Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley.

The best part of this Yarra Valley day is the mix: three wineries, a chocolate factory, and an Aboriginal art gallery in one easy outing from Melbourne. Adrian personally guides the group, rather than handing you over to a hired driver, and the day runs from 9:30 a.m. to about 4 or 4:30 p.m.

I like the generous spread of tastings and the freedom to choose lunch from the menu at St Huberts Estate. I also like the small-group feel, with a Mercedes-Benz eight-seater for the regular outing and a Toyota tour bus for larger groups. The main drawback is the long driving day and the fact that lunch costs extra.

Key points

• Three Yarra Valley wineries: Taste more than 10 wines, including Pinot, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and other cool-climate styles.
• A chocolate stop: Sample chocolates and ice cream at the well-known Yarra Valley Chocolaterie.
• Aboriginal art at St Huberts: Go underground to see the estate’s Aboriginal art gallery.
• Lunch is flexible: Buy wood-fired pizza, fish, beef, chicken, or side dishes at St Huberts, with dietary needs catered for.
• Adrian is your guide: He runs Melbourne Valley Wine Tours and escorts the group throughout the day.
• Simple city departure: Meet outside the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square on Flinders Street at 9:30 a.m.

A full Yarra Valley day from central Melbourne

This is a practical choice if you want to see the Yarra Valley without renting a car or piecing together several tasting appointments. The pickup is in central Melbourne, outside the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square, and the drive to the wine area takes about an hour.

The total outing lasts roughly seven and a half hours. You leave at 9:30 a.m. and return to the same meeting point around 4 or 4:30 p.m. That timing gives you a full day in the valley without turning the evening into a late return.

Adrian is the tour guide and business owner. That matters here because he says he personally leads the day, rather than using a separate driver with little connection to the wineries. He also holds full driver and bus accreditation with the Victorian government.

Transport is in an air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Valante with eight seats, or a Toyota tour bus when the group is larger. The maximum group size is 16 people. You get bottled water, transport, winery entry, tastings, and guidance included in the advertised price.

St Huberts Estate starts the tasting day

St Huberts Estate is the first stop, and it serves several purposes at once. You begin the wine program here, have the chance to arrange lunch, and visit an underground gallery devoted to Aboriginal art.

The wine tasting includes styles associated with the Yarra Valley, such as Pinot, Chardonnay, and Shiraz. The region is especially known for cool-climate wines, so this is a useful place to start if you want an introduction to the local character rather than simply a series of unrelated pours.

The estate also offers one of the more unusual parts of the outing: an Aboriginal art gallery below ground. It gives the day a cultural element that many wine tours skip. You are not limited to tasting rooms and vineyard views, and the stop adds another reason to visit St Huberts even if wine is not your only interest.

Lunch is not included, but you are given time to buy it at the estate. The menu includes wood-fired pizza, fish, beef, chicken, and several side dishes. Dietary restrictions are catered for, which makes the open lunch arrangement more useful than a fixed meal.

The trade-off is that you need to pay for lunch yourself and make your own choice from the menu. That gives you control over price and appetite, but anyone expecting an all-inclusive tour should budget for the extra meal.

Chocolate and ice cream at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie

The next stop changes the pace. At the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery, you receive chocolate samples and can look around the factory-style retail setting.

This is a smart addition to a wine day. After a winery visit, chocolate gives you something different to taste and makes the outing work better for mixed groups, including people who are interested in food but less keen on spending the whole day with wine.

The stop is also useful for anyone who wants to take something home. The supplied details confirm chocolate sampling, but they do not promise a specific number of samples or a formal production tour, so you should think of this as a tasting and factory visit rather than a detailed behind-the-scenes workshop.

You may want to pace yourself here. With more than 10 wine tastings still forming the main part of the day, a little restraint with sweets can help you enjoy the afternoon stops.

Soumah brings another view of Yarra Valley wine

Soumah of the Yarra Valley is the third stop. The point of visiting several wineries is not simply to collect tasting rooms. It lets you compare how different producers present the same broad regional wine culture.

The tasting program includes more than 10 wines across the day, with Pinot, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and other varieties included. At Soumah, listen for the introduction to each wine and use the stop to compare the fruit, structure, and style with what you tasted at St Huberts.

The tour description does not specify the exact tasting lineup at each winery, so you should not expect a guaranteed bottle-by-bottle menu. Wine selections can change, and the useful approach is to treat the day as a broad regional introduction.

Soumah also helps keep the day from feeling like a single-estate visit. If you are new to Australian wine, that contrast is valuable. You get a wider sense of the Yarra Valley rather than forming an opinion from one producer alone.

Greenstone Vineyards closes the winery visits

Greenstone Vineyards is the final listed stop. By this point, you will have sampled wine at several producers and visited the chocolate factory, so the last tasting works as a final comparison rather than a first introduction.

The tour includes entry to all three wineries, and the wine tastings are included in the price. You are free to buy bottles if you find something you like, but the supplied information does not say that purchases are required or that a purchase minimum applies.

Greenstone is also part of the scenic side of the day. The tour promises vineyard scenery and broad views across the Yarra Valley, although it does not specify a separate viewpoint stop or a formal walk through the vines. Expect the scenery to be part of the drive and winery visits, not a hiking excursion.

That distinction is worth keeping in mind. This is a tasting tour with countryside views, not an active outdoor tour. Wear something comfortable for a full day of sitting, tasting, walking around winery grounds, and moving between stops.

What the $63.83 price really covers

At $63.83 per person, the price is attractive for a full-day outing from Melbourne. You are paying for about seven and a half hours, return transport, a guide, entry to three wineries, wine tastings, bottled water, and chocolate samples.

The biggest value comes from the transport. The Yarra Valley is close enough for a day trip, but visiting several wineries without a designated driver is awkward. Here, the driving is handled for you, and you can taste without worrying about the return journey.

The price also makes sense for people who want variety. A private winery appointment, separate transport, and individual tastings could quickly cost more. This tour combines those pieces at a fixed rate.

Still, keep two costs in mind. Lunch is not included, and purchases at the wineries or chocolaterie are extra. If you plan to bring home several bottles or boxes of chocolate, your final spending will be higher than the tour price.

The tour is often booked about 19 days ahead. That suggests you should not leave it until the last minute if your Melbourne dates are fixed, especially if you want the smaller Mercedes-Benz vehicle rather than a larger bus.

Adrian’s personal guiding style

Adrian presents this as his own business and says he personally guides the group throughout the day. That can make the outing feel more connected than a standard transfer service, since the same person handles the driving, introductions, and movement between stops.

The available feedback includes a strong response from Carly, a Melbourne resident who used the outing to explore her own region. That is useful because it shows the tour is not only aimed at first-time international visitors. You can book it as a local looking for an easy day out, too.

The overall rating is 4.6 from eight ratings, a positive result, though the sample is small. I would treat that as encouraging rather than conclusive. The clearest strength is the personal format: Adrian is present, the day has a clear route, and you are taken care of from the city pickup through the return.

The group limit of 16 keeps the outing from becoming a very large coach trip. If the smaller vehicle is used, the eight-seat format should feel more intimate. On busier dates, the Toyota tour bus may be used for larger groups, so the atmosphere can vary.

Who will enjoy this day most

This tour suits you if you want a straightforward introduction to the Yarra Valley and prefer not to organize transport. It is especially useful for first-time visitors staying in central Melbourne, couples, small groups, and solo visitors who want a planned day with several stops.

It also suits people with mixed interests. Wine drinkers get three wineries and more than 10 tastings. People with a sweet tooth get chocolate and ice cream. Anyone interested in Australian culture gets the Aboriginal art gallery at St Huberts.

The flexible lunch is another advantage for mixed groups. You can choose pizza, fish, beef, chicken, or side dishes rather than accepting a single set meal. The details also state that dietary restrictions are catered for.

I would be less inclined to choose it if you want a quiet, slow afternoon at one estate. Three wineries plus chocolate in one day means a steady schedule. It is also not the right fit if you want a long vineyard walk, a winery-specific food pairing, or a detailed cellar-door lesson at each stop. Those features are not promised.

Practical tips before you book

Meet at the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square, at Flinders Street and Russell Street, before the 9:30 a.m. departure. The tour returns to that same meeting point, so plan your evening around a return of roughly 4 to 4:30 p.m.

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You will spend time in a vehicle, but you will also move through wineries, the chocolate stop, and the gallery. Melbourne weather can change, so a light extra layer is sensible, though the tour vehicle is air-conditioned.

If lunch matters to you, allow extra money and time for it at St Huberts. The estate has a broad menu, but lunch is a purchase rather than part of the tour price.

The tour accepts mobile tickets, and confirmation is received at booking. Service animals are allowed, the meeting point is near public transport, and most people can participate.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours ahead are not accepted for a refund. The tour also needs a minimum number of participants, and if that minimum is not reached, you are offered another date, another experience, or a full refund.

Should you book this Yarra Valley tour?

Book it if you want good variety for a modest price and like the ease of having one guide handle the whole day. The combination of wine, chocolate, Aboriginal art, and a flexible lunch gives you more than a standard winery shuttle.

I would choose it for a first Yarra Valley visit, a Melbourne weekend, or a relaxed outing with someone who is not devoted to wine. The personal guidance from Adrian and the small-group option add appeal.

Think twice if you want a polished luxury tasting, a private itinerary, or a long unhurried stay at one vineyard. Lunch costs extra, the schedule covers several stops, and the precise wines poured can change.

For most people looking for a convenient full-day introduction, the $63.83 price is fair. You get transport, tastings, scenery, culture, and chocolate without having to plan the route yourself.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins outside the Ian Potter Centre at NGV Australia, Federation Square, at the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street in Melbourne.

What time does the tour start and finish?

Departure is at 9:30 a.m. The tour returns to the meeting point at about 4 or 4:30 p.m., and the full experience lasts approximately seven and a half hours.

Which wineries are included?

The tour visits St Huberts Estate, Soumah of the Yarra Valley, and Greenstone Vineyards.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is purchased separately at St Huberts Estate, where the menu includes wood-fired pizza, fish, beef, chicken, and side dishes. Dietary restrictions are catered for.

How many wines will I taste?

You will taste more than 10 wines across the day, including Pinot, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and other varieties.

Is the chocolate tasting included?

Yes. Chocolate samples at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery are included.

What happens if I need to cancel?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience begins. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.