Speedrunning the Best Wineries in Australia in One Week

Australia is a stunning destination for wine tasting. I only had 7 days to fit in as much as I could. It was the thrill of a lifetime. I'm sharing my best experiences so you can make the most of yours.

203 wines tasted with notes. 26 wineries. 7 days. All in person.

A quick intro—

Hi 👋 I'm Rijnard. I'm a credentialed Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers) and a Certified Specialist of Wine. My day job is programming, and I earned my PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 2019.

Getting into wine changed how I spend my free time, and I want to make your wine experiences more valuable. I hope this article will lead you to authentic life-long memories with people and places.

This article is your ultra condensed guide to touring the best cellar doors in Australian wine country. I cover wineries in 7 major regions. But the most valuable thing you'll find here is a truly authentic on-the-ground experience. I charted the destinations and paid for the trip myself. It's authentic because I believe any unassuming wine enthusiast could repeat my visits in Australia and experience the same treatment, discovery, and appreciation as I did.

Table of Contents

• All the visits
• Best Overall Tasting Experience
• Best Value Wines I'd Buy with My Own Money
• Best Premium Wines that Justify the Price
• References
• All the wines

All the visits

Above all I loved the intensity of days jam-packed with visits. Although it lasted only a week, I feel like I came out of it with a lifetime of unforgettable experiences. I developed new habits for speedrunning tasting. See tips to help you maximize yours. The first—

Leave room for spontaneous plans and travel. Plan your "must-do" wineries and pre-book special experiences beforehand, but don't get hung up planning everything. The "wildcard" wineries I visited spontaneously turned out to be a highlight.

How I picked wineries

• Based on well-known Australian wines (Penfolds, Henschke)
• Wineries en route or in the same area, using Google Maps.
• Hugh Johnson's Pocket Handbook

Below are tour highlights in the order I visited wineries. The format is—

Name · Summary. Kind of Reservation / # of wines / tasting fee.

Day 1: Mornington Peninsula / Yarra Valley

Yabby Lake · Picked it because it opened early, 10AM. Chardonnay stood out for its quality over the lighter, fruity Pinot Noir. The overall experience was straightforward and good. Walk-in / 6 wines / $6 USD.

Ten Minutes by Tractor · Exceptional Chardonnays, favorite wines of the day; the premium tasting lineup is a must-try. Left a strong impression due to the quality of the wines. Excellent and humorous somm. Walk-in / 10 wines / $8 USD.

Montalto · Outstanding hospitality from the somm, extensive wine tasting experience. Top-notch quality and variety of wines (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz). Sure to be a highlight for wine lovers. Walk-in / 11 wines / $10 USD.

Yarra Yering · Premium line up presented in a top-of-the-line setting. Cab Sauv, Dry Red blends, and Chard special. Eye-popping prices; a difficult exercise to justify. Pre-booked their New release tasting 2021 / 8 wines / $33 USD.

Be OK with tasting quickly. I mean really quickly. I wanted to take my time with each wine and capture everything. I quickly realized that won't fly. A full day program at intensity means you have 1 to 3 minutes per wine including note-taking. Go faster rather than slower.

Yarra Yering was my must-do on this day. I enjoyed Ten Minutes by Tractor the most.

Evening spent in Handpicked Wine Bar Melbourne. Recommended, knowledgable somm, love the interior, plenty great wine selection.

Day 2: Yarra Valley

Domaine Chandon · Solid bubbly on standard flight, didn't try the premium tasting. Likely worth a visit for premium bubbly fans. Fancy interior. Order at the bar. Walk-in / 3 wines / $10 USD.

Oakridge · Notable for premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnays; these were indeed good. Henk Vineyard Chardonnay my pick. In general liked the ones from Mornington Peninsula more. Professional setting and tasting. Oakridge was a must-do for me. Pre-booked / 8 wines / $23 USD.

Rochford · Seen more as entertainment venue but stunning premium "Toolangi F Block" Chardonnay easily competes with the best. Spacious tasting room, smart somm. A wildcard; don't knock it. Prepaid / 5 wines / $13 USD.

Boat O'Craigo · Beautiful overlooking views, kangaroos sometimes visible in the distance. Good tasting experience. Main line reds generally better than whites, which I thought lacked a bit of structure. Walk-in / 8 wines / $12 USD.

Shake up how you travel to wineries. I used the Hop It Red Route on this day. Pros: Dedicated pick up / drop off, easier pace. Cons: Needs more planning, pick wineries from what's available on the route. Recommended if you have must-do wineries that are covered.

Visited Melbourne Cellar Door South Wharf at night. Fun wines by the glass, including international selection. Casual. Fast service at the bar. Pretty setting at the wharf.

You can find more details of my Victoria visit here.

Day 2.5: Perth Interlude

A day for visiting friends and family, not speedrunning, but managed to taste anyway.

Mandoon · Reasonably good wines, settled for vintage sparkling, best bottle I tasted here. Wouldn't budge selling library wines on the wine list except when dining in the fancy restaurant :(. Large venue with outdoor seating, good for families, close to Perth. Walk-in / 4 wines / free tasting.

Visited Lalla Rookh wine bar in Perth. Great international selection, traditional styles, standard prices. Cheese and charcuterie plates. A bit small, don't go with a crowd. Casa Perth wine bar for more out-there international selection and solid food menu.

Day 3: Margaret River

Whicher Ridge · Cozy tasting experience with the winemaker herself guiding the tasting. Completely unique commentary re: how winemaking affects flavor profile. Malbec punches above its weight. Delightful wildcard en route to Margaret River. A bit off the map but unlikely to remain that way. Go while it's still under the radar! Pre-booked same day / 5 wines / $8 USD.

Domaine Naturaliste · Serious Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; uniquely compelling Cabernet Franc. Premium quality line up. Beautiful tasting room, professional tasting experience, if not a tad rehearsed. Walk-in / 6 wines / $10 USD.

Gralyn Estate. A visit that left me speechless. 25 minutes to closing, rapid-fire tasted 18 wines, including many library wines. All stunning. Free tasting. Utterly unique sweet wines. Premium quality and pricing to match. Boutique-style cellar door, likely very busy during peak hours. Unbelievable generosity and wines. I was not prepared for this, fully recommend. Walk-in / 18 wines / free tasting.

Spent the night at Settler's Tavern in Margaret River. Casual setting, large by-the-glass selection including premium / aged wines from big name local producers. Go here for the good stuff.

Day 4: Margaret River

Leeuwin Estate · The Chardonnays are delectable (people rave about them) but I think the Cabernet Sauvignon's are even better. Fantastic balance and tasty, Art Series is a hit; not cheap though. Competent, friendly, efficient staff. Pretty estate. Walk-in twice / 11 wines / $30 USD.

Xanadu · Super racy Chardonnays, great pricing on entry-level. Premium wines deliver on quality. Solid Cab Sauv, but would pick Chardonnay over them. Very friendly somms, super knowledgable; easy and memorable visit. Walk-in / 6 wines / $10 USD.

Vasse Felix · Lunch stop. Estate and restaurant full of charm. Library wines by the glass, big Shiraz and 2008 Heytesbury Red Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cullen Wines · Special tasting: Diana Madeline 100 year celebration. Cabernet Sauvignon vertical. A different kind of Cab Sauv here, elegant, seemingly light. Exceptional somm and presentation. Unique and worthwhile experience for more serious enthusiasts. Pre-booked / 7 wines / $67 USD.

Dinner at The River Restaurant, casual, great food, sensible by-the-glass wines.

Day 5: Margaret River

Cape Grace. Smaller operation with hands-on winemaker delivering tasting. Very friendly and generous. Shiraz is a surprise and best value, a great buy. Wonderfully easy wildcard visit. Walk-in / 6 wines / free trasting.

Cullen Wines · Second visit for white wine tasting. Sauv Blanc / Semillon wines wildly different from my expectation, herbs and sours notes. Bowled over by Chardonnays, mouthfeel is otherworldly. Best somms I found during the whole trip. Generous with time and tasting. Walk-in / 7 wines / free tasting.

Evening flight to Adelaide.

You can find more details of my Margaret River visit here.

Day 6: Barossa & Eden Valley

Yalumba · Large, quiet property ideal for exploring. Iconic buildings. Vast line up available for tasting, including most premium (The Caley). Great range, robust Shirazes. Premium prices are up there. Wish I had more time to spend here to try the full Y-series range. Pre-booked same day / 6 wines / $30 USD.

Once you're at a winery, prefer tasting as much of their range as possible. In Barossa time to travel between wineries dominated time spent tasting. Better to taste more wines once you're at a venue than save a handful of minutes when you'll be in a car anyway.

Hentley · Shirazes stand out; varied styles under different microclimates. Also Sparkling Shiraz. Generous and professional experience. Pricier tasting; bottle prices not for the faint of heart. Walk-in / 6 wines / $43 USD.

Henschke · Crazy diverse set of great wines, all up for tasting. Could spend a whole day here. Big red wines meant to age and yummy Rieslings. Large and beautiful tasting room, top notch somms. Walk-in / 13 wines / $27 USD.

A big day, with a lot of time spent getting to wineries. Yalumba and Henschke were my must-dos; neither disappointed.

Dinner at Meat & Wine Company in Adelaide. Grilled meats popular, vast wine list, very good by-the-glass selection. Lee Street Wine Bar for French-focused wines to take a break from Australian ones. Great ambience, attentive staff.

Day 7: McLaren Vale & Adelaide Hills

Samuel's Gorge · Unoaked reds, grenache seriously good. Beautiful views add to the visit. Setting a bit more rustic but full-service tasting does not disappoint. Fun somm! Something different, a delightful wildcard and genuinely lovely visit. Walk-in / 5 wines / free tasting.

Yangarra · Huge range of wines for tasting. Tried almost everything, spent 2x more time here due to rain. Don't sleep on the entry level range (Estate Shiraz, Old Vine Grenache). Red and whites both great; white varieties offer something different (Piquepoul, Grenache Blanc blend). Lucky timing—one of the first arrivals to the new tasting room cellar door. Gorgeous gorgeous interior. Somehow serene, unlike others. Professional staff, so generous. Walk-in / 13 wines / $20 USD.

Change up how you take tasting notes. Most of the time I used a personal purpose-built app on my phone. A note taking app will do too. I also carry a physical A5 notebook, when I feel like writing and taking a break from screen time.

Shaw & Smith · Notable for sauvignon blanc (it's grassy alright!), whites (chardonnay, riesling) stand out over reds (shiraz, pinot noir). Clean and modern tasting room, unpretentious setting on top of a grassy hill. Walk-in / 5 wines / $16.5 USD.

Dinner at Daughter-in-law, easy going Indian restaurant paired with a Polish Hill Riesing (fun). La Bouvette for interesting French by-the-glass wines, more rowdy.

Day 7.5: Penfolds Magill

Penfolds Magill Estate · Great for aficionados and casual tasters, something for everyone. Red wine house, Penfolds range runs the gamut of reds (oaked, unoaked, American oaked, Italian varietal experiments). Good chardonnay too but $$$. Wonderful set up. Bar with basically every Penfolds wine for tasting. Full cafeteria with great (great) coffee, plus fine dining restaurant plus casual restaurant. Modern. Pre-booked tours. Highly knowledgable staff, professional and engaging, though bustling. Loved this visit. Pre-booked Grange tasting, walk-in for others / 16 wines / $100 USD.

Summing up

Australia is a fantastic destination for tasting. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I have a shortlist of things I'd do if I had more time. One is spend more time in Margaret river and try more wineries. It's honestly beautiful and I missed some good ones like Moss Wood. I'd like to take the drive up to Clare Valley and visit Jim Barry. The drive is longer than surrounding areas though. I still need to visit New South Wales and Hunter valley.

Some personal surprises about the wines. There's a notable difference between cool climate Syrah / Shiraz from Mornington and Margaret River versus warm climate Shiraz from Barossa. The former is more lean and has a kind of flowery hibiscus note I kept getting. The latter more opulent and loaded with ripe fruit. Both lean and full Chardonnays were the most memorable wines, on balance pushing higher quality than the reds, IMO. Touring Mornington was a special treat. A region filled with nature, unpretentious wineries, and super chardonnays makes me want to go back and spend more time there.

Some "Best of" commentary sums things up.

Best Overall Tasting Experience

• Top pick: Yangarra Estate

• Honorable mentions: Penfolds Magill Estate, Cullen Wines

  For combined criteria in Wines, Staff & Hospitality, Venue & Ambience, Generosity, Cost

• Special call out: Gralyn Estate

  For incredible Generosity and Quality (free tasting of many vintage / library wines).

• Special call out: Whicher Ridge

  For unique tasting guidance and commentary from the winemaker.

Best Value Wines I'd Buy with My Own Money

Wines with excellent quality-to-price ratio. If I found them on a local store shelf I'd pick them up.

Special call out—I'm not typically a fan of Malbec but I somehow discovered this one in Margaret River that was oddly compelling.

Special call out—I kept my travels lean and didn't buy any bottles from wineries I visited, except one. Off-dry unoaked cab with a unique tea aroma that I had to dig into more.

Best Premium Wines that Justify the Price

Price tags on premium wines are often difficult to justify—the quality has to be there. Below are the ones I could personally justify buying. They are delicious. Any vintage.

Big names like Grange or Hill of Grace carry great quality, but at $500+ a bottle a lot of what you're paying for has less to do with the wine itself. I find them a hard sell for avid wine drinkers, but that's a story for another day.

I hope this helped you enjoy happy touring! I want to hear from you and your experience. I'm human and you can talk to me on instagram / twitter / e-mail.

References

Other classifications, rating systems, and points of comparison of Australian wines I find interesting

• Wineark most collected wines of 2023. I saw posters of this on the walls of some wineries.
• Langton's Classification that I came across online 2018 classification wiki, newer system
• Team of reviewers in The Real Review
• Various "Top 100" tasting notes and wineries from James Halliday, Wine Spectator, James Suckling

All the wines

A reference list of all wines tasted. You'll see wines put in broad tiers. These are personal reference points more than anything else. Obligatory disclaimer: Rating wines is subjective and should be taken in context and with respect to different styles. Keep in mind tiers below refer to wine quality, disregarding price. A rough tier description and breakdown—

Tasting notes to be added at a later stage.