CHRISMONT

Arnie and Jo Pizzini opened their combined cellar door, larder and restaurant on an elevated part of their property where they once sat on a picnic rug, dreaming of a building that would capture views to the distant peaks of the Black Ranges. A modern angular building replaced the rug in 2015 and nailed the brief. On a sunny day the awning-shaded, terrazzo veranda is the ideal perch to appreciate the bucolic setting and simply cooked, rustic Italian dishes by Jo’s cousin Giovanna Jones – eggplant polpette, braised beef rib with polenta – and Chrismont’s Italian varieties: prosecco, pinot grigio, fiano, arneis, sangiovese and barbera. Deftly balancing the modern and the traditional, lunch at Chrismont is an essential King Valley experience. Chrismont, 251 Upper King River Rd, Chestnut, (03) 5729 8220, chrismont.com.au; open daily 10am-5pm>