De Bortoli Winery’s cellar door manager Kara Hood said discount programs were a popular incentive.
By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Valley food and wine businesses are part of a state-wide initiative to whet the appetite of visitors to the region.
The RACV Regional Wine & Food Program was launched at the RACV Healesville Country Club on Tuesday 7 September as part of a partnership with VisitVineyards.com, Australia’s largest online culinary travel guide.
Under the partnership, the RACV’stwo million members have access to discounts at selected cellar doors, winery restaurants, food producers and sellers, microbreweries and more across six regions, the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Geelong, the Grampians and North East Victoria.
Gordon Oakley, RACV’s general manager Member and Motoring Services, said the RACV was proud to be supporting Victorian businesses through what he said was an exciting new initiative for members and for regional tourism.
De Bortoli Winery’s Kara Hood said the majority of visitors to their Dixons Creek winery and restaurant come from Melbourne and Victoria.
“Everyone loves a discount, and you would be surprised how many people shop with discounts,” she said.
“Anything which encourages visitation from local people from our point of view is really great.” she said. VisitVineyards.com CEO and founder Robyn Lewis said RACV members would have access to a wealth of information on the new RACV Regional Wine and Food Program website at racv.visitvineyards.com.
Chair of the Victorian Food and Wine Tourism Council, Tourism Victoria board member and co-owner of her own winery, Janelle Boynton, also praised the initiative, which she said would encourage people to travel to take up the discounts and spend more helping to grow businesses and the economy in regional areas.
More information is also available at www.visitvineyards.com.
