The best Yarra Valley winery accommodation for a romantic escape

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A romantic winery stay is the perfect way to enjoy one of Victoria’s most famous wine regions, the Yarra Valley.

As one of the world’s premier wine growing regions, the Yarra Valley is perfect for oenophiles and foodies. And where better to stay than at one of the wineries that boasts accommodation?

If you’re planning on visiting the lush region, you can wake up to views of the vineyards, and enjoy afternoons sipping vino. Here’s our pick of the best Yarra Valley winery accommodation for a stay laced with romance.

Re’em Yarra Valley

Best for: Modern luxury

Re’em Yarra Valley is a luxury boutique hotel on Helen and Joey Estate, with just 16 rooms. Choose from a Garden Patio Suite, Re’em Balcony Suite or Alicorn Mountain View Suite and enjoy views across the vineyards, which stretch over 200 acres, a small lake, and the distant mountains from your verandah or patio. The contemporary design is inspired by the Yarra Valley itself, with a neutral colour palette and floor-to-ceiling windows, and a pond on the lower floor calms the common space with the soft sound of trickling water.

Re'em Hotel Yarra Valley
Relax on your private balcony with snacks and the estate’s wines. (Image: Hugh Davidson)

The Helen and Joey cellar door is the place to enjoy the property’s estate-grown and made wines, and offers a range of gourmet snacks (think oysters, lamb skewers and charcuterie boards) and picnic options. For a more intimate experience, you can retreat to the underground cellar to taste a premium wine selection, looking out over the oak barrels.

The Helen and Joey cellar door, Yarra Valley
Sample premium drops at the Helen and Joey cellar door.

The 110-seat Asian-inspired Re’em restaurant offers lunch and dinner, under the stewardship of head chef Abe Yang and culinary consultant Mark Ebbels.

a Stay and Graze Package meal with overnight accommodation at Re’em Yarra Valley
Indulge in the Stay and Graze Package. (Image: Hugh Davidson)

Address: 12–14 Spring Lane, Gruyere, VIC 3770

Shaws Road Bed and Breakfast

Best for: A chill country escape

Shaws Road B&B lets you escape the city hustle with a comfortable rural stay. To reach the accommodation, you’ll drive along narrow roads through the forest, then pop out on top of a hill with views across rolling green valleys grazed by cattle.

the vineyard landscape at Shaws Road Bed and Breakfast, Yarra Valley
Spend a relaxing, romantic weekend in the Yarra Valley.

Though the brick accommodation block doesn’t look like much from the outside (it’s located within a farmhouse on a working winery), the two self-contained one-bedroom apartments (which can be booked together if you want to holiday with friends) are decorated with pops of colour and homely finishes, and are perfect for a couples’ weekend in the Yarra Valley.

the bedroom at Shaws Road Bed and Breakfast, Yarra Valley
Escape the city hustle with a comfortable rural stay at Shaws Road Bed and Breakfast.

The room includes a clawfoot bath, private balcony and library, plus a breakfast hamper and bottle of wine on arrival, so you can relax in the vintage leather chairs with a good book and a glass of wine. Warm yourself by the cosy fireplace in winter, or fire up the BBQ in summer. If you don’t fancy cooking for yourself, you can dine at the modern Shaws Road Winery restaurant – literally just across the driveway – on Saturdays and Sundays.

the bathtub at Shaws Road Bed and Breakfast, Yarra Valley
Soak in the tub with a vino in hand.

Address: 225 Shaws Road, Arthurs Creek, VIC 3099

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SOUMAH of Yarra Valley 

Best for: Italophiles

SOUMAH is an Italian-inspired property that specialises in the wines and food of Northern Italy – which is obvious when you enter and are hit with the smokey scent of the colourful mosaic wood-fired oven. Accommodation is offered in detached country-style rooms with pale blue, white and sandstone exteriors. Giant windows flood the spaces with natural light and afford views across the Hexham vineyards and rolling green hills (are you spotting an ‘epic views’ theme in this region?).

scenic vineyard views from the restaurant at SOUMAH of Yarra Valley
Soak up epic vineyard views at SOUMAH. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Choose from the three ‘studio villete’, which have basic kitchen facilities, a freestanding tub and a deck overlooking the vines, or upgrade to the ‘grande-villetta’, which has a more substantial kitchen, plus a lounge and dining area that can be used as a second room if needed. Bringing a crowd? You can also book the four-bedroom, three-bathroom ‘Villa Sophia’, with all the comforts of a fully equipped home.

al fresco dining among the vines at SOUMAH of Yarra Valley
Dine next to the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Receive an antipasto board and bottle of wine on arrival to help you kick into relaxation mode, then join a wine tasting at the cellar door. Dinner and lunch are served at Ai Fiori Trattoria, where the menu includes wood-fired pizza, made with housemade sourdough, and other Italian dishes. In spring and summer you can partake in Italy’s ‘merenda’ tradition, which involves an afternoon snack, in this case, a spread of sweet and savoury bites, paired with prosecco.

Address: 18 Hexham Rd, Gruyere, VIC 3770

Carl’s Hut at Solitude

Best for: Feeling immersed in nature

The one-bedroom Carl’s Hut sits on Solitude Estate and is snuggled into a 1940s log cabin, surrounded by thick forest and rows of chardonnay vines.

The space once had dirt floors and dilapidated walls but is now beautifully decorated luxury accommodation, with high ceilings crossed by exposed timber beams, a stone fireplace and a modern kitchenette.

the living area at Carl’s Hut at Solitude, Yarra Valley
Stay in a rustic, humble abode. (Image: Nick Skinner)

In the late afternoon, you can often see kangaroos grazing on the property, by night the sky glitters with a million stars, and come morning you may find yourself enveloped in a rolling fog.

the exterior of Carl’s Hut at Solitude, Yarra Valley
The 1940s log cabin is surrounded by lush forest. (Image: Nick Skinner)

There’s aircon for the summer and heated polished concrete floors for the winter. Stay in and cook a simple meal (with a glass of wine, of course – a range of Solitude Estate’s own wines are available to purchase), or dine at restaurants nearby.

the whitewashed bedroom at Carl’s Hut at Solitude, Yarra Valley
Sleep in comfort at Carl’s Hut. (Image: Nick Skinner)

Address: 435 Beenak Road, Yellingbo, VIC 3139

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Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage

Best for: A group of friends or family

Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage is a fully furnished cottage with timber floors and a spacious kitchen and dining space. The three bedrooms (with one room with a semi-detached sunroom) sleep up to five people, and a large verandah catches the afternoon sun – the perfect spot to unwind with a glass of vino. You can take a bath in the outdoor tub, looking out to the vines and herb and flower gardens.

The surrounding family-owned vineyard specialises in cool climate chardonnay and pinot noir, and the working farm is home to 300 Black Angus cattle. You may spot Yarrawalla beef on the menu at local Yarra Valley restaurants, and, on that note, the cottage is conveniently within walking distance of a number of Yarra Valley wineries and restaurants.

Address: 13/15 Maddens Lane, Gruyere, VIC 3770

Farmhouse at Meletos

Best for: A Tuscan-inspired escape

Though Meletos doesn’t own its surrounding vineyard or have a cellar door as such, the property is tucked right in amongst the vineyards and apple orchards of its neighbours, so the Farmhouse has all the feels of a winery stay.

the bedroom at Farmhouse at Meletos with scenic views from the window
Wake up to scenic vineyard views.

The whole precinct, which includes an excellent restaurant, brewery and adjoining Ernie’s Bar (where you can do tastings of local wines), makes you feel as though you’ve been transported to Tuscany.

the living area with a fireplace at Farmhouse at Meletos
Get cosy by the fireplace.

Thick vines creep up the walls of the 23-room Farmhouse, which feels warm and homely from the moment you enter, with a plastered fireplace that stretches to the double-height ceiling and brown, studded leather couches in the reception. North-facing rooms overlook the vines – so book one of those on the second floor for the best views.

lush greenery surrounding Farmhouse at Meletos
Be surrounded by greenery at the Meletos Farmhouse.

Address: 12 St Huberts Road, Coldstream VIC 3770

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Emily McAuliffe
Emily McAuliffe is a Melbourne-based freelance travel writer. She is on the board of the Australian Society of Travel Writers and her writing and photography has featured in many titles in Australia and abroad. She loves nothing more than touching down in a new destination or approaching a familiar place with fresh eyes.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

inside the historic Bendigo Tram
Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

A new chapter for the city’s fleet

the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.