“Enjoy dinner, set within beautiful stone stables with sweeping views of olive groves.”
Best for: a taste of Italy
RIVERINA,NSW
Producing 90 per cent of the state’s citrus, 80 per cent of the state’s wine grapes, while also being a hive for vegetables, almonds, fruits and rice, it’s no surprise the Riverina region, around five hours west of Sydney, has been dubbed ‘Australia’s Food Bowl’.
Day 1: Starting in the multicultural town of Griffith, welcome the day with bread, biscotti or gelato at fourth-generation bakery Bertoldo’s Pasticceria. For a taste of farm life, join a vintage bus tour at Catania Fruit Salad Farm, beginning at its old farmhouse, moving through the vineyard and orderly groves of trees, and culminating in a tasting plate. Showcasing seasonal local produce – think Snowy Mountain trout with celeriac puree or Riverina beef with silverbeet and black garlic jus – much of it gathered from the restaurant’s own Piccolo
Family Farm, dinner at Limone Dining is a must. Retire to a one- or two-bedroom suite at Quest Griffith, right in the heart of town. cataniafruitsaladfarm.com.au limone.com.au questapartments.com.au
Day 2: Raised on her family’s Griffith vineyard, Cassandra Cadorin knows a thing or two about wine. Join her company, Bella Vita Tours, on a half-day exploration of local vintners and fruit producers. If you prefer a self-guided sojourn, enjoy a glass of Montepulciano rosé overlooking the Cocoparra National Park at Yarran Wines, as well as a wine flight at the Tuscan-like Calabria Family Wines. After the sun sets, feast on the daily-changing menu – chalked up beside notes on the origins of your dish – at Zecca Handmade Italian. bellavitariverinatours.com.au yarranwines.com.au calabriawines.com.au zeccagriffith.com.au
Day 3: Head to Wagga Wagga, perched on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Book a cooking class at Food I Am, from salami making to perfecting dim sum, set on a bucolic 40-hectare property. Then take your pick of boutique cellar doors – Borambola Wines and Cottontail Wines are particularly fetching locales to sip on a chardonnay – followed by a modern Australian set menu at Magpie’s Nest, set within stone stables with sweeping views of olive groves. Check in to a sleek shipping container at Belisi Farmstay Cottage, and be sure to sign up for a session of equine therapy. foodiam.com.au borambola.com cottontailwines.com.au magpiesnestwagga.com belisi.com.au
Hot tip: If you are passing through in spring, return home via the Canola Trail to see paddocks upon paddocks of bright yellow flowers in bloom. canolatrail.com.au
Day two: Wake early for the one-hour drive to Hastings Caves to wander through the underground labyrinth of stalactites and stalagmites and splash in the springfed thermal pools. On the journey back north, drop into Bakehouse Distillery in the seaside port of Dover for a tasting of the world’s first sassafras-inspired spirit, before joining queues at legendary Masaaki’s Sushi in Geeveston – it has gained a reputation as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the country. The miso soup made from local crayfish and wakame is worth the trip alone. Not a fan of Japanese fare? Osteria @ Petty Sessions serves Italian delights à la rye pappardelle with duck ragu and hand-folded tortellini stuffed with rabbit and drizzled with truffle broth. Your setting is the banks of the idyllic Huon River in historic Franklin. bakehousedistillery.com masaaki.com.au