Located in the Southeast of Melbourne, Victoria, the Mornington Peninsula offers an abundance of natural attractions, beaches, coastal sights, and lush fertile valleys that are home to some of the country’s most beautiful vineyards. With a deep history in winemaking that dates back to the late 19th century, the wine region is now one of the leading regional tourism attractions in Australia.
If you are looking for places to visit on the Mornington Peninsula, below are some of the best vineyards and wineries that you can include in your itinerary.
Paradigm Hill
Owned by Ruth Mihaly [viticulturist] and George Mihaly [winemaker], Paradigm Hill is a 10-acre, north-facing gently sloping vineyard located in the cooler climate region of the Mornington Peninsula. They have an average of 500 vines per acre grafted onto vigour limiting, salinity, and phylloxera-resistant rootstock. They use their estate-grown grapes for onsite production of Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.
The team behind Paradigm Hill is an advocate for environmentally sustainable winegrowing and is committed to achieving zero carbon footprint from all the activities done at the vineyard. In addition to “Carbon Cops”, they have audited their energy consumption and installed a substantial 132 panel, 30kWh photovoltaic cell [PV Cell] system that is rated to generate about 40+ Mega Watt Hours of electricity per year.
Rare Hare at Willow Creek Vineyard
Surrounded by the ocean on three sides, the 11-hectare Willow Creek Vineyard is bordered by native bushlands that protect wildlife such as wrens, wagtails, and honeyeaters. The vines are planted east-west that form neat, vertical hedges that prevent the birds and kangaroos from eating the crops in the springtime. The grapes are harvested in mid-March and processed into Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Rare Hare Rosé among others.
They have a cellar door that offers three distinct wine tasting experiences tailored to your taste and interest in discovering winemaking secrets. From a standard winetasting to an hour walking the vines and blending your own wines, there’s an experience for every palate.
Merricks General Wine Store
Established in 1922 by the Joyney Family, the store has gone through several transformations throughout the decades. It started as a post office and meeting place in 1922, a restaurant in 1997, and a convenience store and cellar door in the early 2000s. In 2008, the Myer and Baillieu families bought the store and the Merricks General Wine Store opened as a brand new providore, bistro, event space, and cellar door
Nestled in the gentle slopes of Merricks North, you will find the Bulldog Run property, which is home to Baillieu vineyard. Baillieu Wines are produced from grapes that are grown and hand-harvested from the estate.
Pt. Leo Estate
Pt. Leo Estate is a 50-acre vineyard that stretches up the crest and curves down towards the expanse of Westernport Bay. The vines respond to the constant forces of nature –sunshine, rain, sweeping winds, cooling ocean breezes, making it ideal for each of their wines including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Shiraz.
The private estate was once part of a 450-acre property owned by the Cole family since Federation in 1901, through to the late 1960s, and was primarily used as a sheep station and for crop growing. Today, Pt. Leo Estate offers a visual feast of art, rolling vineyards, ocean views, landscapes of grazing cattle, and an expansive 19-acre Sculpture Park comprising a cellar door & wine terrace, and a fine dining restaurant.
Recent Comments