Located 58km away from Melbourne, visiting Yarra Valley is yet another convenient day trip to make.

The traditional land of the Wurundjeri people, scenic Yarra Valley is now Victoria’s premier wine region and weekend getaway – partly for its close proximity to Melbourne, but mainly for its wineries, superb restaurants, national parks and wildlife-viewing opportunities. This is the place to rise at dawn in a hot-air balloon and to kick back at world-class wineries in the afternoon.

If you’re exploring Yarra Valley with kids, this is an essential stop. Staff proffer trays piled high with free samples made with imported Belgian chocolate and you can watch the chocolatiers at work through floor-to-ceiling glass windows before enjoying an ice cream, cake or coffee in the cafe. The Bushtucker range of chocolate bars makes for great souvenirs.

The neatly displayed chocolate items on the shelves invokes the OCD in me, and it makes me want to buy all the chocolates in the shop, of all sorts and colours and shapes.

Firstly, fermented and dried cocoa beans will be refined to a roasted nib by winnowing and roasting. Then, they will be heated and will melt into chocolate liquor. Lastly, manufacturers blend chocolate liquor with sugar and milk to add flavour. Through the glass window at the factory, you can see the process of how melted chocolate is poured into moulds, then other ingredients such as dried fruit or nuts are added for flavour.

Aside from the chocolate shop, there is also a cafe selling (as you expected) everything chocolate and other sweet stuff, from brownies to hot chocolate to chocolate cake.

Next stop: wine tasting. I had wanted to go to Yering Station (Add: 38 Melba Hwy), which is the oldest and Victoria’s first vineyard, but after lunch we did not have much time and made it to St Hubert’s which was nearby. (Add: 1/3 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream Victoria 3770)

Established in 1862 as one of the first wineries in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, St Huberts has a long history of producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and today continues to be lauded for its portfolio of cool climate wines which also include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Roussanne.

Wine tasting is available for walk-in, from 10am to 5pm. You can choose either 3 wines at the wine shop, or do a sit down tasting at the cellar bar. We chose the full paid tasting, at $20 per person and we had a chance to taste 8 different wines, with a guide to explain the different varieties. Stop by for a tasting of their signature brands The Stag and St Huberts, or perhaps a free tasting of our new wine brand, Notes.

We started off with the sparking Blanc de Noir and the sparkling rose. Next, we moved on to the white wines – Chardonnary and Pinot Blanc. Lastly, we ended with the red wines, such as Pinot noir, cabaret sauvignon and caberet merlot. The cabaret sauvignon was unavailable at that time, so the guide replaced it with a 2017 cabaret merlot.

The wine tasting is hosted in a modern building with wooden interiors and various tables. You can also order a cheese platter to pair with the wines. To be honest, I still prefer old world wines from France and Italy as they are more full-bodied.

In the end, we decided to bring home 2 bottles for the family – one cabaret sauvignon and one pinot meunier which is special to Australia. Wines here are not cheap, at around $40-50 per bottle, compared to the ones I had got from France, Italy or Spain at the wine shop, for around half the price. When the guy said that he could offer bulk quantity wines and free shipping to Singapore, I thought twice and the math still didn’t work out to be worth it.

Discover the flavours of Yarra Valley by joining a full-day gourmet food and wine tour. For those with cars, you can also self-drive, but need to control the amount of wine that you drink. At various locations around Yarra Valley, enjoy private wine and cheese tastings with your small group, and learn about regional wines from your knowledgeable guide and through discussions with local vintners. If you plan to visit 2-3 wineries in a day, it is better to leave the car at home and join a guided tour, with transport provided from Melbourne instead. Do check out the local tours on AirBnB, Viator or Klook which offer such customised itinerary from Melbourne.

Compilation of wineries to visit during your tour to Yarra Valley

• Yering Station
• St Huberts
• De Bortoli Wines
• Oakridge Wines
• TarraWarra Estate
• Domaine Chandon (sparkling wine)