Whether you're looking for specialty farmhouse cheeses, need to stock up on mustards, jams, cherries and berries, or simply want to sample a drop of some of Australia's best wines, the Milawa Gourmet Region in northeast Victoria is where you'll find it.

Tucked snugly into the Alpine valleys and lush river-fed fields of Victorian High Country just three hours north of Melbourne, the Milawa Gourmet Region is a food lovers' paradise. With the region's rich soil and four distinct seasons providing ideal growing conditions, you'll find it overflowing with an unsurpassed array of great raw ingredients including chestnuts, walnuts, asparagus, olives, mustards and cheeses, not to mention world-class fortified and cool-climate wines.

So get ready to hit to the road for a gastronomic tour of one of Australia's exceptionally scenic, historic and wine-drenched regions. We guarantee you'll be back for a second helping.

EV Olive Groves
First stop is EV Olive Groves in Markwood. Olive oil has long been a symbol of the healthy Mediterranean lifestyle, though a growing appreciation of the key ingredients of Italian cuisine in recent years has brought olive oil production in Australia under the spotlight. Here at EV Olive Groves you can visit the groves and meet the producers for tastings and sales of the company's award-winning olive oils, sinfully delicious tapenades and magnificent marinated olives. Don't miss their lime-infused Agrumato oil — it has a pleasant bitterness mid palate and a nice sharp finish and is perfect for adding a little Asian zing to your gourmet cooking.
Address: Everton Road, Markwood
Phone: (03) 5727 0209
Website: www.evolives.com

Milawa Mustards
Down the road in Milawa you'll find the region's renowned 'condiment centre', Milawa Mustards. Located in the Old Emu Inn, Milawa Mustards produces some 18 different varieties of mustard ranging from the mild and pleasant honey flavoured kind which you could quite happily smear thickly over a piece of fresh crusty bread to the knock-your-socks-off flaming hot chilli at the other end of the taste spectrum. Somewhere around the middle you'll find the ever-popular dill and lemon mustard. With jars upon jars of chutneys, pickles, jams, relishes, jellies and fruit pastes also available you'll need a rather large bag to take home all your gourmet goodies. After you've had your fill, be sure take a peek at the adjoining photographic gallery which features an ever changing exhibition of limited edition photographs taken by ''Mother Mustard'' herself, Anna Bienvenu.
Address: The Old Emu Inn, The Cross Roads, Milawa
Phone: (03) 5727 3202
Website: www.milawamustard.com.au

Milawa Cheese Company
No trip to Milawa is complete without a stop at the Milawa Cheese Company to sample its award-winning cow, goat and sheep's milk cheeses. Established by David and Anne Brown in 1988 in an old butter factory, the company's product range which began with the delicately flavoured Milawa White quickly expanded to include soft cheeses such as chevre, washed rind, white mould and French-style blue cheese. Today the complex also houses a much lauded locally-focused restaurant and a bakery whose traditional artisan-style sourdough breads provide the perfect accompaniment for the scrummy cheeses.
Address: Factory Road, Milawa
Phone: (03) 5727 3589
Website: www.milawacheese.com.au

Brown Brothers Epicurean Centre
Set on the sprawling century-old Brown Brothers' wine estate, the Epicurean Centre's primary purpose is to create cuisine to complement and showcase the estate's wine. Chef Adam Rivett and his staff taste every wine first, and then tailor each meal to perfectly match that particular drop. The deceptively simple dishes, which lean towards a Mediterranean/Australian fusion, are made from local produce and are cooked with such skill as to not impinge on the primary flavours, but merely further flaunt the fruits of the region. The service is superlative, with staff even able to fetch you a few bottles from the cellar door to take home with you.
Address: Brown Brothers Vineyard, Milawa-Bobinawarrah Road, Milawa
Phone: (03) 5720 5540
Website: www.brownbrothers.com.au

Blue-Ox Berries
If berries are more to your taste, then Blue-Ox Berries on Smith Road at Oxley offers a deliciously refreshing way to spend an hour or two. With a wide range of berries including blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries and youngberries available fresh in summer (December-January) and frozen all year round you'll never be stuck for choice. The farms also stocks delicious jams, chutneys and sauces.
Address: 16 Smith Road, Oxley
Phone: (03) 57273397

Details:
The Milawa Gourmet Region, declared Australia's first gourmet region in 1994, lies between the King and Ovens rivers and takes in the townships of Milawa, Oxley, Markwood and Everton. Visit www.milawagourmet.com for more information.

Where to stay
Just opposite Brown Brothers Wine Estate you'll find Lindenwarrah Country House and Vineyard which offers luxurious and sophisticated accommodation. All rooms are stylishly decorated and most have views of the vineyard.
Address: Milawa-Bobinawarrah Road, Milawa
Phone: (03) 5720 5777
Website: www.lindenwarrah.com.au

This tour was supported by Tourism Victoria.

Australia is renowned for its quality wines. Wine tours and tastings can be booked throughout the country.