Macedon Ranges
Macedon Ranges Day Trip
An hour north of Melbourne, the Macedon Ranges offer cool-climate wineries, heritage village shops, and cafes surrounded by gardens. A day trip that doesn't feel like one.
Cellar Door
470 Mitchellstown Rd, Nagambie VIC 3608, Australia
Mon–Fri 10:30am–4pm · Sat 10:30am–5pm · Sun 10:30am–4pm
The 55-metre tower Robin Boyd designed and Ted Ashton completed after Boyd's death in 1971 still dominates the Goulburn River flats. Inside, Mitchelton pours Shiraz from Heathcote's Mount Camel slopes and Riesling grown on alluvial river sediments fed by the Strathbogie Ranges granite. The 2018 hotel addition, by Hecker Guthrie, sits carefully against the original brutalist bones.
Granite Hills
1481 Burke and Wills Track, Baynton VIC 3444, Australia
Mon–Sun 11am–5pm
Gordon Knight planted the first vines on his sheep-grazing property in 1970, a gamble that his son Llew — who returned in 1979 after studying Wine Science at Wagga — has been refining ever since. The cool northern slopes of the Macedon Ranges suit Riesling and a peppery Shiraz particularly well. Gamay Noir and Grüner Veltliner have joined the lineup since 2011.
Tahbilk
254 Oneils Road, Nagambie VIC 3607, Australia
Mon–Fri 11am–5pm · Sat–Sun 10am–5pm
The 1927 Marsanne vines at Tahbilk are among the oldest in the world — reason enough to visit this Nagambie Lakes estate. The cellar door pours across a serious range: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre. The 1860s cellars are still in use. Come on a weekday; the weekends fill fast.