{"id":22157,"date":"2026-09-04T09:46:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T09:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/22157\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T09:46:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T09:46:22","slug":"why-orange-is-the-perfect-spot-for-a-wine-and-dine-weekend-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/22157\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Orange is the perfect spot for a wine and dine weekend away"},"content":{"rendered":"

While I love the hustle and bustle of Sydney, it can get a bit too much sometimes. So when I was desperate for a weekend in the country, all of my friends suggested visiting Orange to try their many great restaurants and wineries.<\/p>\n

This immediately piqued my curiousity, as I\u2019ve visited Orange, but only as a day trip while I was studying in nearby Bathrust.<\/p>\n

So to see whether Orange could be the perfect spot for a country escape, I packed my bags and hit the road.<\/p>\n

\"\"The homestead was first built in 1896. (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

WHERE I STAYED<\/p>\n

To kick off my Orange adventure, I checked into the Yallungah Boutique Hotel \u2013 which is a heritage homestead that\u2019s been transformed into a stylish and contemporary hotel.<\/p>\n

Located just minutes away from the town centre, and staffed by an extremely friendly crew \u2013 the hotel quickly became a home-away-from-home where I could relax and unwind.<\/p>\n

I was also fortunate enough to book the Steeple Suit, located on the top floor of the original homestead, which dates back to 1896 and offered amazing views of the property\u2019s beautiful front garden.<\/p>\n

Yallungah also offers a delicious breakfast on its B&B rates, which was the perfect way to start each morning before setting out to explore the region.<\/p>\n

\"\"The view from ChaLou\u2019s cellar door is worth the visit alone! (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

WHAT I DRANK<\/p>\n

As someone who grew up in the Hunter Valley wine growing region, I am used to big and flashy vineyards.<\/p>\n

So for my Orange trip I was very excited to see how the region\u2019s many vineyards would stack up compared to back home. And they did not disappoint!<\/p>\n

My first stop was ChaLou Wines, which is an independent bud-to-bottle winery run by husband and wife team Nadja Wallington and Steve Mobbs.<\/p>\n

During my visit, Nadja and their friendly cellar door assistant Kathryn walked me through their impressive (and delicious!) range of wines, from their fragrant Savignon Blac to their luscious Syrah.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m no wine connoisseur, so luckily I had Nadja and Kathryn on-hand to explain every flavour that I was tasting in a refreshingly approachable way.<\/p>\n

Plus, getting the opportunity to hear all about Nadja\u2019s extensive and fascinating experience as a winemaker as well as learning the history of ChaLou makes it a must-visit for anyone travelling to Orange.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rowlee Wines specialises in cool-climate varieties. (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

Next on my list was Rowlee Wines \u2013 a larger vineyard nestled in the foothills of Mount Canobolas that specialises in cool-climate wines.<\/p>\n

During my tasting, which was led by the vineyard\u2019s owner and managing director, Nicole Samodol and cellar door coordinator Densey McInerney I tried their impressive collection of Reisling, Arneis and Pinot Noir.<\/p>\n

Rowlee also boasts an impressive collection rarer wine varieties in Australia including the dry and floral Gewurztraminer that originates from the South Tyrol region of northern Italy \u2013 as well as the gritty and full-bodied Nebbiolo from the Piedmont region of Italy.<\/p>\n

Rowlee is a must-visit for wine lovers who want to sample lovingly-crafted wine varieties that are more commonly found in Europe.<\/p>\n

\"\"Beef tartare at Rowlee.<\/p>\n

\"\"Scotch fillet at Rowlee.<\/p>\n

WHAT I ATE<\/p>\n

While I was at Rowlee, I also stopped into their restaurant for a spot of lunch.<\/p>\n

For those looking for the perfect shared menu, Rowlee offers a $95pp estate menu or a $135pp reserve menu \u2013 both offering five delicious courses.<\/p>\n

For $85pp more, Rowlee will also pair each course with the glass of wine, which makes it perfect for special occassions.<\/p>\n

But as a solo adventurer, I chose to pick my own entree and main. Starting off, I tried their miso, quinoa and ginger infused beef tartare which was soft, tender and very tasty.<\/p>\n

For my main course, I treated myself to their grain-fed scotch fillet served with beetroot, tallow and jus which melted in the mouth.<\/p>\n

\"\"Wild mushroom risotto at Monty\u2019s.<\/p>\n

For dinner, I made my way to Monty\u2019s \u2013 a relatively new wine bar and restaurant in the heart of town.<\/p>\n

Greeted by their very friendly waitstaff, I was quickly seated and served up a delicious, fluffy and warm house-made focaccia with whipped butter. <\/p>\n

For my main course, I chose Monty\u2019s hearty wild mushroom risotto, which was perfect for keeping me warm on a freezing cold winter\u2019s night.<\/p>\n

To help wash down their mouthwatering food, I ordered treated myself to my favourite cocktail, a classic margarita which was perfectly made.<\/p>\n

With a focus on using seasonal and local ingredients \u2013 and an ever-changing menu, Monty\u2019s is an exciting choice for diners looking for a truly unique, intimate and relaxed experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Peacock Room. (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

Before leaving Orange, I also paid The Oriana a retro motel that has been transformed into a luxurious boutique resort.<\/p>\n

While I wasn\u2019t staying at The Oriana, I was warmly greeted by its friendly owner Espen Harbitz, who quickly guided me into the resort\u2019s vibrant and velvet-lined restaurant, The Peacock Room.<\/p>\n

For my entree, I chose beef tartare again which was tender and salty this time, thanks to the capers, dijon and cornichons it was served with.<\/p>\n

When it came time for the main course, I was excited to try the maremma duck \u2013 and luckily it did not disappoint.<\/p>\n

What seemed like a whole duck was elegantly served alongside glazed baby vegetables, black cherries and a celeriac potato puree. It was a real highlight not only of The Peacock Room, but my entire visit to the region.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Orange Wine Festival returns next month. (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

Over my long weekend, Orange went from a town that I occassionally visited with friends for a cheeky Kmart trip to a truly world-class destination for amazing food and wine.<\/p>\n

With it\u2019s friendly locals, gorgeous landscape, relaxing and comfortable accommodation options, and plenty of great restaurants, vineyards and bars \u2013 Orange (and the rest of the Central West) really is the best for a trip to the country.<\/p>\n

And with the Orange Wine Festival coming up from October 16-25, I definitely need to book a return trip!<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"harry\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tHarry Mulholland\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tNews writer\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Harry Mulholland is a news writer for Woman\u2019s Day, Australia\u2019s best-selling women\u2019s weekly magazine. In his six years of journalism across community and national news across Australia, Harry has become a trusted authority in Australian and international news, true crime and entertainment.
\n
\nSince joining Woman\u2019s Day, Harry has interviewed everyday heroes making a difference in their communities, criminology experts, victims of crime \u2013 and two cast members from Harry Potter (Miriam Margolyes likes him!). Before joining Woman\u2019s Day, Harry covered community news at Coast Community News, delivered radio bulletins at Coast FM, and reported on drilling results, exploration updates, and M&A activity for Mining.com.au. Harry holds a Bachelor of Communications from Charles Sturt University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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