The best time of the year to visit Victoria's food and wine regions

Most Victorians know we have some of the best eating and drinking experiences in Australia – and now the closure of international borders and uncertainty around state-based lockdowns means locals are more interested than ever in holidaying on their home turf.

According to April data from the Visit Victoria website, more than 2.7 million Victorians accessed visitvictoria.com since November 2020, up 75 per cent on the same time last year. It also recorded a significant increase in Victorians booking ahead.

So, if overseas and interstate trips are currently off the menu, and more people are locking in their Victorian holidays earlier, now is the time to remind ourselves of the state’s best food and wine regions. Here are our top five, including the best time of year to visit, so you can plan ahead and get in before the crowds.

Autumn in the Yarra Valley

With more than 80 cellar doors, this world-class wine region turns into a tapestry of golden yellows and deep reds in autumn. At just an hour’s drive northeast from Melbourne, the prospect of a day trip is tempting, although experience says you will want to linger. “It’s the combination of food and wine that I think they do better than anywhere else in Victoria,” says wine writer and Halliday Wine Companion reviewer Jane Faulkner. “And it’s not just one grape variety. Certainly, you’d go there for cabernet sauvignon, the Bordeaux blend, pinot noir and chardonnay but it’s an incredibly diverse region so they do lots of different experimental stuff really well. And you’re guaranteed a good feed at the end of it all.” Three of the best include Four Pillars Gin, Innocent Bystander and Yering Station Winery.

Winter in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges

There’s nothing better than cosying up with a glass of conviviality next to an open fire when it’s cold and wet outside. With the recent flood of Melburnians to this part of Victoria, the food and wine offerings in this neck of the woods have become more sophisticated. From iconic favourites such as the Lake House in Daylesford and Annie Smithers’ local and seasonal French farmhouse offerings at du Fermier to gastropub lunches by a crackling fire at The Plough in Trentham, this region is bursting with food and wine talent. We also recommend making a beeline for Kyneton where you’ll find hatted restaurants such as Midnight Starling, and old school, personal charm in kitchens such as Tansy’s. Still not convinced? The fact that this regional delight is only an hour’s drive from Melbourne should sufficiently seal the deal.

Spring in the High Country

When temperatures start shivering out of single digits and the first buds begin to show on the grapevines it’s time to hightail it to the High Country. You’ll be rewarded with plenty of fresh air, but nothing says spring like sparkling prosecco and King Valley is where you’ll find all you’ll ever need. Known as the Prosecco Road, this region is bristling with quality family wineries such as Pizzini, Dal Zotto and Chrismont, where you can take a rustic lunch in the striking dining room while gazing out over the grapes as they revive in the lengthening embrace of the sun. But spring is changeable so, depending on the weather, warm yourself with fortified wines in Rutherglen or cool down with thirst-quenching ales from Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth or Bright Brewery. Also, watch out for the Melbourne Food and Wine spring festival, from November 13 to 21, which is set to showcase Victoria’s regions, including the High Country.

Summer in Gippsland

Summer means seafood, and Melbourne chef Scott Pickett (Estelle, Matilda, Longrain and Chancery Lane) is a big fan of the locally caught offerings of Lakes Entrance in Gippsland. “We get great flathead, and the snapper has been amazing,” he says. “We also get great calamari, too.” But no need to wet your own line, there are some top seafood restaurants here, such as Soda Fish in Lakes Entrance and, in nearby Paynesville, Sardine, where accomplished chef Mark Briggs serves up fresh, locally caught delights. Closer to home, just south of Warragul, chef Trevor Perkins is renowned for his seasonal produce and nose-to-tail approach at Hogget Kitchen. But if your summer adventure takes you further afield to Mallacoota, don’t leave without trying a dumpling from Lucy’s.

Autumn in the Otways

As temperatures begin to drop you’ll find mountain bikers hooning around the dirt tracks of Forrest in Victoria’s gorgeous Otway Ranges. The stable weather may also be perfect for rainforest walks or beachside ramblings along the nearby Great Ocean Road, but where to revive your exhausted bones after all that exercise? Fortunately, this region is experiencing a food and wine awakening. From small-scale, quality ales at Forrest Brewing to top-shelf dining and accommodation at Brae Restaurant in Birregurra and buzzy (now permanent) pop-ups by Movida and Coda restaurants in Lorne, there is much on offer. Don’t leave without trying a Salt Brewing Co. beer from the Aireys Pub and fish and chips from Anglesea’s Fish By Moonlight.