Over the weekend I headed to Melbourne for a much-needed catch up with my sister and best friend. A girls weekend was long overdue and the whole three days were packed with friends, laughter, food and of course loads of wine! But the reason we went down in the first place was to head to the Mornington Peninsula. My sister had never been on a wine tour before and asked if I would come along. I was more than happy to oblige, out of the goodness of my own heart of course. I’ve never done the Mornington Peninsula in one day, so I figured I should do a bit of a guide to the Mornington Peninsula when you go on a day trip.
The Mornington Peninsula is about an hour out of Melbourne, so it is the perfect spot for a day trip. Whether you drive yourself or go on a tour, there are plenty of options depending on your budget and how much you plan to drink. But it is a great way to explore this fantastic and less known wine region when you’re in Melbourne for a couple of days. It gives you just a little taste, and I promise it will leave you wanting more!
In this guide to the Mornington Peninsula in one day, I’ve decided to highlight what we did. Each tour will be different, but I hope this gives you a bit of an idea of what to expect and some of the wineries you can visit.
Our guide to the Mornington Peninsula
As it was my sister’s first winery tour, we decided to splurge a little on a private tour. I was surprised by the price as it really wasn’t that much more than a bus tour, and it meant that we got a door to door service and to pick and choose where we went a little more than with a bus tour. We travelled in comfort with our own car and driver, Alex, for the day. He runs his own company called Peninsula Wine Tours and I can highly recommend his tours. He was so knowledgeable, very entertaining and had everything you could ever need on a wine tour. Alex even brought a camera along to take photos throughout the day!
Our tour included a pick-up and drop off from our house, a coffee and snack stop, up to 5 wineries and a 2-course winery lunch. It was great value for all of this, and you honestly can’t put a price on the experience of having such a great tour guide. Alex had us in stitches and even made sure that we could buy wine to our heart’s content with his own shipping option. It definitely meant I blew my wine budget, but I really didn’t care.
Riding in style
For those that haven’t been on a winery tour before, this may set the bar a little too high for other tours to come. But if you want to tour the Peninsula in style, I definitely recommend Alex’s tours. However, if the budget doesn’t allow for this, you could easily drive yourself, or hop on a bus tour. We found plenty of options when we were researching that left from central locations and still offered a packed day. However, if you want a bit more control over where you go, I would recommend a private tour as you can set the pace of the day and where you want to go. It was also great because my sister has some dietary requirements and Alex was able to change the food we got on the tour so it worked for her.
Stop 1: Laneway Coffee
My partner texted me at 11.45am and I said we hadn’t started drinking yet, and he couldn’t believe it. But it didn’t matter because we were having such a fun start to the morning. After the hour drive to the Peninsula, we started with coffee and a snack at Laneway Coffee. I have to say this coffee was a great way to start the day, and their vegan tarts are the best I’ve ever had (coming from a meat eater this is a big call).
If you love Drake you’ll be right at home here too. There’s Drake everywhere – even on the bathroom door. I also love the Drake quote on the wall!
We took our coffees and pastries to the Arthurs Seat lookout rather than eating it at the cafe which was perfect as it was the most incredible view of the bay. Such a great way to start the day. Seriously, if I am saying this was better than drinking wine, you know it has to have been worthwhile.
Stop 2: Foxeys Hangout
We started the wineries with a trip to Foxeys Hangout. The name comes from dark beginnings of when fox hunters would hang what they caught on a tree in a nearby property to compare the sizes. Hence the name! But regardless of the inspiration for this winery, the wines are absolutely incredible!
Whether you are on a tour or not, this has to be one of my favourite wineries on the Peninsula. It has a stunning dining room full of natural light (and great share food at an affordable price as a side note), and the staff offer such good tastings. They are really funny, personable and knowledgeable. Everything I love in a good wine tasting!
For lovers of sparkling wine, this will be your jam. You can do a sparkling wine masterclass where you make your own bottle to take home if you have the time. Otherwise, you can enjoy their delicious sparkling Shiraz, which has to be my favourite of any I’ve tried. I had to buy two bottles before trying any other wines. They also had a really nice Chardonnay and their Pinot Noir’s were both delicious! So you can truly experience a bit of everything in a beautiful setting.
Stop 3: Crittenden Estate
For lover’s of Italian and Spanish wine, Crittenden Estate is a must in this guide to the Mornington Peninsula. As one of the founding families of wine on the Peninsula, Crittenden Estate has a large range of fantastic wines that won’t be found everywhere. The Peninsula is known for Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, but the wines coming out of Crittenden Estate show you don’t need a hot climate to make fantastic Spanish and Italian wines.
The tasting experience at Crittenden is something different from other wineries, as you sit at a table and select from a list which wines you’d like to try. They pair two up at a time so you can compare them as well. I thought this was a great idea, particularly with my sister trying wines for the first time. It helped her understand the differences between the wines.
Crittenden Estate has some amazing wines, and there really is something for everyone. From unusual Spanish varieties to hand-picked, whole bunch Pinot Noir, you’ll truly try something you’ve never experienced before. The quality of the wine was fantastic, and the staff were really knowledgeable too. They even threw in a few different wines for us to try on top of the tasting. I had a hard time not buying every wine I tried here!
Lunch at Stillwater
Crittenden Estate is absolutely beautiful with a huge lake and manicured gardens, my best friend said she was expecting Mr Darcy to walk around the corner. So it was the perfect spot to enjoy a two-course meal in the sun on the deck of their restaurant Stillwater. The food is the best I’ve had as a tour winery lunch. Given our dietary requirements, I was impressed by how attentive they were to our needs.
I had the pork belly for entree which was perfectly cooked, however, the lamb for main was some of the best lamb dishes I’ve ever had. All washed down with a glass or two of estate wine, it was a great lunch spent in the sunshine. I would highly recommend it even if you aren’t on a tour, especially as the prices are quite reasonable.
Stop 4: Port Phillip Estate
After lunch at Stillwater, which ended up being a bit of a long lunch (the beauty of being on your own tour) we headed to Port Phillip Estate. I have to say honestly this was probably my least favourite of the day. However, the view sells it for me. The beautiful building is like something out of a James Bond movie and when you make it through the hidden door you find yourself in a cellar door and restaurant with the most incredible view out over the winery and the Peninsula. It is definitely worth it for this alone! Hello, photo opportunities!
The wines at Port Phillip Estate are good, but they weren’t my favourite if I’m honest. However, I think what let us down was the service. Although the lady helping us was nice, she didn’t explain any of the wines or tasting notes. We had to keep asking her what we were drinking. This was a bit hard when my sister doesn’t drink wine so didn’t know what to look for. However, for those that are a bit more familiar, you might be ok. I wondered if it was a once off as I’ve been before and had a different experience.
So go for the views and the architecture. Stay for the wine, but I definitely think there were other places that I rated far higher.
Stop 5: Rare Hare
The last stop on our winery tour and in this guide to the Mornington Peninsula was Rare Hare. It’s a winery attached to the incredible and expensive Jackalope hotel. Definitely worth a visit just to check out the location, the hotel and the giant Jackalope sculpture! However, we were there for the wines.
The cellar door also has a casual dining spot with a beautiful view of the wineries. We enjoyed some meats and cheeses from here which were fantastic – so if you are after something that isn’t super fancy but absolutely delicious, this would be my pick. It’s just good food without worrying about a degustation, and the setting is fantastic!
Now onto the wines. Rare Hare has a number of wines on tasting which aren’t all the Rare Hare brand, so you can try a few different wines. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rare Hare Rose, but the Pinot Noir was also incredible! No matter your tastes, you’ll find something here. I also thought the tasting was really fun and casual, but you learnt enough about the wines throughout. Their branding is also super cute with rabbits all over everything. Definitely worth checking out!
The final word on this guide to the Mornington Peninsula in one day
Because the Mornington Peninsula is so close to Melbourne it is so achievable to do in one day. Whether you drive yourself or do a tour, you are sure to have a great time. With the incredible scenery, fantastic food and awesome wines, it is the perfect day trip!
This is just some suggestions for your own one day tour in this guide to the Mornington Peninsula, but really anywhere you go you’ll be sure to have a great time. You’ll probably also come home with a few too many bottles, but that’s half the fun of it!
Check out the video to see more of our tour!