It's only been in relatively recent years that Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, just south of Melbourne, has become a wine region of note.
While there was a bit of viticulture in the late 1800s and then in the 1950s, it was only in the early 1970s that Mornington Peninsula became a name to be reckoned with in the wine industry when a relatively large number of vineyards and wineries began to be established.
Wine varieties
The region is known for its chardonnay and pinot noir, as well as shiraz and the lesser known varieties of viognier and pinot gris.
Other wine varieties grown in the region include cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and riesling.
South of Frankston
The wine region starts at Mt Eliza, south of Frankston where you start seeing road signs pointing you to various wineries and cellar doors.
Just before the town of Mornington, there's a turnoff to the right to Morning Star Estate, which could be your first cellardoor stop in the peninsula, and a sample of what to expect in the region.
Morning Star Estate includes a restaurant, hotel and rose gardens, as well as providing cellardoor wine tasting. The estate is open daily.
Wine-tasting tour
Mornington Peninsula has some 170 wineries and 50 cellar doors. If you're on a wine-tasting tour of the region, particularly on a weekday, note that not all Mornington Peninsula wineries and cellar doors are open daily.
Some are open only on weekends, some on the first weekend of the month, while still others are open only by appointment.
Grab hold of a wine touring map indicating winery locations and when (and if) they're open.
Inland vineyards
After Morning Star Estate, it's best to swing inland at Mornington to the Mornington Peninsula Freeway where you'll find Barmah Park Wines and Dromana Estate, both of which are open daily. There's a restaurant at Dromana.
Further south after leaving the freeway, there's a concentration of vineyards and wineries east of Arthurs Seat.
Open daily in this area are Bayview Estate Winery, Vidoni Estate Vineyard, Main Ridge Estate, the intriguingly-named Ten Minutes by Tractor Wine Company, T'Gallant Winemakers, and Mantons Creek.
On Red Hill Rd is Eldridge Estate of Red Hill, while further south along Shoreham Rd are Red Hill Estate, Tuck's Ridge, Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove, and Pier 10.
Paringa Estate and Stonier Wines are also in the area and closer to Merricks. Box Stallion, Willow Creek Vineyard and Marinda Park Vineyard are in the Balnarring area. The Cups Estate is way to the east on Browns Rd in Rye.
There are many more vineyards in the hinterland but most of these open only on weekends, one weekend a month or only by appointment.
Join a tour
If you prefer not to drive to the Mornington Peninsula vineyards and wineries, there are bus tours which you can join. Visit the Melbourne visitor centre at Federation Square across the street from Flinders St Station.
