Chateau Yering

A Short HistoryIn 1837 brothers William, Donald and James Ryrie, accompanied by four convict stockmen, set out from Monaro in NSW driving 250 head of stock eventually arriving in the Yarra Valley where they settled at the current location of Yering, the aboriginal name for the area.Significantly for the future of the Yarra Valley, accompanying the Ryries were vine cuttings which were planted at Yering and resulted in Victoria's first vintage in 1845. By 1850 over an acre of vines was in full production and when Paul de Castella called to discuss the purchase of Yering Station, Donald Ryrie was able to welcome him with his own wine labelled with ironic overstatement as "Chateau Yering".After purchasing the property de Castella contracted the services of Samuel de Pury, one of a large group of immigrants originating from around Neuchatel in Switzerland, to assist in a significant expansion in the vineyard.He was later joined in developing the area by Samuel de Pury's brother Guillame who founded Yeringberg and Paul de Castella's brother Hubert who founded St Huberts in the early 1860's, both properties having previously been part of Yering Station.All three vineyards were very successful with Yering winning the Argus Gold Cup and 100 guineas prize as the "Best Victorian Vineyard" in 1861. International awards for all three vineyards followed in later years. The pinnacle of Paul de Castella's success was reached in 1889 at the Paris Exhibition where Yering was awarded a "Grand Pris" - the only one awarded outside the Northern Hemisphere.In the late 1890's, after an economic depression, fashion began to change and table wines suffered a significant decline in demand. One by one the vineyards pulled out their vines and the properties were converted to cattle runs, particularly dairying. Paul de Castella sold Chateau Yering in 1896 and concentrated on managing his Melbourne chain of wine cellars until his death in 1903. The rebirth of the Yarra Valley vineyards did not eventuate until the late 1960'sInterior DesignThe elegant interior design of Chateau Yering's guest areas and suites is a stunning expression of a unique vision. Chateau Yering's interior designer, Elly Milner, was faced with the challenge of creating an ambience reflective of a more elegant time balanced with the requirements of a modern and efficient five-star hotel. To realize her design concepts and vision she sourced fabrics, furnishings, furniture and exquisite objet d'art from Europe and the U.K. The textures, colours and lighting within Chateau Yering are subdued and sumptuous, setting a mood of refinement and indulgence.