High and mighty Bastard
YARRA Burn's Bastard Hill vineyard has become something of a tourist attraction in its own right, even though it is situated off the beaten track on Prices Road, Hoddles Creek, a fair trek from the Yarra Burn cellar door. Bastard Hill is a spectacular sight - at an altitude of 400m-plus it got its name from vineyard workers tired of trudging up and down the extreme mountain goat slope, which is bitterly cold in winter and continuously lashed by southerly winds.
The vineyard has to be hand-picked because it is too steep for most machinery. It nonetheless produces outstanding late-ripening chardonnay and pinot noir grapes in good vintages, the source of fruit for Yarra Burn's reserve Bastard Hill wines.
Tourists often stop to stare in amazement at the slope, and vineyard manager Craig Callec says serious wine lovers are welcome to take a close-up look if they call him on 0418 593 240 to set up an appointment. Winemaker Mark O'Callaghan says the vineyard is "only just starting to sing".
Yarra Burn recently celebrated its 30th birthday in the presence of founder David Fyffe, pioneer of cool-climate viticulture in the Yarra Valley. Yarra Burn released the valley's first sparkling wine in 1983 and Australia's first sauvignon blanc/semillon blend in 1986. The winery now uses fruit from three vineyards, the original 30-hectare Yarra Junction vineyard and Beenak and Prices Road at Hoddles Creek, of which Bastard Hill is part.
Although Yarra Burn now comes under the Constellation umbrella, O'Callaghan is given free rein and David proclaimed himself delighted with the quality of new releases, including the 2007 Bastard Hill Chardonnay and 2006 Bastard Hill Pinot Noir.
If you don't want to trek out to Hoddles Creek, the Yarra Burn cellar door is open daily at 60 Settlement Rd, Yarra Junction, overlooking vineyards to Mount Donna Buang. A selection of local and imported cheeses is available to enjoy with a tasting, or on outdoor picnic benches. Phone (03) 5967 1428 or see <www.yarraburn.com.au>.
Tasty new face for Mandala
MANDALA has just launched the most exciting new cellar door/restaurant facility in the Yarra Valley. The creation of Charles Smedley and his family, Mandala released its first wines in 2007 and recently opened a lovely bright cellar door made from recycled materials. The estate pinot noir and chardonnay, made from Yarra Junction and Dixons Creek fruit, are standouts, but also try the 2006 The Prophet Pinot Noir, the first individual site release.
The ultra-chic restaurant and bar opened in late June and opens for lunches Thursday to Monday and dinners on Friday and Saturday. Experienced chef Mauro Callegari, who has worked in Argentina, England and Australia, says he will add a Mediterranean twist to a menu featuring local produce from the open kitchen.
Stellar dishes on the opening menu included pan-fried scallops with cauliflower puree and muscatel dressing ($16) and confit crispy pork belly with bean cassoulet ($29). The Mandala bar menu offers a range of tapas-style plates: think mini chipolatas with onion jam ($9), smoked salmon with fennel scones ($12.50) or Spanish omelette ($11), all designed to be enjoyed at leisure with a glass of Mandala wine, while the condensed cellar menu (terrines, cheeses etc) is available every day in the lounge and outdoor cellar door areas. The Mandala complex is at 1568 Melba Highway, Dixons Creek. Phone (03) 5965 2016 or visit <www.mandalawines.com.au>.
Stop at this station
A VISIT to the historic Yering Station is de rigueur for anyone travelling through the Yarra Valley, both for the superb wines to be tasted at the cellar door and the excellent restaurant in the new block. Willy Lunn, who has been working at the Argyle winery in Oregon, has just taken over as chief winemaker from Tom Carson, who has departed to head operations at Yabby Lake and Heathcote Estate. All wines currently on tasting are made by Tom, however.
Victoria's first vineyard, Yering Station, was originally planted in 1838. The estate was purchased by the Rathbone family in 1996, marking the beginning of a new era, with the construction of a state-of-the-art winery and award-winning wine tourism destination. The staff are some of the most knowledgeable you'll find anywhere and if you are in luck the excellent 2006 Reserve wines will be available for tasting in the ancient cellar door, which also houses art exhibitions and the Produce Store, offering an excellent range of regional gourmet goodies.
Upstairs, the atmospheric Matt's Bar, with open fire in winter, is open at weekends, while the Wine Bar Restaurant in the new complex offers some outstanding food and wine matches. Try dishes such as roast rabbit loin with cauliflower and smoked eel mash ($18.50), paired with the superb 2006 Pinot Noir ($24) or the lemon thyme and truffle scented flathead tails wrapped in rice paper with beetroot, capsicum and salsa verde ($32) partnered with the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay ($75). The service here, too, is slick and friendly, and several wines are available by the glass.
You can enjoy a self-guided tour of the winery and barrel room, while a regional farmers' market is held on the third Sunday of each month. Yering Station is open daily at 36 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen. Phone (03) 9730 0156 or go to <www.yering.com>.
Giant facility, huge success
THE GIANT Steps/Innocent Bystander cellar door, brainchild of brewer turned vigneron Phil Sexton, has been a huge success since opening at Healesville. It has quickly become a hub of life in the small town. The huge, modern edifice is much more than a working winery and tasting facility. Open daily from 10am-10pm, and for breakfast from 8am at the weekends, it is also a bistro, a pizzeria and an artisan bakery, with a cheese room, coffee roasting facility, concert space and wireless Internet access.
The restaurant is also top-notch, meriting a 14/20 listing in the 2008 The Age Good Food Guide. Dishes on offer range from gourmet pizzas to the likes of chef Jarrod Hudson's harissa-baked chicken with tomato, chorizo and couscous ($23) and smoked trout with pickled cucumber salad and red radish ($17). The wines, too, are terrific. Check out the superb 2008 Innocent Bystander Moscato. The facility is at 336 Maroondah Highway, Healesville. Phone (03) 5962 6111; <www.giant-steps.com.au/winery>.
New spirit at Oakridge
OAKRIDGE winemaker David Bicknell is one of the most talented and innovative winemakers in the country; employing a "laissez faire" attitude to most of the wines in the Oakridge, 864 and Over The Shoulder ranges that he describes as "benign neglect".
He's been stymied recently by frosts and the woes of former parent company Evans and Tate, but now has complete control and is enthused by Oakridge's potential and a 2008 vintage he proclaims "better than expected across the board". "The best wines we make are the ones where we don't need to do anything," David says. "If you get the vineyard right, everything else is right."
The Oakridge cellar door is open seven days from 10am-5pm and the cafe is open daily from noon-3pm. There can be few more attractive spots to take in the vineyard atmosphere than the cafe, where chef Ritchie Boucher uses regional produce to match the Oakridge wines. Every dish is paired with a suggested wine; Yarra Valley ravioli of five cheeses with sweet pepper salsa, rocket and grana padano ($16) is partnered by 2007 Over The Shoulder Chardonnay; and slow-braised lamb shortcrust pie with fetta, green beans and celeriac mash ($26) sits alongside the 2005 Oakridge Shiraz.
Oakridge is at 864 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream. Phone (03) 9739 1920 or see <www.oakridgeestate.com.au>.
Hot spots for a visit
WHEN it comes to country pubs, the Healesville Hotel is right up there with the best of
them. Country comforts abound and the restored hotel is also home to a fine dining room that merits a hat in The Age Good Food Guide, and the splendid Healesville Harvest Cafe. There are seven stylish rooms, all with queen-sized beds, white linen and tea and coffee-making facilities. The rooms are ridiculously inexpensive, probably because there are no en suite bathrooms. Phone (03) 5962 4002; <www.healesvillehotel.com.au>.
If you are looking for upmarket vineyard accommodation in the Yarra, try one of the three luxury suites at Ainsworth Estate in Seville, which recently changed ownership but will continue to operate as a restaurant and couples-only B&B. The views from the well-equipped and comfortable suites are superb. Prices range from $145 to $310 per night.
110 Ducks Lane, Seville. Phone (03) 5964 4711; <www.ainsworth-estate.com.au>.