Here at Explore Australia Tours we love visiting the Mornington Peninsula and especially love all the picturesque wineries that you can visit only a short drive away from Melbourne! It's not hard to see why this area is the most visited destination from Melbourne. We decided to put together a small list of some of our favourite wineries to help you put together an itinerary or you can simply come on a day tour with us to make things easier!

Pt Leo Estate

Situated on the Eastern side of the peninsula between the small villages of Shoreham and Merricks Beach Pt Leo Estate boasts breathtaking views Phillip Island, The vines on their property, Western Port bay and the sculpture park which is unique to the property. Visitors can enjoy tasting the range of delicious wines at the cellar door(and maybe take a few bottles away with them), enjoy a degustation at Laura or dine in and enjoy a meal at Pt Leo Restaurant.   

The Sculpture Park

Pt Leo's Sculpture park is host to a constantly changing outdoor showroom of 50 spectacular Australian and international art pieces. There are two walks that you can partake in of 3km (60 mins) and 1.9km (30 mins) that take you on a journey through the world class art displays by the likes of Dean Bowen, Bruce Armstrong and Tony Cragg. It is open 11am till 6pm and is only $5 for Children or $10 for adults. Those who dine at Laura are granted complimentary entry.  

Pt Leo's Sculpture park is host to a constantly changing outdoor showroom of 50 spectacular Australian and international art pieces. There are two walks that you can partake in of 3km (60 mins) and 1.9km (30 mins) that take you on a journey through the world class art displays by the likes of Dean Bowen, Bruce Armstrong and Tony Cragg. It is open 11am till 6pm and is only $5 for Children or $10 for adults. Those who dine at Laura are granted complimentary entry.  

Montalto

A short drive from Point Leo Estate you will arrive at Montalto to be welcomed by its contemporary award winning restaurant and incredible selection of fine wines.

There are 3 labels in the Montalto range thanks to their multiple vineyards across the Peninsula allowing them to showcase all aspects of the name and its character.

Their Pennon Hill range is known for it's drinkability while the Estate wines are crafted from the best available fruit from across all of the vineyards. They also have a Single Vineyard range which showcases the character and essence of a select vineyard with each wine being unique in character.

When visiting you can enjoy a delicious meal at their restaurant with tasty views to match and then sample the award winning wines from their various labels from the warm and welcoming cellar door.

Rare Hare at Willow Creek Vineyard

This Vineyard was planted in 1989 and is surrounded by ocean on 3 sides, couple that with the cool climate of the peninsula and you've got a great spot for making some fantastic wines! Wines from both the Willow Creek and Rare hare range can be sampled at the cellar door and there are views of rolling hills and grape vines a-plenty. The key to the wines here is letting the quality of the vineyard shine through with a less is more approach and a focus on chardonnay and pinot noir varieties. The Rare Hare restaurant is a great place to enjoy a delicious meal with a glass of wine to go with those fantastic views before moving on to the next tasting treat on the peninsula.

T'Gallant Winery

Most famous for taking Pinot Grigio/Gris into the mainstream of the Australian wine scene but with much more to offer on top of that, T'Gallant is a must visit spot for anyone making a taste pilgrimage on the Mornington Peninsula. The owners planted two seperate vineyards of the same pinot variety on the peninsula back in 1990 and were astounded by the difference in the wine that was produced by the two seperate plantations. One batch was crisp and light like the Pinot Grigio varieties of Italy while the other was richer and more luscious reminiscent of the Pinot Gris wines from France. 

The cellar door here boasts T'gallants massive range of wines all available for tasting and trust me when I say from experience that they love letting you sample! Once you decide on your favourites and pick up a few bottles to take home the outdoor piazza is a great place to enjoy a full glass and maybe a pizza! 

Green Olive at Red Hill

One of the younger wineries on the Peninsula opened to the public in 2010 has plenty to offer visitors. Their wine range is mostly of the light easy drinking variety such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Unwooded Chardonnay and sparkling which undergoes natural fermentation for it's carbonation giving it finer bubbles. 

The menu at the restaurant includes main meals and an extensive tapas menu including vegetables fresh from the garden. Green olive has many products made from their olive trees which were planted back in 2010 which can be sampled and purchased from their shop and they also offer a variety of cooking classes as well for those of us that want to learn new skills!