Top cellar doors to visit in Heathcote
Heathcote - a former goldrush town, now home to gold-medal winning shiraz and friends. Some fantastic winemakers call these 500 million year old soils home, and here are our favourite cellar doors to drop into when we’re there.
Munari Wines
Founded in 1993 by winemaker Adrian Munari on the site of a former sheep station, the cellar door at Munari is incredibly welcoming and vibrant. Of course, you’ll find the regional staple of fantastic shiraz here, but also rarer prosecco, vermentino, garganega and cab sauv. If you’re feeling peckish, charcuterie boards are available alongside tasting through the week, as well as pizzas at weekends.
1129 Northern Hwy, Ladys Pass VIC 3523, open 7 days, bookings preferred but not essential.
Tellurian
A vineyard borne from a passion for Heathcote shiraz, you’ll also find a heap of Rhone and Italian classic varietals on tasting at the cellar door too - including grenache, mouverdre, carignan, grenache gris, marsanne, roussane, viognier, nero d’avola and fiano too. Grazing platters are also available if you want to snack alongside, showcasing a range of local producers.
408 Tranter Rd, Toolleen VIC 3551, open weekends, bookings advised.
Vinea Marson
Italian through and through, Vinea Marson was established by Mario Marson to find a place where nebbiolo and sangiovese could shine in the region, and expect to see them lined up in tasting along other Italian varietals such as prosecco, plus the shiraz and viognier the region is renowned for too. Tastings are held at long tables, where antipasti is plentifully available (including a buffalo cheese made with their nebbiolo grape skins).
411 Heathcote-Rochester Road, Mount Camel, Vic, 3523, open weekends, booking required.
Sanguine Estate
A five-star Halliday rated winery in 2023, you’ll have the opportunity to take a tasting flight through the Sanguine range amongst the barrels and fermentation tanks of the winery itself - and as a boutique affair, it’ll probably be one of the Hunter family themselves taking you through the wines - most of which have been scored at 95pts or higher. The D’Orsa shiraz isn’t to be missed.
77 Shurans Lane, Heathcote, open Saturday - Sunday.
Peregrine Ridge
Sitting at altitude on the eastern side of the Mt Camel Ranges, Peregrine Ridge is home to some incredible views over the surrounding landscape - have to be seen to be believed. Highly rated by Halliday, shiraz is absolutely the speciality of winemaker Graeme Quigley. Working solely with estate grown fruit allows him to produce seven notably different styles, all delicious and available on tasting.
404 Cornella-Toolleen Rd, Toolleen VIC 3551, check website for opening hours, bookings required.
Paul Osicka
Staking a claim as the longest established winemaker in the Heathcote region, all the winemaking here is handled by Simon Osicka, third generation of the family and working with a site where fruit purity, quality and expression are the key focus. Everything here is estate grown, and you’ll be tasting in the brick cellars built into the hillside where their wines are both made and matured.
39 Osickas Lane, Graytown, VIC, 3608, open by appointment (see website for details of how to get in touch).
Wren Estate
Named one of Halliday’s Best New Wineries back in 2021, you’ll find the team at Wren Estate pouring their finest wines (which have also collected a bit of bling) at their cellar door from Friday - Sunday. After building his winemaking experience working vintages across the world, winemaker Michael Wren selected this site back in 2017 to open his own operation, and quickly established the brand as a premium producer of the regional speciality, shiraz.
389 Heathcote-Rochester Rd, Mount Camel VIC 3523, open Friday - Sunday, bookings recommended.
Silver Spoon Estate
Both the winery and the cellar door at Silver Spoon Estate operate entirely off-grid, with sustainability very much a key focus for Peter and Tracie Young, the owners, operators & winemakers of the estate. Their boutique cellar door offers a guided, sit-down tasting flight of six wines drawn from their line-up, featuring shiraz, viognier, tempranillo, grenache, plus French and Spanish inspired blends. A seasonal food offering is also available, as well as paired grazing platters if you’re after something lighter whilst you enjoy a glass of their best.
503 Heathcote-Rochester Road (C347), Mount Camel VIC 3523, open Friday - Sunday, bookings preferred but not essential.
There's plenty to discover in Heathcote, so get out amongst it and see what deliciousness you find.
ps. be sure to check out the websites for the wineries we've linked to confirm up-to-date opening hours and availability, especially around public holidays.