Here I am on my bike

This morning I’m riding between the small towns of Oxley and Milawa and stopping off at cellar doors, farm gates and gourmet food shops along the way, with the aim of arriving at Brown Brothers’ Epicurean Centre in time for lunch.  It’s just a short stretch of the 28km trail around Milawa, declared Australia’s first gourmet region in 1994, and is part of a new initiative called “Pedal to Produce” launched last year by North East Valleys Food & Wine and Murray to Mountains cycling.  It’s a fantastic way to combine exercise with the two great pleasures of eating and drinking and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.  All you need is a bike, a basket from the local Visitor Information Centre, a map and a voucher booklet which entitles you to a range of regional offers valued at over $400.

First stop is Ciavarella Oxley Estate in Evans Lane. Here I’m greeted by Tony Ciavarella who takes me through a tasting of some of the family’s hand-crafted wines. He explains how they focus on small quantities of premium wines and tells me about their tiny patch of ‘aucerot’, a rare Spanish/French grape of which they are the sole custodians in Australia. I’m very impressed with their 2005 Late Harvest Semillon Aucerot, a lively complex dessert wine, sweet but not cloying. I’m also rather partial to their 2004 Durif, an earthy spicy red and their rich 2005 Chardonnay.  Too much of this and I won’t be able to get back on the bike.  Fortunately this is river flat country, so the riding is easy.  At Blue Ox Berry Farm, just around the corner, I drop in to find owner Helen Taylor busy pruning canes. She pauses to welcome me and gives me a taste of some of her delicious jams, marmalades and chutneys.  Her blackberryand durif jam (made with the neighbour’s wine) is a winner.  I put a couple in my basket and head off along the Snow Road towards Milawa, passing Walkabout Apiaries (where you can stop and taste their fresh distinctive honeys) and the historic Milawa steam-driven brick flour mill as I go.

At Factory Road, I turn left and head toward the Milawa Cheese Factory, stopping off for coffee at Ciccone Wines.  Located in a smartly refurbished old butcher shop, the Ciccone family have been operating a cafe and cellar door here for the past couple of years and open for lunch Friday to Monday.  A little further down the road is the famous cheese factory established over 20 years ago by David Brown and Richard Thomas. It’s difficult to choose between the hand-made cows and goats milk cheeses, but after tasting a few, I opt for the luscious smelly Milawa Gold, a native pepper chevre and a 3 year old cheddar. They go in the basket along with a stick of Italian sourdough from Milawa Bakery.  Next door is Milawa Chocolates and Wood Park Wines where I could linger for ages, but I want to drop into Milawa Mustards and The Olive Shop back on Snow Road before lunch.

I’m a little late for my appointment at the Epicurean Centre where I’ve arranged to meet some friends. Here, newly appointed chef Cate Hardman is offering affordable rustic Italian dishes in two portions (small/large) matched with a glass of Brown Brothers wine.  My tasty winter salad of smoked provolone melted over grilled radicchio and crispy pancetta is well matched with a 2006 Limited Release Chardonnay and my main course of pumpkin gnocchi with chestnuts and sage, matched with a 2008 Viognier, is melt-in-the-mouth divine.

Like me, my friends have hired bikes in Wangaratta. We’d originally planned to ride to Myrtleford together, but it’s getting late and the rain has set in, so we call Geoff Scott at Bus-a-Bike ($72 for up to 6 bikes) to take us to Myrtleford where we’ve booked to stay overnight at Motel on Alpine.  The Range restaurant here is highly regarded and we’ve heard that new chef Sean Ford is doing some good things. We pass by Valley Grove Nuts, Australia’s first commercial walnut orchard, and Gapsted Wines on the way and before settling in for the night, wander over to Cafe, acute; Fez in the main street of Myrtleford for some refreshing Moroccan mint  tea.  Tomorrow we plan to rise early and explore this magnificent  area, starting with breakfast at The Butter Factory and calling into various eateries and cellar doors along the way.

There are eight designated ‘Pedal to Produce’ areas to choose from, and over 80 farmgates and wineries where you can meet and talk to local farmers and winemakers.  It’s an up-close-and-personal way to see the countryside and to indulge in fabulous food and wine, guilt-free. Thank god there’s no RBT for bike riders.

Qantas, Virgin Blue and Rex Airlines fly to Albury airport where you can hire a car and drive to Wangaratta (approx one hour) or to Myrtleford (approx 1 hour 15 minutes). Cycle hire available in both towns.

Great place to stay:
Motel on Alpine
258 Great Alpine Rd., Myrtleford
Ph. 035 752 1438
www.motelonalpine.com

Best time of year to go is in spring or autumn.
www.pedaltoproduce.com.au
www.murraytomountains.com.au
Basket hire ($25) and more info from various Visitor Information Centres throughout the region:

Myrtleford Information Centre: 03 5752 1044
Wangaratta: (03) 5721 5711 or 1800 801 065
Beechworth: 1300 366321 or (03) 5728 3233
Bright: 1800 111 885