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Mornington Peninsula - Vineyards and Cellar Doors

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Stonier Wines, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Stonier Wines, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Eldridge Estate overlooks the valleys of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Tuck's Ridge cellar door and cafe restaurant, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Moorooduc Estate vineyard and Jill's restaurant - fine wine, fabulous food and luxury accommodation
Aerial view of Paringa Estate, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Mornington Peninsula viticulture is small but high quality. Its total vineyard area in 2007 amounted to just 649ha of vines, an area equivalent to around half that of Tasmania’s.

Vineyard soils vary from site to site. Typically, they range from fertile red volcanic soils around Red Hill and Main Ridge to more widely dispersed, clay-based sand or loam duplex soils.

The Mornington Peninsula is acknowledged as the home of some of Australia’s finest cool climate chardonnays.

That noted, the peninsula is predominantly red wine country. Over 55 percent of its vineyard area is planted to red wine grapes. Pinot Noir (252ha) dominates the landscape.

Sheltered sites to the north and away from the coast offer red wine growers the option of planting Shiraz (47ha) or Cabernet Sauvignon (42ha). The Spanish and Italian varieties of Tempranillo (2ha), Sangiovese (2ha) and Barbera (1ha) provide consumers with an element of novelty for now.

Among the white wine grapes, Chardonnay (177ha) reigns supreme in quality and quantity. The variety shows its versatility by its use as a grape for table wine production (in wooded and unwooded styles) as well as sparkling wine. Pinot Gris (74ha) is proving a very successful new kid on the block. It has already overtaken Sauvignon Blanc (18ha) to become the region’s second-string white variety.

The Chardonnays of Kooyong and Moorooduc Estate are classically European in style and expression. Pinot Noirs from Eldridge Estate, Kooyong, Main Ridge, Merricks Creek, Paringa Estate, Tuck’s Ridge, and Yabby Lake number among the region’s most celebrated wines.

Regions

  • Melbourne Surrounds (VIC)
  • Mornington Peninsula (VIC)

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