Lovely landscapes, award-winning wine and elegant eateries. That’s why the Yarra Valley, barely an hour out Melbourne, is a magnet for locals and travellers, writes Bethan Wainman in The City Journal. Among the dedicated food and wine artisans “who will tell you everything you need to know about what you’re enjoying” are the Helen & Joey Estate in Gruyere (“sit by the windows and look over the sprawling vines and black angus cows grazing on the luscious, green grass”), the Yarra Valley Dairy in Yering (“cool and creative cheeses, from fiery Persian feta, to ash dusted goat’s cheese, and a semi-hard cheese curiously named ‘bullseye’ “), Soumah in Gruyere (“fantastic, light and fresh wines that are easily paired with foods”), Napoleone Brewery & Ciderhouse in Coldstream (“German-style beer and cider … wine is strictly off the menu”) and Meletos in Coldstream (“I ordered a roast pumpkin pizza with gorgonzola, rosemary, hazelnuts and rocket … the base was the perfect texture, light and fluffy”).