The Mornington Peninsula region in the State of Victoria, Australia is where the coastline meets the gently rolling hills. Mornington Peninsula produces a wide variety of wines.

Climate: Mornington Peninsula is one of Australia’s true maritime wine regions, being surrounded by Bass Strait, Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay. The region experiences relatively high summer humidity, low stress, abundant sunshine hours, and plentiful rainfall during winter and spring. The late ripening provided by a prolonged gentle autumn results in fully ripe grapes with outstanding fruit flavours, high natural acidity and fine tannins.

Viticulture: Tod Dexter, winemaker at Stoniers is quoted by Jeremy Lee Williams as saying ‘you need to select a warm site that is well-protected to assure adequate ripening.

Soils: Soils range from the red volcanic soils of Red Hill, to the sedimentary duplex yellow of Tuerong, to brown duplex of Merricks and the sandier clay loom in Moorooduc.

Harvest: March/April – May

Wines: Predominantly Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, with Pinot Gris and Shiraz the rising stars.

Wineries: Stoniers.

Website: www.morningtonpeninsulawine.com.au

Bibliography

Jeremy Lee Williams, ‘Keeping Cool’ Wine Magazine, February 1997, p.42-43.