De Bortoli

De Bortoli Review

A family winery for three generations, De Bortoli was established (in New South Wales) in 1928, four years after the founder Vittorio De Bortoli and his wife Giuseppina migrated to Australia from northern Italy. Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, and Rieslings are specialties of the Yarra Valley estate, and you'll have ample opportunity to sample a few—wine tastings are free, but a $7 charge charge applies for tasting stickies, including Noble One, De Bortoli's most awarded wine since its release in 1987. The restaurant, which has stunning views of the surrounding vines, landscaped gardens, and mountains, serves delectable dishes using Yarra Valley produce; a four-course chef's lunch is A$58 a head (A$70 weekends), you can also dine à la carte except on Sunday. You might like to start with a seasonal aperitif—perhaps a mandarin cocktail of aperol and Windy Peak Pinot Chardonnay (a sparkling wine). A popular feature is the cheese maturation and tasting room in the cellar-door area. Resident cheese maker Richard Thomas creates gourmet cheese-tasting plates with matching wines (prices vary depending on produce chosen). A Wine Adventure, which includes a wine tutorial, guided vineyard and winery tours, barrel tastings, hints on food and wine matching, and a three-course lunch is held on the first Saturday of every month at $A140 per head.