Rutherglen Wine Region: Rutherglen, an old gold rush township close to the Murray River, is today the agricultural and viticultural centre of Australia's oldest wine growing region located near the banks of the Murray River. The Rutherglen wine region is the premier fortified wine producing area in Australia, with winemaker's passing on their knowledge through up to five generations. The growth of the area has seen Rutherglen become the home of many boutique wineries.
Glenrowan Wine Region: The village of Glenrowan is famous as the place where bushranger Ned Kelly was captured, but beyond the histioric township towards the Warby Ranges where Ned used to hide out, are a number of fine wineries. The oldest - Baileys of Glenrowan - was founded in 1870, ten years before the Kelly Gang met their Waterloo at Glenrowan, and evidence suggests Ned did casual work as a fencing contractor helping Richard Bailey plant his first vines. Glenrowan is renowned for its fortified wines but also produces rich styles of Shiraz and Chardonnay.
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Milawa Gourmet Region: this specialist region is centred around the townships of Milawa and Oxley and is home to a number of fresh and processed food producers, a number of Victoria's leading wineries, and a variety of accommodation options. The region is located in the lush Ovens and King Valleys, 2.5 hours north of Melbourne.
King Valley Gourmet: The extraordinary diversity in the conditions and landscape - the variation in altitude, soil type, rainfall and temperature - across the North East Valleys is unrivalled in Australia. Its continental climate, with four distinct seasons, provide ideal growing conditions, whether for grapes, dairy cattle and other livestock, fruit, vegetables and nuts or mountain river fish. The King Valley boasts some of the highest altitude vineyards in the country, producing premium boutique wines including European and Mediterranean varieties, a reflection of the vibrant Italian community that is the heart and soul of the King Valley.
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Factory Outlets: Shepparton’s factory sales outlet for processed fruit has its roots in the 1980s when one ran from a little hut near the Ardmona Factory at Mooroopna, whose main customers were employees and shareholders. SPC and Ardmona merged in 2000 and by this time the factory sales outlet was attracting half a million visitors each year from all corners of the state and the nation. The SPC Ardmona factory outlet is now one of Greater Shepparton’s major tourist attractions and has become the largest food factory outlet in Australia. In March 2010, the oulet moved to a new location in the main street of Shepparton.
Upper Goulburn Food, Wine and Culture: around an hour's drive to the north and north east of Melbourne its range of produce includes organically grown vegetables, chemical free garlic, stone fruit, olives, grapes, berries of all sorts, snails, olive oil, cheese, sourdough bread and speciality cakes. The region also produces 85% of Australia's trout. Match all this with artists, poets and bush balladeers, cafes and restaurants, festivals and events and you have one exciting region.
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