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Autumn 2014 002Stonier Wines Stillwater Crittenden Red Hill Estate Eldridge Estate Stonier Wines Stillwater Crittenden Red Hill Estate Eldridge Estate AMAZING WINE, FOOD CELLAR P ninsul W n Country The Mornington Peninsula s food and wine culture has been thriving for well over a decade and aficionados now regard it as one of the finest and most diverse gourmet regions to visit in Australia.
Travelling around the Peninsula today offers a food and wine experience that takes you from coastal roads to bucolic hinterland on a journey of discovery where around every corner there s a vineyard, olive grove, farmgate, restaurant, food producer or market.
To make wine here you require a fair bit of nerve as the cool maritime climate presents a range of challenges.
Winemakers have learnt to adapt to the cool maritime climate and trust their instincts riding out the peaksand troughs over years of contrasting conditions.
Come harvest time, the place is a veritable beehiveas reputations are tested in pursuit of winemakingexcellence.
Across the region, each vintage we seemore Chardonnays with that savoury citrus note, PinotGris and Pinot Grigios with lively flavours and PinotNoir that s light but highly fragrant and bursting withcomplexity.
How do you find these wines Best to tour the sub regions and spend time in cellar doors acquaintingyourself with the makers of some great wines.
Here are just a few examples DROMANA AND MOOROODUC Regarded as regional royalty, the Crittenden family now spans two generations of winemakers and today, Yong Gun Rollo has joined his legendary father Gary growing and producing wines in the region a traditionthat began in the early 1990s.
Set against a canvasof sprawling vineyards, an ornamental lake and theRed Hill escarpment, Crittenden at Dromana Wines enjoys the most picturesque of settings.
After focusingon traditional Burgundy varieties, more recently Crittenden at Dromana has shifted to Northern Italian and Spanish style wines.
Initially varieties includingSangiovese and Nebbiolo were the focus followedby pinot grigio, Arneis, Barbera and Tempranillo.
The cellar door here is also the home of Stillwater Restaurant.
Owners, Zac and Jacqui Poulier havecreated a lovely ambience and the classy eatery looksout over an ornamental lake and chalets.
Guests are given a range of innovative meals many of whichhighlight cottage garden fresh produce and matchperfectly with the Crittenden wines.
Dining areasinclude a deck and a downstairs sandstone terrace, perfect for a lighter lunch in the warmer months.
This allows the kids freedom to run and play while theadults sample the vignerons platter with a glass of theCrittenden s finest.
You can even make a weekend of your visit staying in the beautifully appointedchalets opposite.
At cellar door don t forget to try the Italian varietal wines, the Crittenden family have beenchampioning these styles for over two decades and theyare renowned for their food friendliness.
www.stillwateratcrittenden.com.au Set in a corner of the bucolic Moorooduc area, Moorooduc Estate s conditions for growing intense, elegant Pinot Noir and complex savoury Chardonnaythat will age well are perfect.
Surrounded by rollingpasture land, the dramatic rammed earth cellar dooris the place to celebrate winemaker Rick McIntyre s mantra of wild yeast ferment.
The setting provides acool environment to take in the scenery and enjoy the wines from the vineyard.
The passionate staff love talking about natural winemaking techniques and onweekends, extra special indulgent lunches are anothercompelling reason to visit.
Jill s kitchen is the heart and soul of this family-run, boutique winery and operates alongside the cellardoor.
The restaurant features special Sunday lunchesonce a month full of excellent organic food matched to wines.
Also, during 2014 two spectacular dinners are promised as Jill puts the focus on her two favouritevarieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Both these single varietal dinners will be a wonderful opportunity tolook at a single variety over an evening of feasting.
Jill s cooking is sublime, having received many top accolades and both these dinners and lunches are available exclusively to mailing list customers, contact mailto me moorooducestate.com.au MERRICKS BALNARRING NORTH Balnarring is a Boutique seaside village, cool, family-friendly caf s, a country picnic racetrack andAustralia s cleanest beach Balnarring has it all.
The Merricks General Store, wineries and pony club, secluded beaches and tree-lined walking tracks makethis combine to make this seaside hamlet the most beautiful place around.
Located in a leafy hideaway in the back roads ofBittern, Elan Vineyard is a small but beautiful familyowned winery that manages to produce high qualitylow yield wines.
The climate and soil types here createa diverse range of wine styles.
The region is recognised for producing great Pinot Noir and Elan Pinot Noiris no exception.
However as a point of difference the estate also creates a number of other varieties as well, including Cabernet Merlot, Riesling and Shiraz.
Winemaker, Selma Lowther shows her prowess with handcrafted wines that are distinctive and attract plentyof attention.
A visit to Northway Downs in Stumpy Gully Road, Balnarring is like tracking down an Austrian villa on the Mornington Peninsula.
Since 1996 this family owned vineyard has produced Pinot Noir andChardonnay.
Visit the caf and cellar door to enjoy 074.indd 1 1 04 14 10 31 PM 74 003