Things to do in and around Melbourne #1 : Melbourne Vineyards

Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and is situated in the south-east of Australia by Port Phillip Bay. It is the capital of the state of Victoria. Melbourne and Victoria have a lot to offer to their visitors. The city itself is renowned for its liveability. Due to the melting pot of cultures coming together there are plenty of great restaurants and cafes to be found. Melbourne is also great for its shopping. Whether you are after the big brands or the small boutiques Melbourne offers it all.

In the state of Victoria nature offers a brilliant variety of landscapes. Famous national parks such as the Grampians and Wilson's Promontory attract visitors all year round and the spectacular Great Ocean Road and the Shipwreck Coast draw millions of visitors yearly.

As said Melbourne and Victoria have got a lot to offer to their visitors. For many tourists it comes as a surprise that within 1 to 1.5 hours drive of Melbourne CBD there are quite a few vineyards to be found which are certainly worth a visit. These vineyards are the Bellarine Peninsula vineyards, Mornington Peninsula vineyards and Yarra Valley vineyards.

Bellarine Peninsula Vineyards

Just past Geelong, a city about one hour south-west of Melbourne, a number of beautiful vineyards can be found on the Bellarine Peninsula. When driving through Geelong you will see a sign for the tourist information centre. It is worth it to shortly stop there to pick up a free vineyards map. Most cellar doors are opened during the week and in the weekends for some tasting and quite a few offer spectacular ocean views.

Mornington Peninsula Vineyards

The Mornington Peninsula is on the other side of Port Phillip Bay and is about one hour south-east of Melbourne. Once you are past Frankston it seems like from one minute to the next you enter the countryside with its glowing hills and vineyards. Again, many cellar doors are opened during the week and in the weekends and offer the chance to taste the goodies. Living very close to the Mornington Peninsula I am fortunate enough to often go visit a few of my favourite wineries like Red Hill Estate and Ten Minutes by Tractor. The views from the top of the hill at Red Hill Estate from which you can see French Island and Phillip Island are worth the visit alone, but it is their famous dessert wine that makes my mouth water. The restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula are brilliant as well. A few examples are Max's at Red Estate, Salix at Willowcreek vineyard and Stillwater at Crittenden Vineyard.

Yarra Valley Vineyards

Perhaps the most famous or wellknown vineyards of Victoria are the Yarra Valley vineyards. The Yarra Valley is about one hour north-east of Melbourne and as with many wine regions is beautiful enough to just drive through on a Sunday afternoon, have a coffee at a cafe and leisurely walk around in one of the small towns along the way, with one big benefit: they offer wine as well, and boy, they are good!
When visiting the Yarra Valley you might want to take the opportunity at the same time to visit the Dandenongs which offers beautiful pittoresque towns and beautiful drives through rainforest.

The Melbourne vineyards offer everything you want from wine regions: beautiful wines, food and views which make for a great day out or an amazing romantic weekend away. When you visit Melbourne, make sure to pay a visit to at least one of these great wine regions.