By Dongyun Kwon
With the significant milestone of its 30th anniversary, Yarra Valley Dairy (YVD) recently heard one more good news.
YVD has been nominated for the Best’s Wines Tourism and Hospitality Award in the 2024 Victorian Community Achievement Awards.
The Best’s Wines Tourism and Hospitality Award will honour Victorians who are leaders in their field, doing their part to showcase Victoria as a destination of choice or providing exceptional guest experiences through gracious hospitality.
YVD marketing manager Catherine McCarthy said the whole team were surprised but not surprised by this news.
“We don’t do a lot of broadcasting about what we do here, so we were surprised, but not surprised because once people start to come here, they understand how wonderful it is,” she said.
“It’s a great experience, it’s great they taste the cheese and they make an association with how beautiful it is and they walk away with a really good feeling about coming to a family owned business that is really honest and authentic.”
YVD, located in the scenic Yarra Valley, is renowned for its artisanal cheeses and exceptional visitor experiences.
The business, led by its dedicated team, continues to uphold high standards of cheese-making and engages the community with recipes featured on their website, enhancing their connection with both local and wider audiences.
YVD venue manager Shauni Brauch said YVD founder Mary Mooney grew up on the property.
“Her family and parents were dairy farmers, and they used to sell milk,” she said.
“When Mary was middle aged, there was some spare milk and she wanted to give cheesemaking a go, and the very first client was Chandon.
“Then, with one of her friends who was a cheesemaker, they came up with Persian Fetta, so that was our first cheese ever made.”
Since 1994, YVD has been crafting cheeses, using locally sourced milk and has received a number of awards, especially for its signature cheese Persian Fetta.
Ms McCarthy said YVD has supported local tourism while showcasing Australian cheeses.
“Being in a wine region, YVD provides a different experience for travellers who come here to have wine, and they find that there’s a great dairy here,” she said.
“The wine in the region is produced from the soil and the terroir, and it’s very specific to the region, same with our cheese.
“The cheese is made from milk of the cows grazed in this area, so it’s a very specific Australian cheese, and it reflects the region.”
YVD has been using the same original recipe for Persian Fetta for 30 years since it was first created.
Visitors can enjoy not only Australian cheeses but also the beautiful view of the Yarra Valley through the windows at YVD.
Ms Brauch said it is really exciting to see the visitors forming an emotional connection to the place.
“You have that connection to the cheese, the product or the experience you had, and it makes you want to come back,” she said.
Nominations closed on Wednesday 4 September, with judging to take place throughout October.
Winners will be announced on Friday 13 December at the 2024 Community Achievement Awards Gala Presentation Dinner.
