The Best Great Ocean Road Wineries - Great Ocean Road Brewhouse

Some of the best wineries in Australia, you can find along the Great Ocean Road. Tasting quality wines produced and handpicked from local vineyards in the region is an experience you will never forget, especially if you LOVE wine as much as we do! Many Australian vineyards have cellar doors for wine lovers to learn about the process of making wines and to taste their brands.

We selected nine of the best great ocean road wineries, plus we introduce you to Tastes of the Region, your one-stop shop for local wines and tastings along the Great Ocean Road. Scroll through the list of the top vineyards to explore on your next Great Ocean Road holiday!

1. Otway Estate Vineyard

Since 1890, the Otway Estate continues to offer beautiful views, with their first vines planted in its vineyard in 1983. Located on the borders of Colac, the Otway Estate Vineyard is the most famous Great Ocean Road winery and provider of superior wine services. Locals and tourists are welcome to visit every Friday, Saturday, and Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Spend hours of the day touring Otway Estate Vineyard and tasting handcrafted fine wines. If you don’t want to get lost in the Otways, you can also do a wine tasting of the Otway Estate wines at Tastes of the Region in Apollo Bay.

2. Basalt Vineyard

In South West Victoria, East of Port Fairy, is Basalt Vineyard comprising a restaurant and cellar door for great wine tastings. Wine advocates are welcome to take an explorative opportunity and learn about the primeval art of wine production. Experience the different flavours of Basalt wines on special occasions in the privacy of your home or when visiting their rustic cellar door for an outing. Order Basalt wines online and have them shipped to your door.

3. Heroes Vineyard

Heroes Vineyard produces voluminous grapes on organic vines by using a holistic approach involving no use of pesticides. Visit Heroes on an eight-acreage vineyard to taste their wines from December to April every year on Saturdays and Sundays. The cellar opens its door at 12:00 AM and closes at 4:00 PM. Shop online to purchase their red, white, sparkling, and rose wines anytime of the year and for all occasions.

4. Yeowarra Hill Winery

Hold extravagant events, such as weddings and anniversaries at Yeowarra Hill Winery in their magnificent gardens and spacious rooms. The estate offers spectacular views of Lake Colac and the Warrion hills. Established in 1988 as a family-owned vineyard, the owners used 1.5 acres to plant Chardonnay and another 2.5 acres for planting Pinot Noir. In 2006, they handpicked the first crop for commercialization.

5. Blakes Estate

In Deans Marsh, you will find Blakes Estate in the bottom hill of Otway Ranges. Their physical location is in Western Victoria approximately 12 km from the coast near Great Ocean Road. The cellar door is open from November through June on the weekends for wine tasting and touring. Accommodation is available for tourists and visitors to lodge at the Vine Cottage adjacent to the Blake Estate Winery.

6. Bellbrae Estate

Bellbrae Estate Winery planted their first vineyards in 1999 on a rolling hills section. The winery is five minutes from Bells Beach in the Surf Coast region in Victoria. They offer wine tasting experiences at their cellar door for Winkipop Wine Pairing, Surf Coast Tasting, and Bell Wine Pairing events. You must book an appointment to attend the experiences they offer.

7. Dinny Goonan Wines

Dinny Goonan Wines started as a producer of fine wines in 1988. In 2021, the winery received recognition as 2021 Top Wineries Australia. At the end of October 2021, Dinny Goonan wines will open its Cellar Door from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. During the holidays from November to June 15, Dinny Goonan offers wine tasting for their Riesling, Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir wines. Enjoy your day of tasting wines in an outdoor environment on the front deck with natural views of vines, water, birds, and trees.

8. Brown Magpie Wines
In the hinterland of the Great Ocean Road at Modewarre, is Brown Magpie Wines. They planted nine hectares of grapevines from 2001 and 2002 for grapes production. The winery invites Australian visitors and global tourists to schedule an appointment from November to April on Saturdays and Sundays for wine tastings. From December 27 to January 31, you can join Brown Magpie Wines to taste their selection of premium wines.

9. Coastal Estate Vineyard

Coastal Estate Vineyard produces sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and shiraz wines. You can shop for their wines at the general store, cafes, cellars, bars, restaurants, and supermarkets in Victoria and the great ocean road region. Presently, they are in the planning process of constructing a new building and have no cellar door openings. Don’t let it prevent you from trying some of the finest wines from their family-owned vineyard in Surf Coast Hinterland.

Selection of Wines by Each Winery and Vineyard

2019 Otway Estate Black Shiraz
2019 Shiraz Victoria
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Victoria
2019 Otway Estate Cool Park Reserve Shiraz Victoria
2018 Leeson No. 5 Shiraz Victoria
2018 Leeson No. 6 Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Basalt Reserve Riesling
2016 Basalt Riesling Edition
2017 Basalt Drumborg Chardonnay
2020 Great Ocean Road Riesling
2018 Basalt The Bream King Tempranillo
2019 Basalt Vintage Pinot Noir
2020 Heroes Pinot Noir
2020 Heroes Anti-Hero Pinot Noir
Deeds Not Words Sparking Rose
2020 Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Anti-Hero Shiraz
2016 Blake Blanc de Noir
2017 Blake Pinot Grigio
2015 Blake Pinot Noir
2018 Bellbrae Estate Bells Syrah
2019 Bellbrae Estate Boobs Chardonnay
2018 Bellbrae Estate Pinot Gris
2017 Bellbrae Estate Sparrows Semillon
2009 Bellbrae Estate Winkipop Sparkling Shiraz
2019 Dinny Goonan Chardonnay
2021 Dinny Goonan Riesling
2015 Dinny Goonan Botrytis Semillon
2020 Dinny Goonan Pinot Noir
2019 Dinny Goonan Shiraz
2015 Brown Magpie Single Sauvignon Blanc
2018 Brown Magpie Single Vineyard Shiraz
2015 Paraparap Reserve Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
2018 Brown Magpie Single Vineyard Pinot Gris
2018 Brown Magpie Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
2019 Brown Magpie Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
2018 Loretta Sparkling Blanc De Noir
2017 Botrytis Late Harvest Pinot Gris
2018 Brown Magpie Single Vineyard Pinot Grigio
2019 Coastal Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2016 Coastal Estate Shiraz Blanc

You can find any of the wine brands at eight of the nine wineries and vineyards. Coastal Estate branded wines are available at supermarkets and other retailers in Victoria. Most of the wines mentioned above are available at Apollo Bay’s Tastes of the Region all year round.

Why You Should Visit the Cellar Door?

The main purpose of visiting a vineyard cellar door is to learn about the vineyard and how they grow their produce. For beginner wine tasters, you will learn how to differentiate between the various flavours and aromas of wines. You gain knowledge about the prices and different kinds of wines.

On the fun side, you can visit a cellar door to enjoy the day with family and friends tasting wines, while enjoying a meal or bar snacks. At some vineyards, you can watch the handpicking process of gathering grapes before crushing and making the wines. Learn how owners started their great ocean road wineries and the history of vineyard land dating back over 100 years.

Tastes of the Region: One-Stop Shop for Great Ocean Road local tastings in Apollo Bay

You can find most of the wines mentioned above in Apollo Bay at the Tastes of the Region, a one-stop shop for local tastings located on the Great Ocean Road. The bottle shop with a tasting room hosts wine tastings for Otway Estate Vineyard, and for one featured winery each month. Try delicious local wines, but also local craft beers, gins and ciders. If you are short on time, Tastes of the Region is a must visit to discover all the local produce our region has to offer.