The former Isabella's Restaurant within Rochford Winery has undergone a renovation and a change of name. The kitchen of the new Rochford Restaurant is now helmed by Head Chef Raki Andriana, who is no stranger to winery restaurants having done his apprenticeship at De Bortoli Winery. Returning to his roots in the Yarra Valley, he is combining French style techniques and Italian and Middle Eastern influences to create a new menu, working with the wine experts at Rochford to match dishes with their award-winning wines. The central, open kitchen...

A changing of the seasons often means a changing of the menu. Ciaran Butler, the executive chef at Rochford Wine's Isabella's restaurant, puts together a menu that utilises local Yarra Valley produce and I was invited to try the new Autumn menu. It turned out to be a beautiful time of year to visit the area, with all the vineyards and trees displaying their Autumn foliage. Tables in the spacious dining area looked out into the vast landscape of the surrounding area. Mains ranged from roasted chicken and suckling...

A day trip to Mornington Peninsula over the Easter weekend meant winery visits and hot springs. Unfortunately the weather was terrible so we ended up only visiting one winery: T'Gallant in Main Ridge. I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I needed fill my stomach with something before wine tasting and T'Gallant's Spuntino Bar provided a convenient source of sustenance. [caption id="attachment_7715" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Frivolities - Beetroot Dip, Italian Cheese, Olives, Toasted Ciabatta $14[/caption] Not having too much of an appetite yet I had the Frivolities, which included fresh seasonal dip, cheese, olives...

Located in the Upper Yarra Valley region in Seville, Payne's Rise winery has a lovely, quaint charm to it. I attended a wedding here and got to try out the light lunch they offered. [caption id="attachment_7361" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Tandoori Chicken Roll[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7360" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Curried Egg Roll[/caption] We started with a variety of rolls, most of which were filled with cold cuts and cheese. I had a curried egg roll and another with tandoori chicken. [caption id="attachment_7363" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Cookie + Hedgehog[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7362" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Portuguese Egg Tart[/caption] This was followed by...

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