Melbourne - Part 2

During our week in Melbourne we decided that we wanted to visit some of the wine country.  Rather than drive ourselves or get on a big coach tour, we bucked up for a private vehicle to take us to the Mornington Peninsula.  This was definitely the best choice for us and we had a fantastic day.  The major wine region near Melbourne is the Yarra Valley, to the northwest of the city.  We chose to go to the Mornington Peninsula, which is about 90 minutes south of Melbourne.

One thing that made us choose the Mornington Peninsula over the Yarra Valley is that there are fewer big wineries and more boutique vintners.  We didn't see any big coaches, and only a few mini van tour groups.  We were also interested in sampling Pinot Noir, and the Mornington Peninsula is definitely the place in Victoria for that.

Vines covered in nets to keep away the pesky birds

The climate is somewhat "mediterranean" with warm sunny days and cooler nights, and cool humidity from the ocean breezes.  It is also somewhat hilly so, much like in the Napa Valley, there is a wide range of elevations.

View of the coast line from Franklin's Point

The area is really pretty, with the ocean to the south and all green hills.  It would have been easy to spend our entire week here, visiting wineries and relaxing on the beaches.  A one day trip from Melbourne was a great way to spend a day and we would happily do it again.  We visited four vineyards in one day: Yabby Lake, Stonier, T'Gallant and Main Ridge Estate.  They were all impressive and the people running the tasting rooms seem to have the best jobs in the world!  Although we were focussed on Pinots, we tried a number of Chardonnays and even a Shiraz or two.  By the end of the day we were tired and ready to relax...over another glass of wine, of course!