Main Ridge Red Hill Merricks Shoreham Point Leo Arthurs Seat

MAIN RIDGE RED HILL MERRICKS

PHOTO: ISABELLA ROSE

This is where the wineries and breweries meet with incredible dining opportunities for food and fresh produce fanatics. This is where the cellar doors are laden with cool-climate wines and wonderful distilled spirits and the provedores are thrilled to offer you sweet and savoury selections beyond your wildest dreams.

The hinterland region of the Peninsula is known for its mysterious rambling beauty and exceptional fare. Beneath the far-reaching gums and pines there is abundance for all to share as the long winding roads take you from artisan eateries to high-end feasting restaurants, breweries and cheeseries. Travel through this enchanted place to indulge in world-class dining that is unsurpassed, for this is Chef Hat territory, where the tasting menus matter and each course comes with its own tastebud expedition. Situated between Western Port and Port Phillip, Arthurs Seat, Main Ridge, Merricks, Point Leo, Red Hill and Shoreham are must-visit places when heading down south. Take in the view, catch a wave or walk one of the Peninsula’s many tracks while dreaming of dining alfresco or within any one of the magnificent wineries in the region. The hinterland’s orchards bear the fruit of generations past, while the farms are worked with tender loving care to make sure the rich soil can bear its optimum yield. Excellent accommodation abounds for out-of-towners who demand the best while wandering the roads least travelled.

This is grape-growing, strawberry-picking and truffle-farming terrain and there’s no need to refrain from indulging. So don’t. You have arrived.

SHOREHAM POINT LEO

Cellar and Pantry (P.159) Doot Doot Doot (P.148-149) Eddies Organic Cider (P.163) Jackalope (P.148-149) Mock Red Hill Cider (P.161) Montalto (P.154-155) Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Map (P.114-119) Pt Leo Estate (P.150-151) Rare Hare (P.148-149) Red Gum BBQ (P.157) Red Hill Brewery (P.162) Red Hill Cheese (P.158) Red Hill Fresh (P.163) Red Hill Truffles (P.160) Rocky Creek Farmgate (P.162) Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm (P.156) Tucks (P.152-153)

PHOTO: ISABELLA ROSE

Jackalope, Rare Hare & Doot Doot Doot

Situated on a private vineyard in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula wine region, Jackalope promises an experience to remember. With a jetblack, zinc-clad exterior, the hotel stands in sharp contrast to the rolling vines. This juxtaposition is a nod to the hotel’s namesake, a mythical creature – part jackrabbit, part antelope – that exists only in folklore.

Jackalope unifies art, design, dining and storytelling in the guest experience, creating a whimsical interplay between the ideal and the surreal. Best known as a luxury food and wine affair, two diverse restaurants surprise with contrasting takes on farm-to-fork food: hatted restaurant Doot Doot Doot delivers upscale dining and a tantalising tasting menu served under the arresting glow of a 10,000-globe chandelier; while casual winery restaurant Rare Hare serves upbeat vibes, wood-fired fare and panoramic sightlines over the surrounding vines. A cocktail bar, Flaggerdoot, oozes curated cool and breathes new life into the property’s 150-year-old homestead, while the hotel’s cellar door teases with pours of the property’s real pleasures – a selection of cool-climate wines from the Willow Creek Vineyard label.

If you’re staying in-house, don’t miss edible inclusions like the fire pit’s marshmallow station, complimentary breakfast in Doot Doot Doot (the highlight of many guests’ stays!) and on-demand popcorn for movie nights in.

Open seven days, check website for times.

Pt. Leo Estate

Pt. Leo Estate is a captivating celebration of internationally acclaimed art, design, world-class dining and wine, providing the most sought-after cultural and culinary experience in Australia.

Gracing 134 glorious hectares on the southern edge of Australia’s leading wine region – the Mornington Peninsula – this culinary destination is set in Australia’s foremost privately-owned sculpture park, housing an ever-evolving outdoor gallery of more than 60 Australian and international exhibits delineated by indigenous flora, encapsulating glimpses of Phillip Island and Western Port. At the northern end of the building, the visitor is met by a monumental four-star cellar door showcasing the estate’s site-expressive wines. The 20ha vineyard at the foot of the cellar door produces cool-climate wines the region is known for, predominantly chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir and shiraz. This multifaceted family-owned estate boasts the two Chef Hat finedining restaurant Laura, named one of five Australian appointments to Relais & Châteaux and awarded Best New Restaurant (Good Food Guide 2019). Laura is the family’s love letter to the Peninsula and is named after the 7m cast-iron silhouette Laura that looks into the dining space. The restaurant is a room of beauty, elegance and a refined offer that takes diners on a six-course bespoke culinary journey that embodies the season and the region. Pt. Leo Restaurant is an informal, one Chef Hat modern Australian restaurant venue with a wood-fired oven at the heart of the food

set against an immense backdrop of rolling vineyards and ocean views offering that lends itself to a menu designed for friends and family to share. Simple, delicious, seasonal and above all regional food is the main focus of the menu, which is complemented by Pt. Leo Estate wines and a wine list with a focus on Mornington Peninsula and Victorian producers.

Opening hours: Sculpture Park, seven days from 11am; Cellar Door, Sunday-Wednesday 11am-5pm, Thursday-Saturday 11amlate; Pt. Leo Restaurant, lunch Monday-Friday from noon, Saturday and Sunday from 11.45am; dinner Thursday-Sunday from 6pm; Laura, Thursday-Monday from noon, dinner Thursday-Saturday from 6pm; Wine Terrace, lunch Friday-Sunday from noon; live music on weekends from 1pm.

Tucks

It’s a playground for grown-ups at Tucks. For people who take wine seriously but not themselves, your long, lazy afternoon among the grapevines starts right here.

Tucks’ menu is designed to complement the estate-produced wine list, and sharing is definitely encouraged as you take in the views of gently rolling vines from the outdoor undercover terrace. It’s the perfect wine food; a tempting curation of the very best dishes from across the globe, made using the freshest locally-sourced produce. Mix and match with your favourite wines to create an epicurean feast to linger over.

Tucks Wine Store continues your contemporary winery experience with its distinctive winetasting adventure. You’ll be invited to sample Tucks’ range of wines as a blind wine-tasting, and encouraged to take notes or sketch on the wipe-down table to keep the conversation and wine flowing. It’s a chance to get out of your comfort zone and discover the varied notes and characteristics of our cool-climate wines, minus your preconceptions!

Finally, slip away to the iconic larger-than-life outdoor swing that overlooks the vines to finish your own wine-tasting adventure in the sunshine.

Open Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm; open extra days during summer. Please contact via phone, website or social media for peak opening times and reservations.

Montalto

Step inside the main building and you’ll find the award-winning Montalto Restaurant with its floorto-ceiling windows framing sweeping vineyard views. Central to the kitchen is fire, with a woodfired grill allowing the best of ingredients to sing. The abundant seasonal produce of the property is given top billing, and locally sourced meats, fish offer. Across the estate, 1.2ha of extensive vegetable gardens and orchards service the majority of Montalto’s plant-based needs.

With its casual Piazza Café, contemporary restaurant, cellar door, sculpture trail, behind-the-scenes experiences and popular private picnics, there’s something for everyone at Montalto. Indulge in lamb cutlets with chilli jam, marinated olives and woodfired pizza with napoli, buffalo mozzarella and basil while seated in the

and fowl showcase the very best the region has to striking kitchen garden of the Piazza at Montalto. The vineyard and sculpture park make a picturesque backdrop as you relax with friends over a long lunch. Guests can sit at the restaurant’s Chef’s Table to gain direct access to view the flame grill, while the private dining room caters for larger groups of up to 30. For those wishing to enjoy first hand the beauty of the estate, Montalto has 10 secluded sites to indulge in a private picnic with seasonal delights included. Stroll through the estate to admire the permanent collection of more than 30 sculptures before discovering the cellar door with Montalto’s range of award-winning wines. The Wine Room is also available for private wine-tastings for smaller groups, complete with 360-degree views of the rolling vineyards and Peninsula hinterland. Montalto is open seven days 11am - 5pm for cellar door tastings, private picnics, outdoor Piazza dining and indoor restaurant dining. Please contact via phone, website or social media for peak opening times and reservations.

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm

Fresh is always best and that’s what you get at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, where picking pristine produce is the order of the day. Known as a day-tripper’s paradise where family and friends gather to wander through the fields in search of ripe, juicy berries, Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm offers a fresh harvest-to-mouth experience and sensory celebration. Just imagine hand-picking strawberries from rambling runners in anticipation of bursts of summer sweetness beneath Peninsula skies.

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm is the ideal spot to introduce kids to authentic deliciousness grown on Mornington Peninsula soil. The excitement as strawberries are found beneath the green leaves, combined with an educational introduction to where food comes from, is sure to be a memorable experience for the young ones. There’s also a café full of delicious sweet treats and desserts, including ice-cream and sorbet made from berries grown on site and a retail area showcasing jams, syrups, chocolates and pre-picked and packed strawberries and raspberries for anyone who craves them. Freeze-dried strawberries decadently coated in chocolate are highly recommended. A selection of Sunny Ridge berry-based ciders, wines and liqueurs are available for tasting. Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm has been a ‘must visit’ summer attraction for generations of holidaymakers on the Mornington Peninsula. Make it a part of your next visit and make some wonderful memories. Happy picking. Open for U-Pick seven days a week from November to April Open Friday to Sunday from May to October in the off-season Please check website for further details Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm 244 Shands Rd, Main Ridge P: 5989 4500 www.sunnyridge.com.au sunnyridgestrawberryfarm

Red Gum BBQ

You know you’re in for a treat when the smoky scent of Australia’s largest craft beer and Southern-style barbecue joint meets you in the carpark. Step inside this former truck mechanic warehouse and be instantly transported to Red Gum BBQ country, where families and foodies sit at long wooden benches listening to classic country tunes and watching the ‘pitmasters’ smoke meat at one end of the expansive dining room.

Born from a fusion of traditional family recipes and a passion for bringing people together over slow barbecue, all meat at Red Gum BBQ is free-range and grass-fed. Succulent pulled pork, beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken, beef ribs and house-made sausage melt in your mouth and are finger-licking delicious.

With a focus on slow-cooked authentic Southern BBQ cuisine, meats are traditionally smoked for 12 to 16 hours using native Australian hardwoods in the custom-built offset steel ‘pits’. Knives and forks are available, but you are encouraged to dig in with your hands and experience fall-off-the-bone meat and sauce dripping from fingers to face. Napkins are optional. Barbecue is best served with traditional sides, including mac ‘n’ cheese, Grandma Cobb corn, brisket chilli cheese fries or seasonal favourites such as fried brussels sprouts or Southern grits, to name a few. Be sure to try the cornbread with melted honey-butter and make sure you save room for a slice of sweet Southern-style pie. Behind the recycled timber bar, find a selection of the Mornington Peninsula’s finest wines and Victorian craft beers on tap and served traditionally in Ball Mason jars.

The communal dining space at Red Gum BBQ has been designed to create connections. So follow the smoke back to Red Gum BBQ for a truly authentic Aussie-smoked, Americanstyle barbecue. Available for dine-in, takeaway, catering and functions. Open Wednesday-Sunday from 11am-9pm. Please check website for further details.

Red Hill Cheese

Wind down and let your mind wander at Red Hill Cheese. Nestled snuggly within the Mornington Peninsula hinterland, time stands still here where the tall trees grow and an abundance of artisan cheese is created.

Red Hill Cheese is a family-run business that creates small batches of high-quality, unique cheeses to excite the palate. Cheese enthusiasts can visit the cellar door for the full sit-down tasting experience, including sampling seasonal specials, or why not stop a while to experience life off the beaten track with a glass or two of Mornington Peninsula wine, beer or cider. Surrounded by forest, the covered deck at Red Hill Cheese acts as your own personal treehouse. Sit back and enjoy a tasting plate with friends and forget about rushing. The property also boasts a new outdoor garden terrace. With more than 20 years’ experience crafting cheese that makes its mark, Red Hill Cheese believes food tastes better when grown and made locally. Utilising both cow’s and goat’s milk in its on-site cheese-making process, Red Hill Cheese offers more than a dozen types of cheese, including feta styles, soft white mould cheeses, and delicious blues. It also carries a curated range of favourite cheeses from around the world.

Walk-in groups of up to six are most welcome. Bookings are requested for large groups. Open Friday-Sunday 11am-5pm with extended trading hours December and January. Please check website for further details.

Cellar and Pantry

Proud to be showcasing more than 8oo handpicked Mornington Peninsula products on site, Cellar and Pantry is the social central provedore with bite, right in the heart of Red Hill. This is where weekend wanderers and weekday residents gather for fresh morning coffee and end up enjoying beer and wine with friends on the deck by to pick up delicious provisions!

Community is at the core of this deeply committed to excellence business. Owner/operators Dee and Joe have been sourcing the best Peninsula produce they can find for 17 years and are delighted to continue to offer a wide variety of artisan produce to customers. Locally baked breads, cheeses, smallgoods and free-range meat are presented with care and consideration to flavour and aesthetics, while fresh fruit and vegetables are ripe for the picking from wellstocked shelves. The wine, cider and spirit selection is impressive and

for ‘happy days’ celebrations. Or to maybe just stop exemplifies the breadth of quality of cellar ‘companions’ available across the region. Whether you’re after a picnic basket for two or a cheese and charcuterie platter for many, Cellar and Pantry provides you with scrumptious alternatives. Gift hampers for taking a slice of the Peninsula home with you or picking up a couple of gorgeous foodie gifts for friends and family include Pinch of the Ninch and Weekend Wonder baskets stuffed full of magnificent produce.

Cellar and Pantry offers so much more than a place where the pantry food is exceptional. Outdoors, The Deck Café gets creative with toasted Turkish breads, baguettes, pies, cakes and seasonal vegetable salads, and you can also shop online to experience the finest Mornington Peninsula produce. Cellar and Pantry makes it delectably simple. Open 7am-7pm every day. Closed Christmas Day.

Red Hill Truffles

A visit to the Mornington Peninsula is a treat in itself, with the region’s unique biodiversity ranging between rural and coastal countryside.

Including a trip to Red Hill Truffles is an unforgettable bonus where visitors can experience a rustic farm setting and take home the essence of the Peninsula encapsulated in a black Périgord truffle.

Enjoy a truffle hunt with talented truffle hunting dogs, discover the origins of the coveted underground fungi, taste the dogs’ quarry, and learn how to serve truffles at home.

The flavour, texture and aroma vary between truffles and truffle farms – known as truffiere – and with every freshly harvested tuber it is possible to create a memory to treasure in your own kitchen.

Red Hill Truffles products – butter, honey, salt, mustard, aioli, and mushroom paste made with fresh truffles – are also available for sale after truffle hunts.

Truffles and truffle products can simply transform a simple dish into a sumptuous feast.

Enjoy the best of winter on the Mornington Peninsula and visit Red Hill Truffles for an experience you will want to repeat.

Open by appointment, see website for details.

Mock Red Hill

Mock Red Hill is a fifth-generation family-owned and operated apple orchard in the lush hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula. Much like past generations, the modern Mock family continue to nurture and nourish the land they live on and produce a range of premium biodynamic (enhanced organic) apples, pears, avocados and cherries. In addition to fruit production, Mock Red Hill is also well-known for its beverage line, which includes alcoholic ciders, sparkling and cloudy juices, and apple cider vinegar.

Mock Red Hill also houses Totally Pure Fruits, which is the Australian pioneer of freeze-drying fruit. The freeze-drying method of preservation ensures that optimum flavour is maintained without harming the nutritional value, with the finished product mimicking the texture of a meringue. A range of the fruit produced on site is available to purchase from the farmgate store. Mardi, Demi and Sheryn, who are the youngest generation of Mocks, now invite you to join them in their cider and tapas lounge, which is situated in the converted 1940s wooden coolstore on site. Serving modern cuisine, local wines and of course all the products from their farm, Mock Red Hill is the perfect place for a weekend lunch surrounded by history and authentic produce. Come relax beneath the alfresco-vined canopy by the old fig tree and experience the family’s farm-produce lunch and house-mixed cocktails.

Mock’s farmgate store is open for tasting paddles and takeaway sales Thursday-Monday from 10am to 5pm, and lunch is served Friday-Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Please check website for further details.

Red Hill Brewery

Come to where the ‘sessionable’ beer and organically grown hops flourish in Red Hill. Come to Red Hill Brewery, where craft beer is balanced in flavour and ready for drinking.

Established in 2005, Red Hill Brewery can be found in a landscape of towering native trees, making it the ideal spot for spreading out and relaxing with a brew in hand. There’s a new-look bar and refurbished deck for sitting back and relaxing while enjoying a seasonally inspired beer and the garden setting, while the beer-friendly food makes the ale, lager, pilsner, stout and specialty beers go down a treat. All Red Hill Brewery’s beers are made on site in small batches with the focus on flavourful detail, and special brews highlight local produce such as cherries, honey and truffles. Think delicious truffle scotch ale brewed with Main Ridge truffles. Specialty brews are aged for up to a year in oak barrels, which are sourced from local wineries and distilleries to enhance the flavour. Stop by to enjoy at the source or go online to buy a favourite beer for in-home enjoyment. Red Hill Brewery delivers. Either way, you’ll be smitten by its full-bodied essence. Open Thursday to Sunday 11am-6pm and public holidays. Opening hours increase over summer Please check website for further details

Red Hill Brewery I 88 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South I P: 5989 2959 I www.redhillbrewery.com.au redhillbrewery

Rocky Creek Farmgate

Where do you go for exquisite berry flavour and an experience that brings the whole family together? Rocky Creek Farmgate in Main Ridge. This primary producer of supremely scrumptious blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries and thornless blackberries offers delicious eating while experiencing the magnificent Mornington Peninsula. Why not bring the kids for a day of picking and devouring berries with flavourful bite? You’ll have fun in the sun and get to take home your very own part of the Mornington Peninsula!

Rocky Creek Farmgate is where the scrumptious stuff grows. Operated by Darren and Terri Cuffe, who love what they do and are dedicated to providing the best quality produce for you to enjoy, Rocky Creek Farmgate is all about fresh harvest. Grown on site in marvellous Main Ridge soil, the quality of these fresh berries is premium. Whether you are heading to the Peninsula for the day or are on the coast for an extended stay, Rocky Creek Farmgate is the place to visit. Head to the Fruits from the Ridge website to find out more about this fabulous farmgate full of fresh berries ripe for the picking, and enjoy.

Eddies Organic Cider

Award-winning Eddies Organic Cider is made with 1oo per cent certified organic apples grown on the family farm in Red Hill.

Established in December 2018, Eddies has already received gold, silver and bronze awards in the cider industry. The product has no artificial colours, flavours or additives and – most importantly – no chemicals. Eddies Organic Cider recently launched a non-alcoholic sparkling apple juice too. All products can be ordered online or purchased at local markets. Check the website or social media below for details.

Red Hill Fresh

Jump online and save time with Red Hill Fresh, the home of the freshest organically grown produce. This sixth-generation family farm on the Mornington Peninsula prides itself on offering a complete earth-to-table service.

Everything you need for fresh and healthy eating is just a click away with Red Hill Fresh. You can choose your own items or select a seasonal box of wholesome goodness online. The friendly team will carefully pick, pack and deliver straight to your door and aims to be of service by giving you more downtime with your family.