> > by Rachael Oakes-Ash
Melbourne may be the food capital of Australia but regional Victoria isn’t far behind with 650 cellar doors and 17 restaurants awarded one or two hats by The Age Good Food Guide. All this set amongst a plethora of pasturelands, alpine landscapes and rugged coastline where country hospitality comes with a smile and time moves slowly.
YARRA VALLEYWhy
Wine, wine and more wine - the Yarra Valley is spitting distance from Melbourne and one of the original wine regions of Victoria. Expect mainly chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling wines with some surprises thrown in.
Top Tips
Look out for the orange and blue flags of the Yarra Valley Regional Food Trail for self guided gourmet touring of over a hundred cafes, local produce and restaurants. The Coldstream Brewery offers a beer break for the palate, Shillinglaw Cafe and Food Store’s alfresco garden is perfect for seasonal produce and the Yarra Valley Dairy serves up fifteen local cheeses.
Must Sip Wineries
Domaine Chandon is an icon of the region as the Australian arm of French Champagne house, Moët Chandon. Their Greenpoint Brasserie has one of the best views in town. Don’t miss the first vineyard planted in the Yarra Valley in 1838 which is now the home to Yering Station, an architectural masterpiece that doubles as a winery, restaurant and cellar door.
De Bortoli Winery & Restaurant is a must see in the Yarra Valley for rustic Italian fare, fine matured cheeses and of course, wine and lots of it.
Must Dine Eatery
Gary Cooper’s Bella Vedere is a one hat restaurant devoted to local produce and includes a cooking school, bakery and organic garden that’s just bursting with local love.
MACEDON RANGES
Why
Misty valleys, spiritual bushlands and mineral springs get under the skin and into the soul in this region.
Top Tips
The town of Daylesford is the heart of spa country and home to Hepburn Springs so start soaking. The Trentham truffle dogs sniff out some seriously good and pungent fungi for truffle lovers.
Must Sip Winery
Try any of the local boutique vineyards including Hanging Rock Winery for views of the rock formations that inspired the classic Australian film Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Must Dine Eatery
This area is a Mecca for fine dining foodies. The glorious Lake House restaurant has two hats, Annie Smithers Bistro has another and the Royal George Hotel does too. Try for a hat trick in the one day.
MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Why
The Peninsula, as it’s commonly known by locals, is a second home for Melbourne’s elite who descend upon their weekenders each Friday. A combination of azure coastline and rolling hinterland, the Mornington Peninsula serves up some of the state’s finest dining experiences and boutique wineries.
Top Tips
Wander barefoot along the peninsula shores for multicoloured beach huts and wild dolphins frolicking in the calm waters, take in a round of golf on one of 15 golf courses and look out for the Mornington Peninsula Gourmet logo at local cafes to ensure you’re getting the best from the region.
Must Sip Winery
Port Phillip Estate has pumped $40 million into their new cellar door, winery and estate and it shows, the wine isn’t bad either. Willow Creek Vineyard is a shrine to manicured design with an award winning Salix restaurant and stellar wines while Ten Minutes by Tractor celebrates the best of three vineyards separated by, yes ten minutes by tractor (this is also a firm local foodie’s favourite).
Must Dine Eatery
Hatted restaurant, Montalto at the Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove is surrounded by orchards, groves, vineyards, lakes and even wetland habitat complete with impressive garden artworks and boardwalks to meander.
BEECHWORTH AND THE ALPINE VALLEY REGION
Why
Think alpine snow-capped mountains, fertile river valleys and cool climate wines. Add a gold rush town of Beechworth, the Milawa Gourmet Region and the original Victorian Brown Brothers winery. What are you waiting for?
Top Tips
In a word? Milawa. This tiny little gourmet dot of a town is big on flavour
with Milawa Cheese, Milawa Olives and Milawa Mustards offering all things dairy and condiments to go with it.
Must Sip Winery
Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard is a one stop wine shop with heritage cellars, contemporary restaurant, open gardens and a windmill and a number of festivals throughout the year.
Must Dine Eatery
Do not leave this region without dining at two hat restaurant, The Provenance for a taste of chef Michael Ryan’s famed anchovies. Still hungry? Wardens Food & Wine is nipping on Michael’s heels with one hat under their modern Italian belt.
RUTHERGLEN
Why
This is the muscat trail of Victoria so if you like your wines fortified you’ve come to the right place. Most vineyards here have been handed down for generations over a hundred and fifty years so expect them to know their stuff.
Top Tips
Taste the famous locally caught Murray cod, wander the local Hume Murray Farmer’s Market every second Saturday and indulge in cheeses at the Black Bull Fromagerie.
Must Sip Winery
The late Peter Brown of Brown Brothers fame is the name behind the local All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyard. You won’t be disappointed at either.
Must Dine Eatery
Lounge on the deck at the Pickled Sisters Cafe at Cofield Wines and let them catch the cod for you.
GOULBURN REGION
Why
It is possible to turn water into good wine. The Goulburn Valley and Upper Goulburn area is bordered by the Great Dividing Range and is home to Broken River, Goulburn River, Ovens River and King River and a handful of lakes so expect fresh juicy cherries, peaches and plums, some fi ne Reisling, Chardonnay, Shiraz and the German inspired Gewurztraminer.
Top Tips
This is paddle steamer territory so grab yourself a houseboat and watch the paddle steamers go. Known as the food bowl of Australia it would be rude not to try the local apples and stone fruit sold at local farms and honour system roadside stands.
Must Sip Winery
If you visit only one winery make it Tahbilk Winery and Vineyard. Their underground cellar dates back to 1869 and features a wetlands wildlife reserve and cafe plus the single largest holding of the rare Marsanne grapes in the world.
Must Dine Eatery
You won’t find blue rinse and pinky fingers in the air at The Tea Rooms of Yark. This two hat restaurant is pure contemporary Italian with an Australian injection in a white weatherboard cottage.
MURRAY DARLING
Why
Three words – The Murray River. Add eighty percent of the state’s wine grape production and designate a driver before you go.
Top Tip
Try Murray River pink salt, fresh Murray cod, saltbush lamb and citrus fruits for local flavours, but take your time this is slow cooking terrain.
Must Sip Winery
Lindemans Karadoc Winery is internationally famous for its exported crisp dry whites and Semillon Sauvignon Blancs. Trentham Estate has river views, barbecuing facilities and a restaurant plus a good range of Chardonnay, Merlot and Shiraz.
Must Dine Eatery
Stefano di Pieri knows his stuff. The fact he’s set up his culinary institution here says a lot for the region. His two hat restaurant, Stefano’s in Mildura is complemented by a bakery, gallery, cellar door and bar. Go with an empty stomach, the five-course Italian menu will more than fill it.
GIPPSLAND
Why
Extending from the New South Wales border to the beginning of Bass Strait in the south of Victoria, Gippsland takes in Ninety Mile Beach and Lakes Entrance and is home to one hundred and ten vineyards.
Top Tips
Wilsons Promontory National Park perches on the southernmost tip of Australia with granite headlands, forests and fern gullies protecting the largest coastal wilderness in Victoria so get your walking shoes on.
Must Sip Winery
You won’t go wrong at any of the local vineyards including Jinks Creek Winery in an old woolshed, the Italian inspired D’Angelo Estate and Wild Dog Winery for the regions famed chardonnay and Riesling.
Must Dine Eatery
Neilsons in Traralgon has one hat dining in an intimate setting served up by rising star chef Lewis Prince. The Outpost Retreat in Noojee is also worth a stop for bistro fare with finesse and a heritage setting.
THE GRAMPIANS
Why
The Grampians are the birthplace of Australian sparkling wine and Henty is the most southerly wine region in the country. Expect dramatic landscapes with escarpments, gorges and rugged ranges and an area that extends down to Port Fairy and Lorne on the coastland.
Must Sip Winery
Wander two kilometres of underground cellars at the Seppelt Great Western winery and explore a hundred and twenty years of Australian wine heritage responsible for excellent shiraz, cabernet and reisling.
Must Dine Eatery
The Royal Mail Hotel at Dunkeld is a firm favourite and not just because it boasts two hats. This is degustation dining heaven. If your stomach can’t stretch that far then head to the other two hat restaurant, the Merrijig Inn for food so fresh it’s been picked from the garden.