Gourmet Secrets of Victoria

Welcome to Melbourne, Australia’s culinary capital. Take to the maze of laneways and arcades on an intimate discovery of the city’s best-kept food secrets. Indulge at the best chocolatiers, patisseries and spice stores. Find tasty treasures in basements, perched on rooftops and tucked away in art-filled laneways.

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Lose yourself amongst the rolling vineyards of the Yarra Valley, Victoria’s premier wine region, and sip an array of meticulously crafted drops from boutique wineries. On a hosted experience at Oakridge Wines, visit the thriving kitchen garden and pick some of the ingredients that esteemed Executive Chef Aaron Brodie and his team will use to create a sumptuous dining experience. Sample wines at the cellar door, and learn about Oakridge’s aromatic whites and powerful reds. Take your seat at the long table to share in a four-course menu inspired by indigenous Australia, the Yarra Valley’s rolling seasons and a “real cooking” ethos – with matched wines, of course.

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Collect your vehicle* and head south to the Mornington Peninsula, a foodie’s playground just an hour from the city. Check in to your award-winning boutique hotel and the remainder of the day is at leisure to explore dozens of wineries, providores and boutiques dotted along the winding country roads, a round of golf or a soak in the steaming natural mineral waters at Peninsula Hot Springs. Later, settle in at the hatted Doot Doot Doot Restaurant for a five-course tasting menu of seasonal offerings from the best local producers.

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A full day intimate discovery of this epicurean hub awaits. Meet your host for a tour of their charming 27-acre farm filled with olives, grapes, herbs, sheep, chickens and fish. Join the chef in the kitchen to delve deeper into the Mornington Peninsula’s culinary delights with a hands-on lesson turning local produce into mouth-watering cuisine. Relax and enjoy the surrounds whilst eating and drinking some of the finest food and wine on the Peninsula. For dessert, head down the road to linger over cool climate wines, taste the freshest goat’s cheese from a local dairy or savour juicy strawberries and cherries from neighbouring fruit farms.

Jackalope | BL

Return your rental car to Melbourne airport and farewell Australia’s top rated foodie city.

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