The Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia (61km East of Melbourne) is renowned for its illustrious produce that sustains a remarkable array of wineries, cellar doors, restaurants and accommodation. It is also a favourite spot for couples to tie the knot, with its expansive backdrops of green pastures and lush vineyards, overseen by an equally sprawling azure sky.

In the midst of this most beloved destination stands Chateau Yering, a breathtaking family home reminiscent of a French chateau style country estate, built back in the 1850’s by the De Castella family. There is a lot of history to absorb as you pass through the white picket fence and drive down the winding path to the front entrance. You are introduced to the stunning garden, first planned and planted by Baron Von Mueller – the man behind Melbourne’s iconic Botanical Gardens. Chateau Yering even boasts a rare heritage listed Chilean Palm.

The Chateau itself greets you with its white facade of French doors and shutters lined with terracotta pots leading to the entrance. The lounge areas of the hotel are genuine nostalgia stirrers, featuring lofty ceilings decorated with golden roses, herringbone parquetry, ornate marble fireplaces, china blue vases, tasseled drapes and sumptuous leather armchairs.

As you walk through the entrance foyer with its black and white chequer tiles, past the wedgewood blue sitting room and into the popular One Chef Hatted Eleanor’s Restaurant, with its plush dining settings and brooding maroon walls that look out onto the hotel’s rambling lawn area, you are immediately immersed in the grandeur of this historic abode.

The rooms of the hotel are generous and although you are required to walk through the Sweetwater Cafe (where breakfast is served) to reach the Garden Suites, what greets you is impressive. The rooms keep with the French chateau antique style, with a mahogany dressing table and central oval table, towering armoire that houses a flat screen TV and bar fridge, king sized bed with large draped headboard and bedside lamps adorned with delicate butterflies, all set in an elegant 38square meters. In any other setting, this room could come across as old-fashioned, however Chateau Yering is not trying to be anything other than what it is – a genuinely historical site that is proud of its heritage and is catering to guests that want to feel like they have entered a bygone era, enjoying what it would be like to have stayed at the residence over a century ago (and yes, with the inclusion of the floral duvet spread), albeit with all of the modern luxuries of the 21st century. The bathroom is really gorgeous and generous also, resplendent in white marble from floor to ceiling, boasting a large walk in shower with waterfall shower head, claw footed bath tub, white porcelain basin and guest amenities from Appelles Apothecary (complete with Acacia wood soap tray).

The Garden Suite leads out to the aforementioned Eleanor Restaurant lawn, although it doesn’t hold much by way of enticement for guests to foray into this part of the grounds. But not to despair, there are many parts of the estate that are enticing, including a fantastic (and very deep!) in-ground pool set in slate that almost seems like a secret hideaway, surrounded by gorgeously vibrant trees and plants, hidden behind a green picket fence. The serenity in this garden by the pool, sipping a glass of chilled Pommery and watching the sun sparkle off the water is truly enjoyable and reminiscent of a summer in Provence.

And if the weather were to turn towards a chillier season, you could always enjoy a glass of Shiraz by the fireplace in the library as you engage in a game of chess, or pop on over to the neighbouring Yering Station winery for a tasting.

To book a suite at Chateau Yering, head to: http://www.chateauyering.com.au/