Sunday lunch: Tarrawarra, Yarra Valley

TARRAWARRA is a blaze of glory on this beautiful autumn day. The grapes have been picked, the vines are just hanging on to their russet leaves and ducklings are ploughing through the pretty pond at the front.

It's a great destination for the family, with good food in the cafe, well-made wines and interesting exhibitions in the gallery. TarraWarra is the brainchild of retail entrepreneurs Marc and Eva Besen. They set up the winery about 20 years ago and five years ago opened the gallery to share their amazing art collection with the public.

The modern buildings, designed by Allan Powell, sit imposingly on a terraced hill with views of the Yarra Valley.

Some brave souls dine outside on the terrace but we enjoy the welcoming fire inside. It's a good idea to taste some wines at the wine bar and then nip around the opaque partition to order lunch.

The seasonal menu has Italian and Middle Eastern influences and a vegetable garden provides the produce. My partner opts for bollito misto ($34) - poached free-range chicken, pickled ox tongue, salted beef and root vegies. It's not for the faint-hearted but he loves it. A glass of TarraWarra Estate Pinot Noir 2008 ($8) washes it down nicely.

I can't resist the grilled Atlantic salmon served with a warm salad of cumin-roasted beetroot, persian fetta and capers ($30). It's an unusual combination of flavours that really works. The TarraWarra Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2006 ($12) goes perfectly with it.

My son has no trouble dispatching the roasted lamb cutlet and cannelloni of braised shoulder ($33) and my daughter chooses the children's fish and chips ($12 but not on the menu, so ask what's available for children).

We decide to share desserts. The chocolate and olive oil mousse with hazelnut meringue and pedro ximenez poached pear ($16) is rich and luscious, while the lemon polenta cake with cream ($14) goes down a treat.

We stroll around the grounds and finish with a wander through the art gallery. The great thing about TarraWarra is that it's a destination unto itself.

Reviewed by Mary O'Brien

TarraWarra WineBar Cafe, 311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen, phone 5957 3510. Open Tuesday-Sunday, noon-3pm. See www.tarrawarra.com.au. To stay, nearby options include Valley Guest House, www.valleyguesthouse.com.au; Yarra Glen Grand Hotel, www.yarravalleygrand.com.au; Kiltynane Estate Cottage, www.kiltynane.com.au.