Go to www.visitmacedonranges.com for a full range of itineraries.
Discover our gem of a wine region on an autumn red wine lovers trail from Malmsbury to the Cobaw Ranges.
Discover our gem of a wine region on an autumn red wine lovers trail from Malmsbury to the Cobaw Ranges.
Your winter red wine trail kicks off near the village of Malmsbury, at the friendly, family-owned Zig Zag Winery.
One of the oldest vineyards in the Macedon Ranges, Zig Zag’s rich, volcanic soil combined with hot days and cool nights, results in wonderful cool climate reds.
Henry and Harriet Churchill’s cellar door offers beautiful vineyard views to enjoy while wine tasting. It also has a super relaxed vibe where you can bring your own cheese platter or hot pot to set up a makeshift picnic. They’ll even have a fire going in their Ned Kelly Pot Belly to cosy up in front of – bliss!
Zig Zag Wines is dog friendly (on leads).
Tip: Start your morning with a coffee from the Malmsbury Bakery and wander through the nearby botanical gardens.
Cellar Door Hours
Open Thursday to Monday between 10-5pm. Please call on (03) 5423 9390 to book on weekends as they have limited space and get very busy!
A short drive out of Kyneton brings you to the beautiful, scenic Kyneton Ridge Estate, adjacent to Black Hill Reserve. Here you can enjoy wine tasting as well as homestyle lunches, desserts and coffee by their wood fire. You may even spot their resident herd of wild kangaroos grazing in the vineyards while you enjoy a tasting of their varieties of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is a dog-friendly winery, so bring the pooch along on a lead (they’re just not allowed inside).
Tip: Navigate your way to the winery via Black Hill Road. It’s a gum tree-lined unsealed road through farmland that is as lovely as the destination.
Cellar Door Hours
Open from 11-5pm on weekends and most public holidays. By appointment during the week (just give Angela a call on 0408 841 119).
The third leg of your winter red wine tasting trail follows backcountry roads to the rural landscapes of Pipers Creek.
Hunter-Gatherer Vintners is a true family affair. Their cellar door is part of an old homestead where Brian, his partner Ros and their three young kids live.
Brian is an accomplished winemaker and is more often than not, pouring your tastings at their cellar door. He handcrafts the Hunter-Gatherer range of wines using old-world wine-making practices and the application of new-world knowledge.
Hunter-Gatherer Vintners have a relaxed interior with comfy couches and a roaring fire to warm your tootsies in winter. Enjoy a grazing platter while tasting Hunter-Gatherers’ range of superb quality reds, including Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Sangiovese and Sparkling Shiraz (they also produce Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay, Riesling, Chardonnay and Rose).
This is a dog friendly winery (on leash).
Cellar Door Hours
Open weekends only from 12-5pm.
Drive the picturesque Burke and Wills track to family owned vineyard and winery Granite Hills.
Perched atop the spectacular boulder strewn hills of the Great Dividing Range at an altitude 550 metres, the view over Granite Hills vineyard and of central Victoria beyond, immediately gives you the impression of something quite special.
Cool climate conditions have proven to be the perfect environment for the cultivation of vines that provide outstanding cool-climate reds that will warm your heart.
Opening Hours
7 days a week – 11am – 5pm
Have time to squeeze in one more wine tasting? Cobaw Ridge is located on the cusp of the Great Divide, 610 metres above sea level and backing onto the Cobaw State Forest.
Cobaw Ridge is home to Alan and Nelly Cooper, who make the most delicious estate-grown reds including Pinot Noir, Syrah and Lagrein from vines that are hand-picked, hand-pruned and hand-tended.
The cellar door is located only 10 minutes’ drive from Hunter-Gatherer and is the perfect way to end your winter wine tasting adventure in the Macedon Ranges.
2021 Winner: Gourmet Traveller Wine’s 10th annual Best Cellar Door Awards… Best Tasting Experience Macedon Ranges / Sunbury.
Cellar Door Hours
Open weekends and public holidays 12-5pm.
