The Immerse Retreat by Susan Miles

It’s a popular image in tourism promotions; smiling, relaxed visitors strolling through rows of grape vines set off against the spectacle of a glowing sky at sunset. It is hard to imagine such an idyllic picture existing in reality, let alone on our own doorstep. However nestled amongst the big name wineries of the Yarra Valley lays the relaxed and easing going boutique winery of Immerse.

Here guests are invited to enjoy all aspects of the property. From the picturesque and extensive rose garden, where visitors are welcomed to pick a bloom or two, to taking a stroll through the rows of grapes being cultivated in the vineyard. It is fascinating to note the different shapes of the leaves and varying taste of the ripening grapes that will end up as bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz wine.

All of these wines can be sampled in the Immerse Cellar Door. Stocked not only with Immerses wines, the Cellar Door offers a selection of Yarra Valley produce including thick rich pasta sauces, basil infused olive oil and the wineries own “Strawberry and Contreau” jam, made and bottled in the kitchen of the Immerse Café.

The Café at Immerse is the bustling centre of the winery. Day trippers to the Yarra Valley drop in for a late breakfast during the morning or a fortifying coffee and cake during the afternoon. The lunch menu, which the kitchen appears to produce well into late afternoon, is sprinkled with light Asian flavouring while utilising the fresh produce of the region. This is best tasted in the antipasto “Immerse Yarra Valley Taste Plate”. Featuring Yarra Valley Salmon and marinated olives, it is a great way to experience the Yarra Valley via your taste buds.

But what makes Immerse unique amongst the wineries of the region, is that beyond the experience of indulging in good wine and good food in a beautiful setting, it also offers the opportunity to indulge the body. Courtesy of the Natskin Spa Retreat located on the property, guests have a menu as extensive as the Cellar Door wine list to choose from to pay some attention to their face, feet, hands and body.

So whether you want to wrap your body in algae to detox, soak in a milk bath to sooth or have a sea salt and almond oil exfoliation to cleanse, the choice is yours. The Vichy water treatment is one of the most luxuriating and extensive I have experienced. Combining a light massage interspersed with a vichy shower, the treatment lasts long enough for the stresses to melt away and send you to a peaceful state of relaxation.

The face is looked after with a choice of either the classic spa facial, eye focus treatment or the blessed out aromatherapy spa facial that is tailored to lift, relax, claim or rejuvenate, depending on your preference.

If the dining and wine tasting isn’t enough to make the drive back to Melbourne seem uninviting, the cosy state of bliss courtesy of the spa treatments certainly will. This will be when you will thank Stephen and Helen Myles, the owners of Immerse, for their ingenuity in transplanting a Toorak cottage to the property. For this has been remodeled into 5 luxuriously appointed guest suites. Finished with private balconies and furnished with plush sinkable bedding, the hardest choice you will be whether to sample the Merlot or the Pinot Noir as you settle in to watch the sunset across the vines – Ahhhh…….. bliss!