a changing of the guard between the vintages!) The previous winemaker crafted the 2008 with a more Burgundian style, with savory notes of tea, cherry and rosemary. Their current winemaker took a lighter touch with the 2009, which was rounder with more black cherry and purple fruit flavors. It made for a great preview of things to come from this estate!

Our last stop of the day was at DeBortoli Wines, the largest estate in the Yarra Valley. They make a wide range of wines under the DeBortoli and other labels, and winemaker Steve Weber (Leanne DeBortoli’s husband) led us on a merry tour of some of his favorites.

Highlights included the La Boheme Act 3, Pinot Gris with an assortment of other white grapes thrown in. My notes have the obligatory wine descriptors, followed by “want to drink more.” Also a treat was the Melba Lucia, a savory, easy-to-drink wine that’s mostly Cabernet with a touch of Sangiovese and Merlot in the blend.

DeBortoli also makes some delicious single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Syrahs that take a couple of years to open up (the 2008 Reserve we tasted was more mellow than the bramble-y 2010) and several varietal white wines.

Our day ended with a tour of the vineyards and facilities with Steve, and a delicious dinner with him, Leanne and their daughter on the back deck overlooking their property. It was a terrific opportunity to re-taste some of the wines we’d opened earlier and savor a day well spent.

Touring and Tasting

Two disclosures before starting. First, I made a barter agreement with each tour guide to write an article about my experience in exchange for a consideration on the price.

And, I spent 10 years as a mystery diner, so if there’s a nit to pick, I can find it.

First up is Brian Ingleson of A Day in the Valley. He’s prompt with pickup, loads our bags into his car, and presents us with a huge dossier about the Yarra Valley. He also has thoughtfully included several tourist brochures about Melbourne for our return the next day.

He is chatty on the drive, answering our questions and explaining what we are seeing as we passed through the countryside. The drive to the Yarra Valley was unexpectedly quick, and we had an hour before our first appointment at 11.

Have no fear! Brian was certain that a nearby estate opened its cellar door (tasting room) at 10, confirmed with a quick phone call. The proprietress was ready when we arrived some 60 seconds later, and after some introductory chitchat, started tasting us through the wines. (Quibble alert! She and Brian were quite friendly, and they had a not-short side conversation that was a bit distracting. This happened at several other stops as well.)

Yarra Yering hadn’t been on my radar screen to visit; the barrel tasting was a surprise organized by Brian. Naturally, we spent far too much time there and Brian needed to call our next several appointments to let them know we were running very late.

Finally, we caught up to ourselves and Brian dropped us at are last stop – DeBortoli, where we were tasting and staying the night.

Back bright and early the next morning, Brian was in charge of assembling the next day’s schedule. He prefers this loose strategy – see yesterday’s tardiness, a mistake on my part, not his – though he was clearly able to roll with the schedule that I had devised.

To say Brian knows everybody in the Yarra Valley seems an understatement. Everywhere we went, the greetings were effusive and the staff helpful. He knew our preference for smaller, more boutique wineries and selected our stops accordingly.

My aunt, who was traveling with us, noted that he was very considerate of her needs. For example, since she’s not as big a wine geek as I am, she would wander off to take photos and Brian would make sure, when she returned, that the pourer would properly catch her up. On the other hand, he also seemed impatient with all the picture taking and had a bit of a tendency to hurry us along.

Brian also went far above and beyond – when we needed a new adapter, he first left us at a tasting room to run to his sister in law’s house nearby to see if she had one. Then, on the way back to Melbourne, he stopped with us at an electronics store to find one.

After our two days in Yarra, we had a day in Melbourne then met with Paul Robinson of Vinetrekker the next morning.

He, too, showed up right on time and with materials. (Another quibble: his weren’t as organized as Brian’s, and, as the books he presented were a bit dog-eared and didn’t seem meant for us to take, though when we asked he happily let us have a copy.)

I had given Paul a list of places I wanted to visit, but left the actual schedule in his hands. He, too, knew many of the staff and winemakers and, if the latter were about, Paul made sure I had an opportunity to chat with them.

Paul’s strength in touring was the “extra mile.” He stepped in to share his knowledge, for example, when, at one small winery, only the winemaker’s teenage son was there to greet us. While the son poured, Paul led us through the wines.

At another stop, he persuaded someone to open an old house on the property that had some beautiful stained glass and offered a terrific photo op for my aunt.

However, he was not as adept as our previous host at making sure my aunt was also served wine; at one stop in particular, the winemaker made no effort to pour her a glass, and I was the one to ask she get a taste.

These nitpicks aside, both Brian and Paul offered excellent experiences, and each reflected their style. Brian was a bit more formal, with a knack for playing host and a passion and knowledge of wine that really shone through.

Paul had loads of charm, almost more travel companion than tour guide, combined with a good sense for what might be of interest beyond wine that helped broaden our opportunities for enjoyment.

I’d be happy to again spend another day of wine tasting with either gentleman. Now I just need an excuse to get back to Australia…

Selecting a Tour Guide

A bit of randomness and luck went into finding both Brian and Paul.

My aunt was searching for wine tours in the Mornington Peninsula and emailed scads of companies to inquire about availability. Paul, she felt, was the most responsive of the guides, answering her questions both quickly and with great detail.

I found Brian through another tour guide who was unavailable during our tour dates and sent me his contact information. Brian was a delight to chat with, and also quick to respond to emails.

However, he had no web site or other Internet presence, which seemed odd. So to get a sense of his style and background, I asked him to tell me how he got into the wine business and his company’s history; he obliged with the same passion he showed on the tour. (And, like me, he came to wine as a second career.)

My aunt and I were comfortable with this intuitive approach to finding a tour guide, but for those who may not be, here are some insights from our guides.

Perhaps the first step, according to Brian, is find out if the guide’s expertise matches your interests. In addition to looking at a company’s web site, seek out sites like TripAdvisor to see what others have said.

As Paul puts it, “testimonials are also a pretty strong indicator of whether the company you book with is likely to provide you with the experience you are chasing.”

Brian Ingleson takes this a step further. “Once you’ve established that they can fulfill your basic requirements for the tour…CALL and speak to the potential guide. It is really the only way to know that they are knowledgeable about [a] particular subject.”

He adds (without knowing my critique above), “I know that I am guilty on occasions of being a tad too ‘chatty’ but I do come into contact with other tour guides that could ‘talk the hind legs of a donkey.’ This is something you will get an idea about when talking to the guide directly.”

Most importantly, ask questions!

Where the tour goes is a good place to start. “Past passengers have commented to me that one reason they booked my tour was because they knew exactly where they’d be going and importantly where they’d be having lunch,” says Paul. “Most companies provide that info but some surprisingly keep it quite vague and don’t tell passengers until they’re on board the vehicle.”

Both Brian and Paul stressed flexibility and having alternative places in mind should a group get “wined out” or have other interests in addition to wine, so make sure your guide is able to roll with it. In our case, Paul accommodated our request to work a dairy/fromagerie into our day. Brian cited a recent client with an interest in patchwork and quilting, and the successful day he planned based on that information.

Finally, look for a guide who is local. The fact that Brian lives in the Yarra Valley, for example, certainly contributes both to his chattiness but also his ability to provide a better, more interesting experience.

And that’s really what it’s all about.