The Lancemore Milawa hotel in north-east Victoria received a multi-million dollar makeover in 2022.
THE ONE LUXURY HOTEL
The 40-room Lancemore Milawa - the signature accommodation in one of Australia's oldest food and wine regions in the north-east corner of Victoria - underwent a vaunted multi-million dollar makeover last year. Perfect for a short break,or even longer,the extensive interior designer-led transformation extends right from the rooms,some of which overlook both grapevines and distant mountains,to the top-notch restaurant (see below) and cosy communal guest lounges. Seelancemore.com.au
THE ONE SLOW LUNCH
Make some time for the slow (you've got three hours) degustation lunch at Brown Brothers winery,which dates to 1889 and is,conveniently right across the road from the Lancemore Milawa (leave the car in the hotel car park and imbibe). A one-hattedGood Food Guide recipient,chef Bodee Price's accomplished dishes are served in a thoroughly unpretentious rustic room with many of the ingredients sourced straight from the winery's own kitchen garden. Seebrownbrothers.com.au
THE ONE WINE VALLEY
A pleasant and scenic half-hour or so drive from Milawa is the sparkling King Valley,the home of the highly-successful Italian-style prosecco wine in Australia. Rich in Italian-Australian immigrant heritage,the region,with the small town of Whitfield as its centrepiece,is home to famed wineries with tell-tale names like Dal Zotto,Pizzini,La Cantini and Politini. There are also good winery restaurants,cooking schools and low-key accommodation amid or overlooking the valley's lush vineyards. Seevisitvictoria.com
THE ONE TOWN
Credit:Alamy
One of Australia's most beautifully preserved gold rush-era towns,Beechworth is an easy and enjoyable road trip from your central Milawa base. It's brimful of colonial history here (as well,these days,tourists),such as the courtroom where Ned Kelly was arraigned before his execution. Beechworth also boasts the perpetually (two) hatted,Japanese-influenced Provenance,inside a converted 19th-century bank,headed by indefatigable chef Michael Ryan. Seeexplorebeechworth.com.au;theprovenance.com.au