If there's a wine region in Australia that's not afraid to experiment with grape types, then the wine community in Mornington Peninsula is it. Besides being close to Melbourne and known as a seaside getaway for city folk, it's also a viticultural hub with the biggest concentration of the French native grape, Pinot Gris.
Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by water on three sides, and the maritime climate lends itself wonderfully to the cultivation of most grape types. Originally a farming area where apples, cherries and other produce was farmed, Mornington Peninsula has quite recently become home to several boutique wineries, both along the coast and a little further inland, specialising in a number of interesting grape types. More than anything, the constant influx of people (and their money) into the area has made wine farming a lucrative business.
Besides Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also widely cultivated in Mornington Peninsula. The business of wine has been tried and tested here since the 19th century, but after careful consideration of the climate and what would flourish best on which sites; the area now produces excellent varieties of lesser known French and Italian grape types. Over a hundred wineries now operate in Mornington Peninsula, and while most of them produce Pinot Gris, you can also find several plantings of Meunier, Dolcetto, Muscato, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Arneis, Barbera, Gamay, Viognier, Malvasia, Aligote, Verduzzo, Lagrein, Zinfadel and several other interesting grape types.
Since the tourist trade is a roaring one in the area, most of the 170 wineries have restaurants and accommodation attached to them. About 50 have their own cellar doors. Most are boutique wineries, so besides being convenient for holidaymakers, they also offer rare and exclusive wines for discerning wine lovers.
You may like to try the wines from Bluestone Lane Vineyard, Beckingham Wines, Morning Star Estate and Waruna.
You’ll find more wineries from Mornington Peninsula wine region by clicking here: Wineries from Mornington Peninsula
Visit these boutique wineries to grow your knowledge of boutique wine and boutique wineries:
