Wine and Spirits Travel

I had mentioned to the Webbers, owners of De Bortoli Wine , that I was interested in going to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary and the next thing I knew Leann was on the phone making arrangements for my visit!  I didn’t mind taking a little wine break to play with some of Australia’s native animals. The Steve and Leanne picked me up first thing in the morning from Chateau Yering .  I had enjoyed my stay there but was excited to see Australia's animals. Along the way they told me about the local produce market, led by apples and cherries, and pointed out some of the 70 local wineries in this area.  We also drove straight through the town of Healesville , full of cafes, small hotels, a brewery, stores and restaurants. At the Healesville Animal Sanctuary, my day was planned and guided by John and John, who are among the 65 staff and 260 volunteer guides at this massive zoo.  Between the two of them they knew everything there was to know about the sanctuary and the animals and bir

After a delicious breakfast of a tomato & cheese omelet, fruit, pan au chocolat and a latte, I took a walk down the driveway of Chateau Yering and turned into the lot for Yering Station Winery. Winemaker William (Willy) Lunn was my guide for the day.  He explained to me how Yering Station Winery planted its first vines in 1838 on the property of a cattle farm. The barn still stands and is used for functions like farmers markets, and the Yering Station store does sell local food items, but the main product here now is wine.   It wasn’t until the late 1980s that became the case as it had gone back to producing cattle during and after the depression before additional planting was done in the early to mid 1960s. Yering Station is the third largest in Yarra Valley, behind Domaine Chandon and De Bortoli.  They produce 12 different wines from the valley floor and also work with Devaux Champagne in France.  The processing of the grapes – which are both hand and machine picked – is d