Visiting Chandon Winery in the Yarra Valley
When Moët & Chandon were looking for a place to make sparkling wines akin to their famous French champagne, they found exactly the right climate in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
From the point of view of grapes, the Yarra Valley has a “cool climate”, meaning that the top temperature doesn’t get too high, allowing signature grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to ripen slowly. Along with its clay soils and cool breezes, the conditions mean that winemakers can make high-quality sparkling wines with complex layers of flavour. It all means you can enjoy a variety of delightfully refreshing beverages, with the right amount of acidity, and that famous sparkle that comes from the Méthode Traditionnelle.
Visiting Chandon Winery in the Yarra Valley
Fortunately, what is a cool climate for grapes is more like a mild temperature for human beings like us. So while the grapes go through their annual cycle, we can visit the Yarra Valley in any season, and in summer, we can be confident that we won’t get overly hot.
The winter experience is different again, because while it’s likely to be a little cooler than Melbourne, that’s more than compensated for by the soothing and beautiful green of the grassy rolling hills and neat rows of grapevines. Sure, many trees have lost their leaves, but in the case of the Chandon winery, the starker tree trunks are either majestic in their own right, or beautifully curated into treed avenues around the property.
The founders of Chandon in the Yarra Valley were also clever aesthetically. Not only did they find a naturally beautiful site with undulating hills leading to the Yarra Ranges, they also found an established site, which was once a nineteenth-century dairy farm, called Green Point. They have restored the original homestead for special events, adding a glass pavilion for guests and corrugated iron buildings for the production process. The corrugated iron buildings are new, but from a heritage point of view, the material complements the era of the homestead beautifully.
The easy-to-walk paths around the property are a must when you visit Chandon. Although the vineyards are generally off-limits, you are so close to them when you’re in the glass pavilion or in the gardens that it doesn’t seem to matter.
But let’s face it, you’ve probably come to Chandon to taste the wines and the food. So let’s head to the glass pavilion.
The Glass Pavilion
The glass pavilion offers visitors so many different ways to savour Chandon’s sparkling wines. It houses a lounge bar, a restaurant (named after the original dairy farm), a balcony (heated when necessary) and boutique, all open on a walk-in basis. It’s best to make reservations for the restaurant and lounge bar.
The restaurant experience offers delightful food and wine as you’d expect, whereas the lounge bar is more casual. Here one option is to order a flight of different sparkling wines, along with smaller “bites” from the kitchen.
The pavilion also houses the Tasting Room, a dedicated and elegant tasting space where you can be educated by experts as part of the Tasting Experience. Again, it’s best to make a reservation. Then there’s the riddling room, where a traditional process removes sediment to make the final, clear sparkling wine. You can access it on a Behind the Bubbles tour.
The architectural use of glass in the pavilion makes the panoramic views available to all visitors, and the high ceilings mean that noise levels are very low.
But wait, there’s more! Chandon is “big” on offering its guests new experiences, including
seasonal options.
My visit: Bingo and Fondue
When you want to sample Chandon’s sparkling wines, want to get to know someone a little better without a big meal and like some novelty in your life, consider a Seasonal Experience. This winter, I learned of a surprising offering called “Bingo and Fondue”. Bingo is not something that you will find on my wish list, but cheese fondue is definitely there, especially in winter.
Added to that, it was an opportunity to try three of their 2021 sparkling wines: the Vintage Blanc de Blancs, the Cuvée 205 and the Ruby Cuvée. I loved the cheese fondue (with both traditional Swiss and Victorian cheese), the dips served with it and the sweet finish. I was looking out for the subtle differences between each of the wines, and the verbal and written descriptions helped with that. The care that had been taken to pair them with the right food, was clear.
I didn’t really know what bingo was and wondered whether I would find it trivial. Surprisingly, I didn’t! It was funny to have a little ball-dispensing machine on the table, and to answer the pre-prepared questions associated with each number that came up. My friend declined to answer a few! I was pretty open. My friend won the game… and even won a prize.
I’m just not sure that the name of “Bingo and Fondue” captured the essence of it. Perhaps Conversation and Cuvée describes the experience best.
Whatever you call it and whatever experience you choose, Chandon should be on your list for any trip to the Yarra Valley. And winter-time may just be the right time to visit the Yarra Valley.
Fondue + Bingo at Chandon
Available until the end of August 2026, is a playful winter experience featuring three Chandon sparkling wine pairings, a generous Swiss-style fondue feast, something sweet to finish, and self-play bingo at your table.
Start with a glass of Chandon Vintage Blanc de Blancs, dip into fondue made with Swiss raclette, local cheeses and Chandon wine, then finish with Ruby Cuvée alongside a S’more-inspired chocolate tartlet.
Add in optional Bingo Banter prompts, a little friendly competition, and a $20 Chandon Boutique voucher up for grabs for the first winner at each table.
$80 per person. Book for a limited time this winter.
Getting there
Driving — Chandon is at 727 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, about an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD. There’s free on-site parking, including dedicated accessible parking spaces.
Organised tours — Several Yarra Valley day tours include Chandon as a stop, with pickup from central Melbourne locations. Worth considering if you’d rather not drive, especially given the wine tastings.
Public transport — There’s no direct train or tram service to Chandon; a car, tour or private transfer is the only practical way to reach the estate.
Accessibility
- Accessible parking is available in the customer car park, with a level, paved 50-metre path (no steps) to the visitor centre
- Wheelchair access extends to most guest areas, including the restaurant, lounge, tasting bar and boutique
- Some private function rooms require stairs and aren’t wheelchair accessible
- An accessible bathroom is located inside the visitor centre
- If you need assistance moving from the car park to the cellar door, it’s worth contacting Chandon ahead of your visit so they can arrange help
- For Homestead bookings, priority parking can be arranged on request
Good to know before you go
- Open 11am to 4.30pm daily, closed 25–26 December
- Entry to the grounds and tasting bar is free; a small tasting fee applies at the tasting bar (refundable if you buy a bottle)
- Bookings recommended for the restaurant, lounge bar and tasting experiences — walk-ins are welcome for the boutique and general tasting bar only
- Fondue + Bingo runs until 31 August 2026, $80 per person, bookings available daily from 1.30pm for groups of 2 to 10
- Phone (03) 9738 9200
Chandon Winery
727 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream VIC 3770
For bookings and enquiries, please contact Chandon directly on (03) 9738 9200.
More articles by Marjie Courtis can be found at www.ozimage.com.au
The Seniors in Melbourne team were hosted by Chandon. All opinions are the writers’ own.
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