Peninsula wineries named among Australia’s best

Three Mornington Peninsula wineries have been named among Australia’s top vineyards in Young Gun of Wine’s 2024 Vineyard of the Year Awards. Foxeys Hangout, Crittenden Estate and Portsea Estate were among 41 finalists chosen from more than 6000 wineries in Australia, judged as best exemplifying the values of sustainability, innovation, provenance, and quality wine production.

Awards panellist and Eat.Drink writer Max Allen, who has judged these awards since their inception, said: “I can’t believe we’re into the fourth year of these awards. And I can’t believe we’re still talking about Australia’s winegrowing community facing unprecedented challenges. The pandemic might be over, the bushfires and floods may have receded, but there’s still plenty to worry about: uncertain weather patterns, global oversupply, rising costs and dwindling returns, structural imbalance and poor industry governance –the list goes on.

“That’s why the Vineyard of the Year Awards – in my humble opinion – are so important. They provide shining examples of innovative ideas, leading-edge practice, and sustainable business. Collectively, they offer a ray of hope. By highlighting regenerative viticulture, by championing our best growers and viticulturists and vignerons, we can remind ourselves that growing grapes and making wine is a long-term game that requires resilience and optimism and ingenuity, all of which are on display in the list of this year’s top growers.”

The awards were started in 2020 by the team behind Young Gun of Wine with the aim of advancing the regional identity of Australian wine and promoting cutting-edge sustainability and innovation in winegrowing. To judge the awards, a group of leading viticulturists were enlisted to personally review all the applicants. Other judges included Dr Kerry DeGaris, Richard Leask, Dr Colin McBryde, and Prue Henschke. The 2024 Vineyard of the Year Awards category winners will be announced in Melbourne in mid-June in conjunction with a series of trade tastings in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.