Discover where la dolce vita meets the bush

The King Valley is rich in history. In the mid 1880s, bushranger Harry Power hid out in the hills overlooking the valley. It’s said that early settlers down in the valley would signal to let him know when troopers were in the area by putting sheets out on their clothesline. You can share the same awe-inspiring view today by taking the short drive up to Powers Lookout at the top of the valley. Later during the Gold Rush days, hard-working Chinese established market gardens in the rich valley soils. Then came the Italian immigrants in the 1940s and ’50s, attracted by work on the Snowy hydro and tobacco farms. It’s no surprise the Italians landed here, as the King Valley has a similar climate and landscape to Piedmonte in northern Italy.¹

An area perfect for cool-climate wines

That leads us to the King Valley today, a food and wine destination that has some the highest altitude vineyards in Australia. When tobacco growing declined in the 1990’s, the Italian families ripped out their tobacco crops and planted vines instead.² It proved to be a stroke of genius, as the area is perfect for producing rich, cool-climate wines. Today the King Valley boasts some our finest winemakers. Pizzini, Brown Brothers, Chrismont and Dal Zotto, along with many boutique labels, produce Australia’s own outstanding versions of Italian varietals, including prosecco, sangiovese, barbera pinot grigio and arneis.

There’s also great food to be found here. Many of the wineries, including Dal Zotto, Pizzini and Chrismont also offer trattoria-style restaurants, where you can enjoy casual Italian menus that feature simple, fresh ingredients cooked to perfection. Think of proscuitto pizzas, ragu of lamb with home-made gnocchi, or perhaps a chicken and pork terrine.³ At the cellar doors, as well as tasting and purchasing wines of the region, you can buy preserved fruits and pickled vegetables.

A classic country pub

In the little town of Whitfield, you’ll find the Mountain View Hotel. This classic country pub dates back to the 1860's and is built next to a channel dug by the Chinese during the Gold Rush to send water to their market gardens.³ The food is excellent and there’s a beer garden where you can dine al fresco in the clear, cool air.
At Milawa, Brown Brothers, the original family to see the potential of the area, have been making wine since 1889. As well as their famous cellar door offering, there’s also great cheeses, meats, fish, olives, salami and other produce to be found in Milawa.

Follow the Prosecco Road to la dolce vita

For a ‘greatest hits’ tour of what the valley has to offer, you can follow the ‘Prosecco Road’, a sensational food and wine trail that features six local winemakers and celebrates the best of Italian dining.⁴ Of course, no food and wine destination is complete without a festival. During November, you can join in the La Dolce Vita festival, when wineries up and down the King Valley open their doors to celebrate the arrival of spring.⁴

Whether it’s sitting by a roaring fire in winter or lunching in the summer sun taking in the fresh mountain air, the King Valley is wonderful place to explore, relax and enjoy some of the best produce Victoria has to offer.

How to get there

The King Valley is 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne on the Hume Highway, 80Km from Albury and 15km from Wangaratta. To find out more, visit www.visitkingvalley.com.au