Ridin' the Winebus - Part 2

As we left Tokar Vineyards and headed towards our next stop, the landscape began to change noticeably. The terrain was definitely more hilly and it definitely began to remind me of the Italian countryside. Our next stop was Hanrahan Vineyards, interesting for many reasons. It was definitely the least "commercial" of all the places we visited. There was nothing slick about it, in fact, it was kind of ramshackle.

Hanrahan Vineyards

They only grow three grapes - pinot noir, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. They also don't make any of the wine on site, but use the facilities of another vineyard, which I gather is not that uncommon in these parts. The Yarra Valley had been planted with vines fairly early on in the 19th century, but then abandoned in the early 20th century when many growers lost their land during the depression. Viticulture returned in the early 1990's and so there are no vines more than 25 years old. It would appear that, as the number of growers began to increase, the decision was made - conscious or unconscious, I don't know,to share resources. The Hanrahan wines were quite good. They have made a name for themselves by being a reverse BYO. The open their grounds to the public ad offer them the use of grills and a pizza oven. Guests bring the food, but they have to buy the Hanrahan wine. Seems fair enough. And the property is gorgeous with great views over the countryside.

Our fourth and final winery was called Helen & Joey. Of all the places we visited, this was definitely the most touristy, in fact, there were two other groups in the tasting room when we arrived. Once things got organized we began the tasting. This winery had the greatest variety of wines to taste, but, I am sorry to say that none of them really impressed me. Most of them seemed fairly unsubstantial, though the current wine-maker is said to have a great reputation. perhaps the most memorable  part of this winery was the abundance of unicorns scattered throughout the property. Apparently this is a thing for one of the owners. I don't get it, but to each his own.

Our last stop was the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery. This nothing more than a tourist trap, but It was doing a booming business. I could have done without this, but it seems like an obligatory stop for any tour bus anywhere near this area. People were buying chocolate by the kilo, but I resisted. My suitcase is already way too heavy...

Dan and I did manage to get our driver, Ian to take a picture of us before we got back on the bus.

We can say it now, "We rode the winebus!"