The Perfect King Valley Wine Weekend – A 3-Day Itinerary

If you love good wine, long lunches, beautiful countryside and discovering places where the person pouring your wine may well be part of the family that grew the grapes, the King Valley deserves more than a quick day trip.

Three days is just about perfect.

It gives you enough time to explore some of the King Valley's best wineries, enjoy a couple of long lunches, discover the cafés and country pubs around Whitfield and — importantly — slow down enough to actually enjoy it.

And if you're staying at 3BlackSHEDS in Whitfield, you have another advantage: some of the valley's best-known wineries, restaurants and cafés are close enough that you don't need to spend your entire weekend driving.

Here's how we'd spend the perfect three-day King Valley wine weekend.

Day 1 – Arrive in Whitfield and Ease Into King Valley Life

3:00pm – Arrive at 3BlackSHEDS

Don't make the mistake of filling every hour of your first day.

Check into 3BlackSHEDS, unpack, put your feet up and take a little time to settle into the slower pace of the King Valley.

Whitfield makes an ideal base for a wine weekend because you're right amongst the action. Pizzini and Dal Zotto are nearby, while Chrismont, Darling Estate, Politini and several other cellar doors are only a short drive away.

Once you're settled, it's time for your first tasting.

4:00pm – Start at Pizzini Wines

There's probably no better introduction to the King Valley's Italian wine story than Pizzini Wines.

An easy 15-minute walk, the Pizzini family has become synonymous with Italian grape varieties in the region, and the cellar door is a great place to explore wines such as Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio and Prosecco.

Don't worry if you can't tell your Nebbiolo from your Sangiovese.

That's half the fun.

A good cellar-door tasting isn't about proving how much you know about wine. Ask questions, tell them what you normally drink and let the team guide you through the range.

Allow at least an hour rather than trying to rush through a tasting.

And remember: you have three days.

5:15pm – Back to 3BlackSHEDS

Head home, put the wine purchases somewhere safe and enjoy an hour doing absolutely nothing.

One of the nicest things about staying in Whitfield is that you don't need to treat every minute as sightseeing.

Sit outside, enjoy the countryside and perhaps open one of the bottles you've just bought.

Although we'd suggest saving at least some of it for when you get home.

6:30pm – Dinner at the Mountain View Hotel

For your first evening, keep things local.

Again, an easy 15-minute walk, the Mountain View Hotel in Whitfield is the perfect combination of country pub and seriously good food.

It's relaxed enough for an easy first-night dinner, but the kitchen goes well beyond standard pub fare. And being part of the Pizzini family's King Valley story, there's naturally a strong local wine connection too.

Have dinner, enjoy another glass of King Valley wine and don't worry about rushing anywhere afterwards.

That's Day One done.

Day 2 – Coffee, Cellar Doors and a Very Long Lunch

This is your big King Valley day.

But we're still not going to suggest visiting six wineries.

Three wineries properly enjoyed will give you a much better day than racing through seven cellar doors trying to tick them off a list.

8:30am – Coffee and Pastries at Hobbledehoy

Start slowly at Hobbledehoy Café in Whitfield.

Stroll back up the road, past the pub and order a proper coffee and, if they're available, try one of the almond croissants.

They're worth it.

Hobbledehoy is the sort of small-town café that quickly becomes part of your morning routine when you're staying nearby. There are cakes and pastries as well as breakfast and lunch options, and it's a good place to work out the day's plan over a second coffee.

Just don't go completely overboard.

We have lunch plans.

10:00am – Dal Zotto Wines

Next stop is Dal Zotto Wines, another of the families central to the King Valley's Italian wine identity.

Use your car as you will need it for the afternoon drive. 5 mins up the road, Dal Zotto has a particularly important place in Australian wine history: the family pioneered Australian-grown Prosecco here in the King Valley.

So there's really only one sensible place to start your tasting.

Bubbles.

From there, work your way through some of Dal Zotto's other Italian varieties and enjoy the relaxed cellar-door atmosphere.

If you've only ever thought of Prosecco as something to drink before dinner, this is a good place to discover how much more there is to it. If you get a chance, grab a chair and sit under the HUGE river gum and take in the vista. Our Favourite place in summer!

11:30am – Head towards Cheshunt

From Dal Zotto, follow the King River further up the valley towards Cheshunt.

It's only a short drive, but the scenery is part of the experience — vineyards, farmland, mountains and the King River winding its way through the valley. Stop at the river and put your toes in. See if you can catch a freshwater crayfish under a rock! Catch and release though.

Your next destination sits high above it all.

12:00pm – A Long Lunch at Chrismont

Chrismont Cellar Door, Restaurant & Larder is one place where we'd strongly recommend making a reservation before you arrive in the King Valley.

And don't book anything immediately afterwards.

Chrismont is only a 10-minute drive from Dal Zotto and it sits high above the valley with spectacular views across the vineyards and mountains.

The restaurant has a strong Italian influence, the food is designed to work beautifully with Chrismont's wines and the whole experience encourages you to stay longer than you intended.

Which is exactly what you should do.

Take your time.

Share some dishes. Try a wine you haven't had before. Look out across the valley and remind yourself that you're not supposed to be anywhere else.

This is what a King Valley weekend is about.

3:00pm – One More Cellar Door... Maybe

After a long lunch, we'd make the rest of the afternoon optional.

If you're still keen to taste, Politini Wines is nearby (5 mins back towards the 3BlackSHEDS) and gives you another opportunity to discover the Italian family heritage behind the King Valley wine industry.

Politini is particularly known for its Sicilian heritage and Italian varietals.

But here's some local advice:

• You don't win anything for visiting the most wineries.

• If you've had enough wine, go home.

• There will always be another cellar door.

4:30pm – Back to 3BlackSHEDS

Head back to your SHED, kick off your shoes and enjoy the late afternoon.

If you've bought cheese, bread, olives or other local produce during the day, this is a good opportunity to put together a little platter.

You may discover you don't need much dinner after lunch at Chrismont.

If you do, Mountain View Hotel is close by.

Day 3 – The Other Side of the King Valley

By Day Three you've probably realised something important.

The King Valley isn't a single wine trail.

There are cellar doors scattered from Cheshunt and Whitfield through the valley towards Moyhu, Oxley and Milawa.

So today we're heading north.

9:00am – Take the Scenic Drive Down the Valley

There's no hurry.

Drive for about 25 minutes through Whitfield towards Moyhu and Oxley, taking in a different side of the King Valley landscape.

If coffee is required — and it usually is — stop at Ineeta Café in Moyhu.

Then continue and swing right towards Oxley and Milawa.

10:30am – Sam Miranda

Sam Miranda Wines makes a good first wine stop for the day.

The striking cellar door is surrounded by vines and offers a broad range of wines, making this a useful contrast to some of the smaller family cellar doors you've visited around Whitfield and Cheshunt.

Have a tasting, but remember the rule.

We're not racing.

12:00pm – Milawa

Continue for another 5 mins towards Milawa , one of North East Victoria's great little food destinations.

And now you have a decision to make.

Option One: Brown Brothers

For the full wine-country experience, book lunch at Brown Brothers.

Brown Brothers is one of Australia's best-known family-owned wine businesses and its Milawa home is worth experiencing at least once. Food is excellent and the wine is very enjoyable. Choose from the casual bistro or sit for a more formal lunch. This is a definite favourite for us.

Allow plenty of time for lunch and a cellar-door tasting.

Option Two: Make It a Small Bite Food Day

If you've already had enough long lunches — something we admit is difficult to imagine — make Day Three more casual.

Visit Milawa Cheese Company, pick up some beautiful cheese and crackers and explore some of the gourmet food producers around Milawa and drop into Brown Brothers for a wee tasting.

2:30pm – One Last Winery

If there's room for one final cellar door, you have plenty of choices.

Wood Park Wines and John Gehrig Wines are both possibilities around the Milawa/Oxley area.

Or simply decide you've tasted enough wine.

That's allowed too.

Pick up a few bottles of your favourites from the weekend and begin making your way back towards Whitfield.

What If You Have More Time?

Three days gives you a wonderful introduction to the King Valley.

It doesn't come close to covering everything.

That's deliberate.

On another visit we'd explore Gracebrook Wines, La Cantina, Red Feet Wines, Francesco Wines, Darling Estate, King River Estate, Symphonia and some of the smaller producers scattered throughout the valley.

And wine is only part of the story.

There's local beer, gin and whisky, beautiful drives, waterfalls, Lake William Hovell, Powers Lookout, Paradise Falls and some wonderful places to stop for local produce.

You could easily spend a week here and still leave something for next time.

A Few Tips for Planning Your King Valley Wine Weekend

Book your lunches before you arrive. This is particularly important for Chrismont, Brown Brothers and festival or long weekends.

Don't over-plan your cellar doors. Two or three tastings in a day is plenty if you actually want to enjoy them.

Check opening days. King Valley is a country region and smaller cellar doors and restaurants don't necessarily open seven days a week. Hours can also change seasonally.

Book tastings where available. You'll generally have a better experience, particularly on busy weekends.

Think about who's driving. Wine tasting and driving obviously don't mix. Arrange a designated driver, book a local wine-tour operator or plan your tastings accordingly.

Leave some empty space in the car. You'll understand why by Sunday.

Why Stay in Whitfield?

For a King Valley wine weekend, location makes a huge difference.

Staying at 3BlackSHEDS in Whitfield puts you amongst some of the best-known food and wine destinations in the upper King Valley rather than having to drive into the valley each morning.

Pizzini, Dal Zotto, the Mountain View Hotel and Hobbledehoy are nearby, while Chrismont, Darling Estate, Politini and other cellar doors are only minutes away.

That means less time in the car and more time doing what you actually came to the King Valley to do.

Eat.

Drink.

Explore.

And occasionally do absolutely nothing.

Three Days Down. Plenty Still to Discover.

The best King Valley weekends aren't the ones where you manage to visit every winery.

They're the ones where you find a cellar door you love and stay longer than planned. Where lunch stretches into the afternoon. Where you meet the families behind the wines, discover a variety you've never tried and return to your accommodation with a few more bottles than you intended to buy.

Three days will give you a taste of the King Valley.

But we'd be surprised if it was your last.

Stay a little longer. Drink a little slower. And leave something for next time.