A wine industry insider with an Instagram account has turned his passion into a business.
The brainchild of Healesville local and self-confessed Yarra Valley wine lover, Ben Mitchell, Yarra Valley Cellar Door is the culmination of three years of wine marketing that didn't make him a cent.
“In 2014 I started an Instagram account to share my wine discoveries from Yarra Valley cellar doors," Mitchell says. "I wasn’t paid to promote any of these wineries, or wines—I’d just discovered a passion for local wine coming out of this amazing, picturesque part of the wine-world and wanted a single place - albeit a virtual one, initially - where everyone could see how cool the valley is.”
A trip to Heathcote, where one shop was offering a range of labels for tasting, sparked Mitchell's enthusiasm.
"The idea stuck with me - why didn’t the Yarra Valley have a one-stop cellar door with a bunch of producers on show, on one table?”
The answer to that question was simple: no one was doing it. So Mitchell did.
Now that Yarra Valley Cellar Door is a bricks and mortar facility, Mitchell hopes to continue exposing locals and tourists alike to the diversity and quality of Yarra wine.
The rustic Yarra Valley Cellar Door is a wine-tasting room with 10 wines from five producers on tasting.
Located in downtown Healesville, it’s a perfect one-stop tasting spot to discover some of the best wines coming out of the valley right now.
Pouring the tastings himself, Mitchell draws from his experience as former cellar door manager for Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander and sales and marketing manager for Soumah to share a combination of winemaking notes and local knowledge.
YVCD is committed to raising the profile of each of the five wineries on tasting: Santolin Wines, Seville Estate, Soumah Wines, Squitchy Lane and Warramunda Estate.
Valley Cellar Door, 242 Maroondah Highway, Healesville. Thursday/Saturday/Sunday 12-5pm. Friday 12-7pm. Groups (maximum 10) by appointment. Purchase a minimum of one bottle and tasting is free. Otherwise, a $10 tasting fee applies. 0403 908 093
The brainchild of Healesville local and self-confessed Yarra Valley wine lover, Ben Mitchell, Yarra Valley Cellar Door is the culmination of three years of wine marketing that didn't make him a cent.
A trip to Heathcote, where one shop was offering a range of labels for tasting, sparked Mitchell's enthusiasm.
"The idea stuck with me - why didn’t the Yarra Valley have a one-stop cellar door with a bunch of producers on show, on one table?”
The answer to that question was simple: no one was doing it. So Mitchell did.
Now that Yarra Valley Cellar Door is a bricks and mortar facility, Mitchell hopes to continue exposing locals and tourists alike to the diversity and quality of Yarra wine.
The rustic Yarra Valley Cellar Door is a wine-tasting room with 10 wines from five producers on tasting.
Located in downtown Healesville, it’s a perfect one-stop tasting spot to discover some of the best wines coming out of the valley right now.
Pouring the tastings himself, Mitchell draws from his experience as former cellar door manager for Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander and sales and marketing manager for Soumah to share a combination of winemaking notes and local knowledge.
YVCD is committed to raising the profile of each of the five wineries on tasting: Santolin Wines, Seville Estate, Soumah Wines, Squitchy Lane and Warramunda Estate.
Valley Cellar Door, 242 Maroondah Highway, Healesville. Thursday/Saturday/Sunday 12-5pm. Friday 12-7pm. Groups (maximum 10) by appointment. Purchase a minimum of one bottle and tasting is free. Otherwise, a $10 tasting fee applies. 0403 908 093
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