Peninsula VineHop Festival
Post
Subscribe
Sat 18 Nov 2017 - Sun 19 Nov 2017
[SECTION][/SECTION]
The inaugural weekend long
Mornington brought perfect weather, spectacular views and bus loads of fun! Despite the long commute, limited toilet facilities, bus schedules and vegetarian food options, the fun to be had was plentiful and the only thing that was regrettable was that the buses did not have later pick up times from the last vineyard.
From beer, wine, cider, and gin tastings, to generous pours, live music, food trucks, free drinking water, and sing a longs on the bus rides between vineyards, this festival has a wonderful small community feel, with picturesque views and seriously good wines.
Stay in Mornington Peninsula if you are able, to enjoy the two-day festival. Otherwise, the public transport commuter options are convenient but long. At Frankston station, pre-selected shuttle or tour coaches will be waiting to take you to Rosebud to collect your glass. With only one portable toilet and five bus loads after a 2 and a half hour commute from the city, this was a less than ideal set up.
The coaches have separate
vineyards routes ; select Grape and Grains, Vines and Views, Best of the Bunch tours or a green or blue shuttle. Guests can also opt to hire a private limo or a private bus, which is preferred given the flexibility it allows.
We chose the green shuttle, with five stops on the route, of which we managed four. I recommend to select two vineyards, one for the morning, and another for the afternoon, so you can relax and enjoy the entertainment, activities, and wines.
Thank you VineHop Festival for the opportunity to attend this wonderful event - I will be back next year!
[SECTION]Blue Ranges Estate Wines[/SECTION]
The first stop for several buses, which meant crowds and queues for tastings and toilets. The staff however managed smoothly and professionally, setting up four tasting points under a large covered area.
Blue Range Estate Wines has two large areas, one covered for tastings, and another where one can relax at outdoor tables and enjoy a meal and a drink in the sun. The sweeping views of vineyards, Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait is majestic and an ideal start to the day.
On both festival days, Blue Range Estate offered four tastings: Sparkling Rosso, 2009 Chardonnay, 2009 Shiraz, and 2009 Merlot; three food trucks: paella, pasta and pizza; DJ music from 10:30am; and five star accommodation onsite.
Pick a favourite sparkling or wine, buy a glass at the cellar door to enjoy at the Estate, then a bottle to share on the the bus ride to the second venue.
[SECTION]Red Hill Brewery[/SECTION]
A grand entrance to
Red Hill Brewery where the brewer is pouring beers from within the brewhouse with large vats behind him, adds to the thrill of tasting locally produced beer. He is generous with his pour and there are four to try ranging from thirst quenching Golden Ale and Pilsner to a richer Wheat Beer and Scotch Ale.
The brewhouse offers beer for tasting and purchase, while the cellar door has a wide variety of additional beer styles, wine and cider for purchase.
The Boomtown BBQ food truck offers beef brisket ($15), pulled pork ($15), or beef ribs ($25) to enjoy with the beer. Unfortunately there are no options for vegetarians; you could ask for bread with coleslaw.
An open sheltered area with tables and chairs surrounded by trees, gave respite from the heat, and a peaceful setting to enjoy lunch and a drink. In the garden area, a solo guitarist and singer entertained guests enjoying company and drinks on picnic blankets or seated atop hay bails. Two musicians each day brings variety at Red Hill Brewery. Here, there is a lovely sense of community with small gatherings, making it a wonderful spot for families and those preferring a relaxed atmosphere.
Drink up and walk to the next destination, rather than wait for the shuttle bus. The 1km walk along a roadside path, amongst trees, is beautiful, and you are likely to meet locals walking their dogs or enjoying a stroll. Note, your tasting glass unfortunately needs to be empty before leaving the premises if you are walking (no travellers allowed).
[BREAK]
[SECTION]Red Hill Estate[/SECTION]
My favourite for the day, Red Hill Estate on Saturday afternoon offered vibrant live tunes and people dancing and sitting in a large open lawn area.
Here, the selection of local food tents included treats such as fried calamari, pulled pork, and paella. Few healthy or vegetarian options, but there is a need for carb loading to refuel as you vinehop. For those preferring a heartier sit down meal, enjoy the menu selection from [LINK=http://www.maxsrestaurant.com.au/maxs-restaurant-menu]Max's Restaurant.
[/LINK]
[BREAK]
Red Hill Estate provided generous tasting pours of Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvivgnon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, in tents, and the queues moved quickly. The cellar door offered these tastings as well as a range of premium wines of Merricks Grove and Single vineyard upon request, but the wait is long, so stick to the tents on the lawn.
An added bonus at this site were the two pop-up bars: Mr Banks Brewery and Bass and Flinders Distillery, which made Red Hill Estate the venue of choice for large groups with varied drinking preferences. I was content to be left here with a gin paddle ($18) or two.
Red Hill Estate offered a lively atmosphere, with large crowds, and beautiful views of Westernport Bay. The only thing lacking was shaded areas to escape from the scorching sun.
[SECTION]Nazaaray Estate Winery[/SECTION]
Unfortunately we only had 30 minutes at
Nazaaray Estate Winery before the final bus pick up at 4pm. We would have liked to have stayed longer to enjoy watching Bollywood dancer entertain and then teach guests to dance.
The venue was wonderful, with two brightly painted vintage 1930s train carriages provide a unique atmosphere. Initially used for wine tastings, the carriages are now occasionally used for Sunday Tiffin lunches. The owner and his team served generous tasting pours of 2013 Pinot Noir Blend 2, 2016 Pinot Gris, and additional white and red selected by the winemaker, with a train carriage as the backdrop.
The cellar door offers the same tastings as well as wines for purchase and the adjoining deck overlooks the estate's farmland and Green's Bush, part of Mornington Peninsula National Park.
Of the four sites we visited, this had the best food trucks, catering for all diets, including vegetarians, and gluten free options! So of course we ate the most here. Three food trucks on each day; on Saturday Japanese, Himalayan, and Mexican.
The only pitfall of this colourful and energetic venue, was that there were only two accessible toilets, one of which was broken. Nevertheless, the wines are very good here, therefore, it is a great last stop for making final purchases for the journey home.
#breweries
#day_trips
#festivals
#mornington_peninsula
#tours
#victoria
#wineries
#november
!date 18/11/2017 -- 19/11/2017
%wnmelbourne
170757 - 2023-06-15 07:40:12