Tourism from North East visitors on day trips drove an increase in visitation over the Easter period for Pizzini Wines.

Perfect autumn conditions blessed the King Valley over the Easter weekend, with Pizzini Wines’ Sweet Easter themed lunch and ice cream bar host to some 300 people for lunch sittings on Saturday and 400 on Sunday as many more checked out the wine varieties at the cellar door.

Some 260 people were also served lunch at the Mountain View Hotel on Sunday.

Pizzini Wines brand manager Natalie Pizzini said the winery was over the moon with its visitation throughout the weekend, opening up for lunch on both Saturday and Sunday of the Easter weekend for the first time.

Ms Pizzini said this year she observed an increased representation of visitors in the local area taking day trips from places like Bright and Beechworth.

“I even served one couple who were camping in Avenel and did a day trip to go see Paradise Falls and then dropped into the cellar door,” she said.

“People were really getting out and about doing day trips over the weekend.”

Ms Pizzini said despite fuel prices remaining high, it had limited impact on tourism in the local area over the weekend with about 400 people going through one of the valley caravan parks this Easter.

“I think people were really looking forward to being out and about with their friends and family for Easter,” she said.

“What we probably did notice more was instead of people buying three bottles of wine to take away, they might buy two.”