A weekend in the valley works best when you plan exactly two things and leave the rest alone. Here is how we would spend it.
The Yarra Valley is an hour from Melbourne, which is close enough that people try to do it as a day trip and far enough that they should not. Two nights is the right length. It gives you one full day in the middle with nothing scheduled before noon.
Friday: arrive late, do nothing
Check-in at De'Vine Escape is from 2pm, and self check-in means a late arrival after work is not a problem. If you book a King Spa Room, this is the night to use the spa bath rather than the one after a long day out.
Eat close by. Fergusson Winery is about a five minute walk, and DiVino Ristorante is a short drive. Neither requires you to get back in the car for long.
Saturday morning: the one early start worth making
Book a sunrise hot air balloon flight. It is the single thing most guests tell us they are glad they did, and it has to be early because the air is only still enough just after dawn. Global Ballooning Australia fly over the valley and can arrange pickups.
You will be back by mid morning with the rest of the day ahead of you and a good reason to have a long breakfast.
If you only schedule one thing all weekend, make it the balloon. Everything else in the valley is still there at two in the afternoon.
Saturday afternoon: two cellar doors, not five
The temptation is to fit in as many wineries as possible. Resist it. Two is the number where tasting is still enjoyable and you can remember what you drank.
Because we are in Dixons Creek, you can walk to Fergusson Winery and drive two minutes to Immerse, which means one of you does not have to spend the day as the designated driver. If you want to visit more than that, book a tour through Yarra Valley X and let someone else drive.
Somewhere to go that is not a winery
If you would rather break the day up, TarraWarra Museum of Art is quiet and close, and the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie at Yarra Glen is the least serious and most enjoyable stop in the valley.
Saturday evening: stay in
Light the fire pit. The property is ten acres, there is a lake, and once the sun goes down there is very little light pollution out here. It is the part of the weekend people describe when they get home.
Sunday: the slow way home
Check out is 10am. Rather than driving straight back, take the long way: head north and drive the Black Spur through the mountain ash, or south through Yarra Glen and stop for lunch. Either adds an hour and makes the weekend feel a day longer.
Booking notes
There are 3 King Spa Rooms and 3 Queen Rooms at De'Vine Escape, so for a specific weekend it is worth booking early. Every room has a private patio, ensuite and free Wi-Fi. We are pet-friendly on request, with a pet cleaning fee that is typically $30 per pet.
Stay in the middle of the valley
De'Vine Escape has 22 rooms on ten acres in Dixons Creek, about a five minute walk from Fergusson Winery and an hour from Melbourne.