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Two regions, two characters
From Sydney as from Melbourne, a wine region can be visited in a day. A few pointers:
- Hunter Valley, in New South Wales: a warm and humid climate, tempered by sea breezes. Semillon is the signature white variety and Shiraz the leading red, alongside Chardonnay and Verdelho. Pokolbin, at the heart of the region from the very start, has the greatest concentration of estates;
- Yarra Valley, in Victoria: some 50 km (about 30 miles) north-east of Melbourne, a cool-climate wine region where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lead the way. Fruit from the coolest sites also goes into sparkling wines.
Pointers drawn from Wine Australia, Visit NSW and Visit Victoria. This page names no estate: the choice is made with you, according to your wishes and each estate’s visiting conditions.
One day, two or three estates
A day among the vines is built around a few appointments rather than a list: two or three estates with a break for lunch are better than five visits back to back.
This is a booking by the hour: for the length of time set in the quote, the chauffeur drops you at the estate entrance, waits during the visit and drives you to the next stop. We do not quote journey times: they depend on the hour and the traffic. For each region, see Hunter Valley and Yarra Valley.
Who organises the visit?
Visits and tastings are organised by the estates, which set their own conditions: opening days, advance booking, group size, a tour of the winery or simply a stop at the cellar door. There are two ways to go about it:
- you book directly with the estates, then send us the addresses and times: we build the journeys around them;
- you ask us to approach the estates for you: the request then falls under our concierge service. Under our terms and conditions, the file opens with a file-opening quote and a study fee paid before any work starts. We make the request without being able to promise the outcome; the answer and the conditions remain the estate’s, and are passed on to you before any booking.
The journeys are carried out by the chosen member operator and its chauffeur. The chauffeur is neither a guide nor a sommelier: the visit is led by the estate.
After the tasting, nobody has to drive
This is the simplest reason to hand the day to a chauffeur: after a tasting, nobody has to get behind the wheel. In New South Wales and Victoria, the legal limit for driving on a full licence is under 0.05 blood alcohol concentration, and zero for learner and probationary drivers. Those who do not drink enjoy the visit just as much: the landscapes, the cellars, the history of the place.
If you plan to bring back cases bought at the estate, say so in your request, together with the number of passengers and bags, so that the car provided has room. For a group, a van such as the Mercedes V-Class or several cars can be arranged, depending on the availability of the Federation’s members.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health. Please drink in moderation.
From your hotel or the airport
The day can begin at your hotel, in Sydney or Melbourne, or as soon as you land at Sydney Airport or Melbourne Airport; it ends at the address of your choice. List each stop in your request: it is included in the quote, then in the confirmation voucher you receive before departure.
To begin, a short message is enough: let’s talk about your day, or find all our details on the Contact page.