A KING Valley icon has been reinvented to make way for a new hospitality venture.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Landmark restaurant and cellar door King Valley Cucina, which closed in December 2012, is now home to the King Valley’s first brewery, King River Brewing.
Walter Sartori and his late wife and culinary identity Barb specialised in wood-fired pizzas for about a decade in the rustic restaurant, which was set in one of the original tobacco kilns on the property.
Their daughter Brianna and her husband Nathan Munt opened the microbrewery on the premises this month.
A highlight of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Barb Sartori, Katrina Pizzini and Josie Politini hosted sell-out Three Nonnas cooking sessions at the King Valley Cucina for many years. Mrs Sartori tragically died in a fire at Whitfield's 110-year-old general store in early 2013.
Mr Sartori said it was satisfying to see the public enjoying the premises.
“Barb and I wanted Brianna and Nathan to be able to use this space,” he said.
“The infrastructure was there and Nathan was a keen brewer.”
An IT specialist since 2001, Mr Munt first discovered brewing in 2008.
He brewed up to 19 different styles of beer out of the couple’s garage in Melbourne.
“The car went out of the garage and the brewing went in,” Mr Munt said.
“For the last five years we’ve had a ‘Muntober’ Festival at our Templestowe house.”
Mr Munt said King River Brewing had a pre-launch during the La Dolce Vita festival in late November.
He said they had brewed a Smooth Altbier, King Valley Kolsch, Summer Porter, Belgian Tripel and American-style Indian Pale Ale.
A French Saison Farmhouse Ale would come on line this week.
“It’s good for our confidence that people like the product we’ve been testing for years,” he said.
Mrs Munt said the couple was grateful for the chance to open the brewery.
“It’s nice to see the tobacco kiln have a new life and the facilities still in use,” she said.
“For Nathan and I to realise this dream, we’ve had a great platform to start out.”
The brewery opens 11.30am until 5.30pm until New Year’s Eve, with a grand opening on February 18.
The beer is also on tap at Moyhu Hotel and Mountain View Hotel at Whitfield.