Although the Mornington Peninsula has been a wine-producing region since the 19th century, it wasn’t until the ‘80s that vineyards operating on a commercial scale began to take hold.
Over four short decades, this part of Victoria has emerged as one of the great Australian wine terroirs: aided greatly by its proximity to not one, but two bays (Port Phillip and Western Port) and climactic conditions favouring the famously finicky grape variety of Pinot Noir.
Of course, no matter whether you’re traveling down from Melbourne or further afield (out-of-towners note, locals call the area The Peninsula – not The Mornington), a weekend in the vineyards is a fantastic way to explore the Mornington Peninsula. From charming family-run operations to architectural marvels with their own sculpture walks, here are 10 of our favourites.
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Ten Minutes by Tractor, Main Ridge
Formally established in 1997, ‘Ten Minutes by Tractor’ takes its name from the duration required to travel between the winery’s three original family-owned vineyards: all clustered around the area of Main Ridge.
The variation in soil and topography between these (and several other satellite sites added in the interim) has yielded wines which are polished, complex and varied in their expression. These range from the well-priced 10X bottlings to the signature ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir: made with parcels of fruit sourced from either ‘Up The Hill’ or ‘Down The Hill’.
The winery’s cellar door and signature restaurant are both worthy of a visit: designed by Cox Architecture to heighten visitors’ connection to the surrounding vineyards.
- Address: 1333 Mornington Flinders Road, Main Ridge VIC 3928
- Contact: 03 5989 6455
- Cellar Door: Open Monday – Saturday, 11 AM – 5 PM; Sunday, 11 AM – 6 PM
Pt Leo Estate, Merricks
There are no shortage of superlative wineries in the Mornington Peninsula, yet only a handful come close to the sheer breadth of experiences available at Pt Leo Estate.
Whether it’s the cellar door, hatted dining, or a vast 16-acre sculpture park – framing one’s view of Phillip Island for good measure – you don’t need to be a hardcore oenophile to enjoy your visit.
The partially coastal conditions of the Pt Leo vineyards, running for 50 acres between Western Port and the estate itself, help to produce wines with a clear sense of varietal and place.
Unsurprisingly, the best way to get your head and palate around the various Pt Leo expressions is to spring for one of the winery’s mixed ‘Harvest’ boxes – half a dozen bottles handpicked by the cellar door team (exclusively for wine club members).
- Address: 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks VIC 3916
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 11 AM – 5 PM
- Contact: 03 5989 9011
Stonier, Merricks
One of the more historic vineyards in the Mornington Peninsula, Stonier was founded by the eponymous Brian Stonier in 1978. Initially majority-planted to Chardonnay, today, the Stonier estate has become synonymous with Pinot Noir.
In 1997, Decanter awarded the winery’s reserve-grade Pinot Noir ‘Best New World Red Wine of the Year’: an expression which Stonier continues to make (to widespread acclaim).
Located in Merricks – an easy hour’s commute from the Melbourne CBD – the cellar door here has a pleasingly laidback feel.
Tastings are organised via email and, in lieu of a conventional restaurant, the Stonier team run a ‘family table’ concept: hosting seasonal lunches with a roster of acclaimed Australian chefs year-round.
- Address: 2 Thompsons Lane, Merricks VIC 3916
- Contact: 03 5989 8300
- Cellar Door: Open Wednesday – Sunday, 11 AM – 5 PM
Red Hill Estate, Main Ridge
Located in a particularly hilly expanse of the Mornington Peninsula, Red Hill Estate takes its cues – on both the culinary and aesthetic front – from Tuscany. As you might expect, cool climate winemaking is the star here: embodied in bottles like the ‘Single Vineyard’ Pinot Noir or Merricks Grove Chardonnay.
The winery’s signature restaurant, set within a Tuscan-inspired farmhouse, trades fine dining for more rustic fare (over three quarters of the menu is designed to share). It’s a pleasing diversion, yet wine enthusiasts are likely to head straight for the cellar door.
Be sure to ask about Red Hill’s cellar door exclusives: sold as two-bottle sets that aren’t readily available beyond the Mornington Peninsula.
- Address: 1208 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge VIC 3928
- Contact: 03 5989 2838
- Cellar Door: Open Thursday – Monday, 11 AM – 5 PM
Polperro, Red Hill
Although Sam Coverdale started making wine in 2006 under the Even Keel imprint, it took the celebrated vigneron a decade to unveil releases from Polperro’s three signature sites in the Mornington Peninsula.
The cellar door sits in proximity to Polperro’s winery and Mill Hill and Talland Hill vineyards: all of which are located in Red Hill. Coverdale is adamant that “great wine is made on the vine”, and as such, Polperro’s house style displays all the hallmarks of an organic, light-touch approach.
The estate’s single vineyard offerings are all elegantly structured with plenty in the way of fruit purity; while approachable releases, like a $50 Fume Blanc, illustrate Coverdale’s knack for experimentation.
In an inviting and contemporary dining room, Chef Gayan Pieris cooks a four-course menu: replete with organic seasonal produce, all sourced roughly a kilometre from the proverbial table.
For visitors looking to relax beneath the shade of Polperro’s iconic Angophoras trees, consider decamping to the winery’s vineyard-adjacent lawn – open throughout the summer on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
- Address: 150 Red Hill Road, Red Hill VIC 3937
- Contact: 03 5989 2471
- Cellar Door: Open Wednesday – Sunday, 11 AM – 5 PM
Montalto, Red Hill
Established in 1999, Montalto is nestled amid the lush landscapes of Red Hill – specialising in a range of cool-climate drops produced by winemaker Simon Black and his award-winning team.
The winery’s Estate Chardonnay delivers considerable bang for your buck. Priced (on average) at $60, it comprises fruit from a single vineyard – located in the southerly part of Montalto’s Red Hill holdings. The estate also makes a gin in collaboration with Bass & Flinders: a charming local distillery about 10 minutes down the road.
Like a number of its neighbours, Montalto offers visitors a multitude of ways to enjoy their time on the Peninsula. There’s the intimate and airily styled cellar door, hatted signature restaurant, and – for those who like to put produce to place – an option to tour the surrounding vineyards and Montalto’s kitchen gardens.
Looking to work up an appetite? Then consider arriving an hour before lunchtime – giving yourself ample opportunity to explore the vineyard’s award-winning Sculpture Trail.
- Address: 33 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill VIC 3937
- Contact: 03 5989 8412
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 11 AM – 5 PM
Kooyong & Port Phillip Estate, Red Hill
Originally established in 1996, Kooyong quickly became a standout winery in the Mornington Peninsula – on account of its meticulous, sustainability-driven approach. Today, the Kooyong vineyards are owned and managed by Port Philip Estate, with releases from both available at the latter’s cellar door on Red Hill Road.
Understandably, Kooyong’s most desirable wines are fashioned from single-block fruit; located in the 40-hectare vineyard at Tuerong and each distinguished by their own soil and microclimate. These include the ‘Farrago’ Chardonnay and ‘Haven’ Pinot Noir.
Anchored around a vast, undulating concrete structure designed by Wood Marsh, the architecture of Port Philip Estate is enough of a reason on its own to warrant a visit. Beyond the usual barrel rooms, cellar door and award-winning restaurant (crowned with a vast terrace overlooking the Bass Strait), this vineyard’s secret weapon is its accommodation.
Beneath the dining room, visitors will find six ensuite-equipped sleeping quarters to choose from. These evoke a similar kind of starkly architectural beauty to what you’ll find up the road at Jackalope (yet are infinitely more exclusive).
- Address: 263 Red Hill Road, Red Hill VIC 3937
- Contact: 03 5989 4444
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 11 AM – 5 PM
Ocean Eight, Shoreham
As the original founders of Kooyong (who sold the property in 2004), the Aylward family have had a longstanding reputation on the Mornington Peninsula for quality winemaking.
Mike Aylward continued in the tradition his parents set down with the establishment of Ocean Eight in the mid-2000s: naming his new winery for the 8th hole on his favourite golf course in the region.
The ‘Verve’ is a fantastic example of what Aylward prizes in Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay. It offers a “lean but balanced” flavour profile: expect a spectrum of citrus fruit, with subdued oak tones.
A small hyper-local operation, the Ocean Eight tasting room is located just upwind of the estate’s vineyards – gently sloped trellises full of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (i.e. the hallmark varieties in the Mornington Peninsula). Here, visitors are only able to duck in unannounced on weekends, so plan accordingly.
- Address: 271 Tucks Road, Shoreham VIC 3916
- Contact: 03 5989 6471
- Cellar Door: Friday – Saturday, 12 PM – 5 PM; Sunday, 12 PM – 3 PM
Foxeys Hangout, Red Hill
Of all the various Mornington Peninsula wineries to make our list, we credit Foxeys as having one of the most relaxed and casual ambiences.
The dining element here is a ‘first in, best dressed’ situation: open for lunch on Mondays and weekends, with an emphasis on simple seasonal preparations.
This Red Hill operation was established in 2004, and more so than most of its neighbours, committed to the challenge of crafting world-class sparkling wine on the Mornington Peninsula.
Founders Michael and Tony Lee continue to be heavily involved: overseeing Foxeys’ sparkling wine and organic certification initiatives respectively. The winery’s estate bottlings are, unsurprisingly, rock-solid; but for a point of difference, we’d recommend the Sparkling White NV – a wine which plays a central role in the Foxey story.
- Address: 795 White Hill Road, Red Hill VIC 3937
- Contact: 03 5989 2022
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 11 AM – 5 PM
T’Gallant, Main Ridge
One of two wineries in the Mornington Peninsula that embraces an Italian inflection, T’Gallant takes things one step further with a range of wines made from historically Mediterranean varieties.
The estate pioneered the use of Pinot Grigio in Australian winemaking: something that it continues to champion today, along with more inclusive releases such as a low-ABV ‘light & fresh’ cuvee.
The cellar door offers a convincing approximation of Tuscany in Victoria: set among rolling vineyards, with three discrete dining zones and a custom-built pizza oven. Be sure to ask the team here about their favourite ‘Wine of the Month’.
- Address: 795 White Hill Road, Red Hill VIC 3937
- Contact: 03 5989 2022
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 11 AM – 5 PM
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