Latest News from Wine Tours Victoria
Special Winery Tours Announced for Macedon Ranges Cup Weekend (24-25 March)
Wine Tours Victoria has announced two special wine tours to Macedon Ranges wineries in conjunction with the inaugural Macedon Ranges Cup thoroughbred race meeting.
The winery tours will operate on Saturday, 24 March and Sunday, 25 March, and are exclusively available to horse racing fans visiting Macedon Ranges that weekend. Both tours include admission to NMIT Kyneton Park for the Macedon Ranges Cup Day races and festivities on Sunday.
"We thought this would be an opportune time to showcase the wide variety of Macedon Ranges wineries to horse racing fans," notes Mr. Trevor Armstrong, proprietor of Wine Tours Victoria. "Normally our Macedon Ranges wine tours start from Melbourne, but we wanted to provide a unique opportunity for visitors staying in the Macedon Ranges that weekend for the Macedon Ranges Cup."
The Macedon Ranges Cup Day will feature seven main horse races, as well as celebrating the food and wine of the Macedon Ranges.
The winery tour on Saturday includes tastings at Chanters Ridge and Hanging Rock Winery, plus lunch at the Hanging Rock Picnic Café. Price per person is just $105 and includes all tasting fees, lunch and admission tickets to Sunday's race event. This small-group wine tour is limited to 10 people.
On Sunday, guests will enjoy a wine tasting at Paramoor Farm, which was once a working Clydesdale horse farm. After the tasting, guests will be taken directly to NMIT Kyneton Park for the race festivities. Limited to just 10 guests, the price is only $85 per person and includes the wine tasting and admission to the Macedon Cup Day.
Click this link for full details of both Macedon Ranges Cup Day Wine Tours. Bookings can be made by calling 1300 946 386 or via email to handpicked@winetours.com.au.
Group Wine Tours Remain Highly Popular
Going on wine tours as part of an organised group remains popular with Australians, despite the attractions of overseas travel due to the strong Australian currency. "We are seeing a continued influx of personal and corporate bookings for group wine tours to all four of Victoria's key wine producing regions," notes Mr. Trevor Armstrong, Proprietor of Wine Tours Victoria.
"While families and couples are making more trips to overseas destinations, there is a keen interest for social clubs, businesses and pre-wedding groups to enjoy a day touring the wine regions near Melbourne," adds Armstrong. "It seems like many people are looking for private group tours that provide a memorable experience without the need for overnight travel or hotel stays."
The heavy and constant winter rains have produced stunning floral blossoms and vast quantities of extraordinarily fresh produce throughout Victoria, particularly in the grape growing regions of Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Macedon Ranges and the Bellarine Peninsula. Additionally, due to the recent over supply of grapes, wine prices at cellar doors remain favourable to consumers.
As a result, operators such as Wine Tours Victoria and Victorian wine industry are anticipating peak interest in both individual and group winery tours this spring and summer.
"We already have confirmed group bookings well into December. This is much earlier than in previous years," comments Armstrong, who has been operating his wine tours company for 11 years. "We've even had an enquiry already for a pre-wedding group for February 2012."
Best Time Ever for a Victoria Winery Tour
"There's never been a better time for a Victorian wine tour,” states Wine Tours Victoria CEO Trevor Armstrong.
Armstrong cites the recent heavy winter rains as the key factor, which has resulted in all Victorian wine regions fully blossoming this spring.
Additionally, he adds, the 2008 vintage, which wine reviewers have said “exceed expectations” is now being served for tasting in cellar doors.
“While the four key Victorian wine regions near Melbourne always provide a memorable experience, we believe this spring and summer will be an even greater opportunity to experience the flora, fauna, and wines of Victoria,” says Armstrong. With enquiries and early bookings running ahead of normal patterns, it would appear wine enthusiasts also agree.
As Armstrong notes, “The excitement of Melbourne’s Spring Carnival is already in the air.”
Wine Tours Victoria operates daily customised wine tours to all four key wine regions of Victoria: Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Macedon Ranges, and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Wine Tours Victoria specialise in small, personal winery tours with up to 10 people per outing. Rather than a set itinerary, all daily wine tours cater to the interests and pace of our guests, with a typical day including morning tea, lunch, and unforgettable visits to 4–5 exciting wineries.