Foodies Dream from the Victorian Alpine Wine Region

Being a Melbourne girl, I traditionally love the city & suburbs but sometimes you just have to getaway! The Easter holiday season is definitely one of my favorite times to do this, especially getting away to the Alpine wine region in Victoria (about 3.5 hours away from the Melbourne CBD). Here in Australia, March & April are our autumn seasons, so the weather and surroundings are simply beautiful in this area. Generally, this region is a must in any season to be perfectly honest – there is always something to do and see!

This region is home to some of Australia’s finest gourmet producers, most acclaimed restaurateurs, and internationally recognized winemakers. The food, wine, and beer is one of Victoria’s truly unique foodie experiences.

Being a bit a ‘foodie’ myself and my general appreciation for good food, good company, and great atmospheres, over the course of four days away, we ate, drank and were merry! Here are some of my highlights of this trip and some tips if you are in the area.

Brown Brothers Winery & Easter Festival

This brand is definitely one of the most well-known in the wine world and is definitely somewhere you should visit if you are in this region. They had an Easter festival over two days which is always full of atmosphere and fun, with live music, an abundance of food stalls, farmers market and of course – the wine tasting hall!

Milawa Cheese Factory

This family-owned and run Cheese Factory is another ‘must venture to’ spot within this region. Not only does cheese totally go with the wine vibes, it has award-winning cheeses (I’d recommend the King Gold!) and knowledgeable and friendly staff to guide you through it all. It also has a little boutique gift store and café area to really set the scene and relax into the experience.

Café Fez

Amazingly enough, this eatery has been in the Myrtleford area for over 8 years and I’d never been until this year! This was definitely a place which can be missed, but shouldn’t! The food was out of this world and you literally feel like you’re eating with Aladdin! To the outsider looking in, it is very much a shopping experience with a Moroccan vibe that takes you to a completely different world – however, right next door is the café, which boasts some truly amazing food and traditional details to go with the whole experience. (You can probably tell how much I loved this place by how many photos I took!)

Honorable Food Mentions!

Bastoni Pizzaria

I can honestly say that Bastoni’s has the best pizza I have ever tasted – it’s wood-fired, thin based and has fresh and local produce to complement its authentic tastes. We’ve been here before in previous years, but really outdid ourselves this year with trying about 4 pizzas and some starters – not forgetting the wine – of course! The staff are friendly, the food is great and the overall atmosphere I’d describe is ‘relaxed chic’. Inside eating options, along with outdoor options, including bean bags are available. If you are in Myrtleford, definitely stop by!

Coffee Chakra

This place definitely has the authentic Melbourne ‘hipster’ vibe happening and in all the right ways! The atmosphere was super cool and there was definitely a buzz around the place, with the food being of such an amazing standard! I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful and was super impressed overall. It was too early for wine when we went, however, the coffee was fantastic!

Reign Of Pearls

This quaint tea house is also an art gallery and gift shop and is a great spot to relax with some Devonshire Tea. The seating is arranged among some one of a kind pieces of art, clothing, and jewelry and takes you to another time frame completely by being there. It’s a sophisticated vibe and character should definitely be enjoyed.

I highly recommend visiting and aiming to get through as many wineries, restaurants and produce stores as possible for the full relaxed and fresh experience. Definitely, a must-see if you a visiting or living in Victoria!

Do you have a favorite place in this region? Would love to know if you do or what you loved overall?