A recent day trip to the Yarra Valley included a visit to the vineyard named
Winery of the Year at the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion Awards -
Seville Estate. I was impressed with both the property and the wines and thought I should share my experience with WeekendNotes readers.
Seville Estate recently won the Winery of the Year at the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion Awards
First impressions on arriving at Seville Estate are of a thoughtfully laid out garden leading from the car park to the buildings. The gardens feature Australian native plants indigenous to the region, ensuring a look sympathetic to the surrounding landscape. Walking towards the buildings, you are greeted with sweeping views down the valley.
Sweeping views from the property
Onsite is the homestead built by Dr Peter McMahon, who planted the original grapevines at Seville Estate in 1972. The homestead has recently been completely renovated by Dr McMahon's grandson, Dylan, who is also now the chief winemaker for Seville Estate. The homestead is available for overnight accommodation, featuring four bedrooms, accommodating up to eight people in total.
While I didn't stay overnight at Seville Estate, I did have a look through the accommodation and was most impressed by what I saw. It's a renovation that gives the place a fresh, light-filled look, painted in neutral colours and with soaring high ceilings. The cost of hiring out the entire homestead is currently $1000 for a weekend night, less per night for weekdays or if you stay for multiple nights. I can see this working beautifully for a birthday gathering or similar.
Clean lines and beautiful outlooks from the newly renovated homestead. (Image is from the Seville Estate website.)
There are also three newly renovated, self-contained apartments on-site that would be ideal for couples.
Also on site is a restaurant that is open Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner (11am-9pm), and Sunday for lunch (11am-4pm). I loved the look and feel of the restaurant space, but, as I was there mid-week, it wasn't open. Expect a weekly changing menu of modern Australian fare, locally sourced where possible, and enjoy the beautiful rural outlook as you dine.
Bookings recommended.
The restaurant (which is open for Friday lunch and over the weekend).
But what of the star of Seville Estate, its
wines? Has their significance been diluted by all these changes? Not at all! When Dylan McMahon took us through a wine tasting, his knowledge of and passion for the wine shone through. Seville Estate offers an impressive range of wines, including five Estate varietals (ie. made only from grapes grown on the Estate), four Reserve varietals (the best of the best of wines made from grapes grown only on the Estate), and the highly regarded Dr McMahon Shiraz, which honours the meticulous care given by the founder of the vineyard both to his patients and to viticulture. You can find more details about Seville Estate wines
here.
Chief winemaker Dylan McMahon. (Image is from the Seville Estate website.)
Complimentary walk-in tastings of the Estate wines are available, (but note that for groups of 6 or more, there is a tasting fee of $5, maximum group size 16). The cellar door is open seven days, from 10am to 5pm. For the more discerning wine lover, there are other tasting options available. You'll find the details
here.
While there are tastings available seven days, Seville Estate is so much more than a winery
Seville Estate is unashamedly moving beyond wine tasting to offering a holistic experience to visitors. As Dylan McMahon puts it:
"the focus has been on the wine and that won't change but it was time to bring the estate into the 21st century. We want people to come here to drink, to eat, to stay and say wow."
So make sure you include Seville Estate on your itinerary when you next visit the Yarra Valley. Come for the wine and stay for a night or two!
