Food & Drink

Life really is about food and drinks, and our region has a bountiful collection of the finest food, rare cattle breeds, cool climate wines, spirits, ciders, mineral water, award-winning produce and more. Explore farm gates, farmers’ markets, cellar doors and hatted restaurants; meet farmers, vignerons and restaurateurs who are dedicated to growing, producing and serving the very best that the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges region has to offer.

Captains Creek Winery. Photography by Chris Turner.

The chocolate-brown, metre-deep topsoil that surrounds our old volcanoes grows some of the best potatoes on the planet and lambs so plump they almost roll around the paddocks. The historic villages in the region are home to some of the best restaurants in the state from fine dining establishments to family friendly cafés and wineries.

This superbly fertile farmland gives way to the granite country of the ranges, where massive boulders are strewn like giants’ marbles. This hard but beautiful country makes the grapevines concentrate their aroma into fewer intensely flavoured grapes, hence our award-winning cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and sparkling Blanc de Noir. We don’t have big businesses dominating our wine industry, just families making wine in old woolsheds, 18th century bluestone buildings and brand spanking new, architecturally designed cellar doors.

With such great produce it’s no wonder that some of the nation’s best artisan bakers, cheesemakers, charcutiers and even boutique vegetable growers have planted roots and opened their doors across the Daylesford Macedon region. Pack a picnic rug, bring a few glasses and come and spend some time with us exploring the glorious countryside and making a few new friends.

Lyons Will Estate. Photography by Fiona Sexton. Photography by Kim Selby.

The James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2022

Many of our local wineries were featured in the latest edition of this definitive guide to Australian wine. Here are Halliday’s most highly rated wineries of the Macedon Ranges and neighbouring wine regions:

Macedon Ranges Wine Region 5 star rating

Bindi Wines (Gisborne) Curly Flat (Lancefield) Granite Hills (Baynton) Hanging Rock Winery (Newham) Lane’s End Vineyard (Lancefield) Passing Clouds (Musk) Cobaw Ridge (Pastoria) Winemaker of the Year:

Michael Dhillon of Bindi Wines (Gisborne)

Best New Winery:

Place of Changing Winds (Bullengarook)

Wine Tours Take your pick from the following:

winetours.com.au daylesfordwinetours.com

Age Good Food Guide 2022 – local inclusions

An impressive number of local dining venues were included in the guide this year:

Lake House, Daylesford Beppe Kitchen & Bar, Daylesford Kadota, Daylesford Bistro Terrior, Daylesford Sault, Daylesford Winespeake cellar + deli, Daylesford Wombat Hill House, Daylesford Midnight Starling, Kyneton Spaghetti Bar, Kyneton Fook Shing, Kyneton Kuzu Izakaya, Woodend Du Fermier, Trentham RedBeard Bakery, Trentham Radio Springs Hotel, Lyonville

Gourmet Traveller Top 80 Restaurants

Lake House, Daylesford

2021 Delicious Produce Awards

Holy Goat Cheese, Sutton Grange – La Luna Brooklands Free Range Farms, Blampied – Pastured Whey-Fed Berkshire Pork 2021 Golden Plate Awards winners

State Awards Winner Kadota, Daylesford

Best Casual Dining Kadota, Daylesford (winner) Bistro Terroir, Daylesford (highly commended)

Best Value for Money Bistro Terroir, Daylesford (winner) Hotel Criterion, Clunes (highly commended)

Best List of Wines, Beers & Ciders Kadota, Daylesford (highly commended)

Best Chef Doug Kerr – The Criterion, Clunes (winner)

Most outstanding front of house person Martin Fairhurst – Bistro Terroir, Daylesford (winner)