The Ultimate Passport to… Myrtleford

Myrtleford is perfectly situated on the fertile floodplains of the Ovens Valley, where the Happy Valley and Barwidgee Creeks flow into the Ovens River.

Once this productive farmland was used for growing tobacco; now it is an epicentre of incredible produce, as farmers have turned their hands to dairying and beef and to growing wine grapes, hops, berries, apples, pears, stonefruit, nuts, olives, lavender, and more. The unmistakeable shapes of old tobacco drying kilns still dot the landscape, now turned to such varying uses as cafés and accommodation. Farm gates proliferate or you can find local produce at the Myrtleford Community Produce Market (Saturdays from December to May).

Myrtleford’s population swelled with Italian migrants in the 1920s and after WWII, and that Italian heritage is still celebrated today, in many of Myrtleford’s cafés and restaurants, and in the yearly autumn festival La Fiera. Even if you’re not in the area for La Fiera, you can celebrate Myrtleford’s Italian heritage with the Ultimate Passport’s great value offers at Michelini Wines, Eaglerange Estates, Lupo’s Kiln Café and Bastoni Pizzeria.

Scenic views abound in Myrtleford. From almost anywhere in town you will see the granite bulk of Mount Buffalo. For views from different angles, walk the Ovens River loop, a sealed, mostly flat track linking Apex and Rotary parks along the river, partly through native bushland. Walk up to Reform Hill lookout (there are three different tracks to choose from) for expansive views of the Ovens Valley, Mount Buffalo and the Victorian Alps.

The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail runs right through the centre of town if you want to take a spin on two wheels – ride out past the hop fields to Eurobin or onwards to Bright (about 35km), or head the other direction towards Gapsted. If you’re up for a bit of a climb, pass through Gapsted to Everton then take the spur line to Beechworth.

Lake Buffalo is about 20 kilometres from town along the Buffalo River Road, at the western foot of Mount Buffalo. It’s an excellent spot in summer for swimming, kayaking, water-skiing and wake-boarding, and for fishing year-round. Facilities include playground, picnic area, electric BBQs and boat ramp.

Myrtleford is the commercial centre of the Alpine Shire and is just a 25-minute drive from Bright and Beechworth, about 40 minutes from the Milawa Gourmet Region, 45 minutes from the entrance to Mount Buffalo National Park and 1 1/2 hours from Falls Creek and Mount Hotham resorts. The small hamlet of Stanley, with its orchards and berry farms, is a scenic 35-minute drive through the eucalypts of the Stanley State Forest.

The Ultimate Passport has three great-value accommodation offers for Myrtleford:

Stay 3 nights for the price of 2 at Panoramia Villas, the ultimate in luxury and relaxation. Located on 60 acres of private bushland, just 4 kilometres off the Great Alpine Road in Myrtleford, the villas offer full panoramic views of the Ovens Valley from their floor-to-ceiling windows. Each of the two villas is elegantly appointed with a range of unique and exotic furniture, homewares, and objets d’art, as well as all of the accoutrements you expect from a deluxe property – fully equipped kitchen, free WiFi, balcony with barbeque, wood fire (firewood supplied), premium linen & towels, and undercover parking. Panoramia Villas is just 45 minutes from Mount Buffalo National Park and 1 1/2 hours’ drive from Falls Creek and Mount Hotham Ski Resorts.

G.G’s By The River is a luxury 2-bedroom self-contained cottage at the foot of Mount Buffalo in Eurobin, taking pride in their attention to detail and warm hospitality. Elegantly appointed, comfortable bedrooms feature king beds, full luxury bathrooms and superior quality linen & robes. Stay 4 nights, pay for 3, and receive a complimentary welcome hamper.

Motel on Alpine offers warm country hospitality in a superb location, right on the Great Alpine Road and the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail. Stay 3 nights for the price of 2 in one of 20 spacious suites and cabins, featuring tea & coffee making facilities, well-stocked minibar, flat screen TVs and off-street, undercover parking.

The Ultimate Passport features eight fantastic food & wine offers in the Myrtleford area:

You can’t miss the Michelini Wines Cellar Door– it’s the Tuscan villa-style building right on the Great Alpine Road in the heart of Myrtleford! Try their trophy & award-winning cool climate Italian varietals (Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Sangiovese, and more), or their very approachable Devils Creek range, then receive two glasses of wine for only $10 to enjoy at a table in the beautiful cellar door, made largely with recycled materials. The Michelini family first started growing grapes and making wine in Italy in 1851.Today the family proudly continues their wine-making tradition with grapes grown in the shadow of Mount Buffalo, focusing on cool climate Italian varietals in the style of the Trentine Alto Adige region, sometimes using them in innovative new-world style.

Eaglerange Estate is a family-owned vineyard located in Happy Valley, part of the Alpine Valleys wine region. The estate has been in the Ivone family for more than three generations and is named after the watchful eagles that soar over the valley. They produce small batches of carefully crafted, cool-climate wines and are constantly expanding their range with the planting of new varieties of vines. Call in to the Cellar Door in the beautiful Happy Valley, just a few minutes’ drive from the Great Alpine Road, and taste their range of cool climate wines. Eaglerange also offer tastings and sell handmade salami, made to a family recipe handed down through the generations. Then receive 20% off your purchase of 3 or more bottles of wine, and 20% off your purchase of any salami.

A visit to Gapsted Wines Cellar Door & Restaurant is one of the highlights of North East Victoria. Just 5 minutes’ drive from Myrtleford on the Great Alpine Road, and near the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, Gapsted Wines Cellar Door offers over 25 cool-climate wines for tasting including innovative varieties like Petit Manseng and Saperavi, along with your old favourites. Gapsted Wines Restaurant is open for lunch every day and takes pride in their outstanding food & wine pairings, using the finest local produce. Each season they select 3 top seasonal dishes for the set 3-course Taste of Season menu. You and a friend can enjoy the Taste of Season menu with matching wines – pay full price for one Taste of Season and the second is half price. Savour sweeping views of the surrounding vineyard, valleys and mountains beyond, while you relax and enjoy the region’s best food and innovative wine varieties.

Lupo’s Kiln Café is a family-friendly café and restaurant in a repurposed tobacco shed furnished almost completely with recycled materials. Lupo’s offers great coffee, breakfast, fresh hand-made pasta & sauces and housemade cakes & sweet treats, all served with a huge portion of country, Italian-style hospitality. Fresh, house-made pasta is the specialty at Lupo’s Kiln Café. All of their pastas and sauces are made fresh by hand in the traditional Italian style. This really is pasta just like Nonna makes. Order 2 pasta dishes from their outstanding selection and two glasses of house wine (or 2 coffees) for just $35. Enjoy a seat on the outdoor deck with magnificent views over Mount Buffalo, while the kids play in the awesome fully-enclosed playground.

No need for a plane ticket to transport you to Morocco – simply enter Café Fez, nestled inside Red Ramia bazaar on the Great Alpine Road in Myrtleford. Enjoy a taste of more exotic climes: Moroccan Mint Tea (or a more quotidian coffee if you prefer) and the honey-sweet, nutty delight that is Café Fez’s house-made baklava for two people, for just $10.

For dinner, enjoy two Bastoni Pizzeria authentic wood-fired pizzas and two glasses of wine or beer at this friendly pizzeria in the heart of Myrtleford. Choose from the traditional margherita or napoletana, one of the tasty pizze bianche (white pizzas), or perhaps a limited-time-only Bastoni special. You’re sure to find a pizza that delights the taste buds! And check the Ultimate Passport for Bastoni’s exclusive lunch special too.

Motel on Alpine Restaurant offers warm country hospitality in a superb location, right on the Great Alpine Road and the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail in Myrtleford – a perfect spot to enjoy the gourmet food & wine delights of the northeast. The stylish dining room has floor to ceiling windows revealing extensive views over the Ovens Valley and Mount Buffalo and the menu focuses on seasonal, local produce. Come enjoy a relaxing or romantic dinner at the Motel on Alpine Restaurant. Order 2 courses per person for yourself & a friend, and receive a FREE bottle of house wine to go with your meal.

Finally, if you cycle or drive to Beechworth, take advantage of these great offers:

Australian beer lovers, here is an amazing deal for you – the 10-beer tasting paddle at Bridge Road Brewers, for just $10. Yep, you heard us right. Try 10 of Bridge Road’s craft beers – including seasonal brews, ground-breaking collaborations, and of course their flagship Beechworth Pale Ale – for just $10. Bridge Road Brewers is one of historic Beechworth’s top attractions, with good reason. The brewery has an open fire for winter and a large beer garden & kids’ play area for the warmer months. They also serve lunch or dinner, with tasty pizzas made with local ingredients and other beer-friendly menu options. Keep your eyes out for Maria’s famous pretzels, the best pretzels this side of Munich – they sell out fast so get in early!

Amulet Winery is the pioneer of Italian varieties in the iconic region of Beechworth – a small-volume family-owned winery producing a diverse range of Italian & French varieties, giving traditional styles a unique twist. Amulet Wines is also the home of Beechworth Cider. Visit the Cellar Door, just 10 minutes’ drive from Beechworth, for a free tasting, then purchase two glasses of wine from their diverse range of Italian & French style varietals, or two glasses of Beechworth Cider, and receive a complimentary deconstructed tasting plate, featuring an extensive array of seasonal local produce, to enjoy with your drinks.

Pennyweight Winery is a small, unique, traditional vineyard & winery owned & operated by the Morris family, now in their 5th generation of winemakers, known for their range of premium table wines and fortified wines including their flagship Pennyweight Gold, a fortified dessert wine. Taste their range of premium biodynamic table wines and fortifieds at the unpretentious cellar door set among stringybarks and vines, then purchase a glass of wine and receive a free glass of wine up to the same value. Pennyweight is located off the Beechworth-Wangaratta Road, and just 2.5km from town directly on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail.

The Indigo Vineyard Ultimate Taste Experience is a fun & informative wine education adventure. Taste a flight of wine using the internationally recognised Jean Lenoir ‘Le Nez du Vin’ tasting kit, designed to improve your understanding of wine bouquet. At the end of the hour-long tasting, take home a boxed Riedel wine glass, along with your enhanced knowledge. Indigo Vineyard is a specialist grape grower, with their premium grapes used in many fabulous wines produced by great winemakers. Small parcels of carefully chosen estate-grown grapes are reserved to produce small batches of Indigo Wines.

The Ox and Hound Bistro is a relaxed and inviting bistro tucked into a cosy shopfront in Beechworth, featuring large windows that saturate the room with light by day and frame the streetscape by night. The dining experience at The Ox and Hound reflects the wide variety of our quality local sub-alpine produce, including ingredients from our kitchen garden, and our seasonal menu delivers classic French & Italian dishes with a local twist. Treat yourself & a friend to a long and luxurious lunch at the Ox and Hound Bistro with a great lunch special for two – 2 courses with matched local wines, for $110.

The Spa Beechworth, one of Victoria’s premium country spa and wellbeing destinations, has two relaxing, indulgent offers: Choose from their vinotherapy treatment, a 75-minute full-body exfoliation & massage using locally sourced, wine-infused therapeutic products, for just $179 per person, or pamper yourself and a friend at The Spa Beechworth – book 2 or more people on any treatments of 60 minutes or longer (ranging from complete body scrub & mud treatment through to hot stone massage and couples’ retreats), and receive a complimentary glass of wine and local tasting plate to enjoy whilst relaxing, valued at up to $65.

Fine print: Please check the exclusions & conditions of each offer. All offers are subject to availability and most require advance booking.