Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has become one of Australia’s favourite wine regions.
A second wave of planting in the 1980s catapulted Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula into the consciousness of oenophiles. Four decades later, this relative newcomer has become one of Australia’s favourite wine regions.
WINE MORNINGTON PENINSULA
When Garry and Margaret Crittenden first started talking about pinot noir in the early 1980s, a pattern of confusion quickly emerged. ‘Pinot what?’ was the typical response among local friends and acquaintances. Likewise, many were baffled by the Crittendens’ decision to plant vines – of any kind – in the Mornington Peninsula, a region with little wine cred at the time.
Inspired by a trip to Tasmania a few years earlier, and a particularly memorable, yet utterly surprising gewürztraminer, the Crittendens could not be derailed. “I knew there was a whole new world out here,” recalls Garry. He was right. Crittenden Estate is now a major player in the Australian wine industry and the
The Crittenden Estate mantra is that great wines must start in the vineyard and they’re committed to non-chemical management of the vines, driven by creating natural disease resistance in the vineyard, resulting in healthier vines and fruit.
Mornington Peninsula is firmly embedded as one of the country’s favourite wine regions. And the pinot noir that locals were once so dubious about has played a starring role.
An hour’s drive southeast of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is on the up and up as a tourism destination and this is heavily driven by the region’s rich wine offering. According to the 2019 Mornington Peninsula Visitor Journeys Report, visitor numbers have jumped 39 per cent since 2012. Meanwhile, 2018-19 data puts the Mornington Peninsula second behind the Margaret Valley as Australia’s most-visited wine region.
As well as the vineyard-dotted landscape and resulting wine catalogue, the glittering beaches, noteworthy dining scene, luxurious stays and charming townships strengthen the pull. Yet, when the Crittendens planted their first vines in 1982, the picture was vastly different.
A horticulturalist by trade, Garry Crittenden had studied the climate data and drawn the parallel between the peninsula and the famed French wine region of Bordeaux, the spiritual home of cabernet sauvignon. The Crittendens stuck to the science, planting two hectares comprising predominantly cab sav, as well as chardonnay and a little pinot noir. In doing so, they doubled the Mornington Peninsula’s area under vine.
The science, though, turned out to be deceptive and the region’s cool climates proved better suited to the grapes of Burgundy – pinot noir and
chardonnay. But don’t visit the peninsula expecting a French-style drop, says Garry: “We have our own unique interpretation of pinot noir. The climate and the soils superimpose their character on the grapevine and hence, the fruit that you harvest.
“A common mistake that not only industry people make, but wine lovers make, is that their benchmark for pinot noir is Burgundy. It’s taken a long time for growers and the public to shrug off that shackle.”
WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?
The Mornington Peninsula is a nuanced region, the diversity of climate, soil structure, rainfall and altitude giving each vineyard its own terroir. Unlike landlocked Burgundy, the peninsula is surrounded by water on three sides – Bass Strait, Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay – and the maritime influence has played a vital role.